MyArxiv
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena 12
☆ Lowest-mass X-ray selected AGNs in the Boötes Field
We present a multi-wavelength analysis of three candidate active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in low-mass galaxies in the Bo\"otes field with the aim of improving constraints on the occupation fraction of low-mass black holes (BHs). Galaxies with low stellar masses ($M_{\star} < 10^{9.5} M_{\odot}$) are particularly interesting hosts for AGNs as they may contain BHs that have not grown significantly since the epoch of their formation in the early Universe. Using archival data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory, we find three X-ray luminous low-mass galaxies and assess whether they host AGNs. We find one of these sources to be variable in the X-ray and compute its X-ray light curve and spectrum. We compute the X-ray, mid-infrared, and [O III] luminosities and compare them to established AGN luminosity relationships in the literature. We then fit various star-forming, dust emission, and AGN templates to the spectral energy distributions (SEDs). The star formation rates estimated from the SED fits are unable to explain the observed X-ray luminosities of the candidates, providing more support for the presence of AGNs. By analysing the deviation from linear relationships between X-ray and mid-infrared luminosities, we find these systems to be obscured (with $\log N_{\rm H}[{\rm {cm^{-2}}}] \sim 22.7, > 25.0$, and $24.4$, respectively). We employ the scaling relationship between BH mass and stellar velocity dispersion to estimate the BH masses as $\sim 10^5 - 10^6 M_{\odot}$ and accreting at Eddington ratios $10^{-2} < \lambda_{\rm Edd} <10^{-1}$.
comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ Evaluation of EAS directions based on TAIGA HiSCORE data using fully connected neural networks
The direction of extensive air showers can be used to determine the source of gamma quanta and plays an important role in estimating the energy of the primary particle. The data from an array of non-imaging Cherenkov detector stations HiSCORE in the TAIGA experiment registering the number of photoelectrons and detection time can be used to estimate the shower direction with high accuracy. In this work, we use artificial neural networks trained on Monte Carlo-simulated TAIGA HiSCORE data for gamma quanta to obtain shower direction estimates. The neural networks are multilayer perceptrons with skip connections using partial data from several HiSCORE stations as inputs; composite estimates are derived from multiple individual estimates by the neural networks. We apply a two-stage algorithm in which the direction estimates obtained in the first stage are used to transform the input data and refine the estimates. The mean error of the final estimates is less than 0.25 degrees. The approach will be used for multimodal analysis of the data from several types of detectors used in the TAIGA experiment.
comment: The work was reported on the 8th International Conference on Deep Learning in Computational Physics (DLCP2025), June 19-21, 2024, Moscow, Russia (https://dlcp2024.sinp.msu.ru/). To bee published in Moscow University Physics Bulletin
☆ Cross-Comparison of Sampling Algorithms for Pulse Profile Modeling of PSR J0740+6620
In the last few years, NICER data has enabled mass and radius inferences for various pulsars, and thus shed light on the equation of state for dense nuclear matter. This is achieved through a technique called pulse profile modeling. The importance of the results necessitates careful validation and testing of the robustness of the inference procedure. In this paper, we investigate the effect of sampler choice for X-PSI (X-ray Pulse Simulation and Inference), an open-source package for pulse profile modeling and Bayesian statistical inference that has been used extensively for analysis of NICER data. We focus on the specific case of the high-mass pulsar PSR J0740+6620. Using synthetic data that mimics the most recently analyzed NICER and XMM-Newton data sets of PSR J0740+6620, we evaluate the parameter recovery performance, convergence, and computational cost for MultiNest's multimodal nested sampling algorithm and UltraNest's slice nested sampling algorithm. We find that both samplers perform reliably, producing accurate and unbiased parameter estimation results when analyzing simulated data. We also investigate the consequences for inference using the real data for PSR J0740+6620, finding that both samplers produce consistent credible intervals.
comment: Submitted to PRD
☆ Neutrino Oscillation in Core Collapse Supernova: The Impact of Spacetime Geometry
Neutrino flavor evolution inside a core-collapse supernova is a topic of active research. The core of a supernova is an intense source of neutrinos and antineutrinos. Self-interaction among neutrinos (as well as antineutrinos) gives rise to a rich phenomenology not seen in terrestrial situations. In studies of the dynamics of flavor evolution in such environments, the gravitational effects are generally ignored. Although the curvature outside a dense core does not deviate much from a flat space, the spin of the neutrinos can still couple to the torsion of the spacetime. These extra degrees of freedom of curved spacetime have interaction strengths that are proportional to the density of the neutrinos and the other fermions \cite{Chakrabarty:2019cau} \cite{Barick:2023qjq} as well as the coupling constants of the spin-torsion interaction. We have studied the effects of such interactions in flavor evolution inside a core-collapse supernova \cite{Ghose:Manuscript}. The self-interaction gets modified by the spin-torsion interaction and the oscillation dynamics is modified. We have seen that there are noticeable changes in the flavor dynamics when the neutrino density is uniform. We have also studied the effects of such interaction in a realistic core-collapse supernova (CCSN). As neutrino astronomy enters the precision era, this study will shed light on the potential of neutrino fluxes from CCSN to probe the neutrino-neutrino interaction.
comment: Presented by Indrajit Ghose at the XXVI DAE-BRNS HEP Symposium, 19-23 Dec 2024, Varanasi
☆ Radio observations of the ultra-long GRB 220627A reveal a hot cocoon supporting the blue supergiant progenitor scenario
We present the discovery of the radio afterglow of the most distant ultra-long gamma-ray burst (GRB) detected to date, GRB~220627A at redshift $z=3.084$. Its prompt gamma-ray light curve shows a double-pulse profile, with the pulses separated by a period of quiescence lasting ${\sim} 15\,$min, leading to early speculation it could be a strongly gravitationally lensed GRB. However, our analysis of the $\textit{Fermi}$/GBM spectra taken during the time intervals of both pulses show clear differences in their spectral energy distributions, disfavouring the lensing scenario. We observed the radio afterglow from $7$ to $456\,$d post-burst: an initial, steep decay ($F_{\nu} \propto t^{-2}$) is followed by a shallower decline ($F_{\nu} \propto t^{-1/2}$) after ${\sim} 20\,$d. Our afterglow modelling shows that these radio properties can be explained by the presence of a slow, wide ejecta component in addition to a fast, narrow ejecta component, consistent with the picture of a highly-collimated jet and its thermal cocoon decelerating into the ambient medium. The properties of the cocoon point toward a progenitor with a large stellar radius, supporting the blue supergiant scenario proposed for ultra-long GRBs. We also conducted an independent test of the lensing hypothesis via Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations at ${\sim} 12\,$d post-burst by searching, for the first time, for multiple images of the candidate lensed GRB afterglow. Our experiment highlighted the growing need for developments in real-time correlation capabilities for time-critical VLBI experiments, particularly as we advance towards the SKA and ngVLA era of radio astronomy.
comment: 19 pages, 7 figures; submitted to ApJ, comments are welcome
♻ ☆ On testing in-vacuo dispersion with the most energetic neutrinos: KM3-230213A case study
The phenomenology of in-vacuo dispersion, an effect such that quantum properties of spacetime slow down particles proportionally to their energies, has been a very active research area since the advent of the Fermi telescope. One of the assumptions made in this 15-year effort is that the phenomenology of in-vacuo dispersion has a particle-energy sweet spot: the energy of the particle should be large enough to render the analysis immune to source-intrinsic confounding effects but still small enough to facilitate the identification of the source of the particle. We use the gigantic energy of KM3-230213A as an opportunity to challenge this expectation. For a neutrino of a few hundred PeVs a transient source could have been observed at lower energies several years earlier, even assuming the characteristic scale of in-vacuo dispersion to be close to the Planck scale. We report that GRB090401B is in excellent directional agreement with KM3-230213A, and we discuss a strategy of in-vacuo-dispersion analysis suitable for estimating the significance of KM3-230213A as a GRB090401B-neutrino candidate. The p-value resulting from our analysis (0.015) is not small enough to warrant any excitement, but small enough to establish the point that a handful of such coincidences would be sufficient to meaningfully test in-vacuo dispersion.
comment: V2 differs from V1 mainly because of an improved version of our indicator S_E, producing minor quantitative changes (but it could impact more significantly future similar studies)
♻ ☆ Ultra-high-energy event KM3-230213A constraints on Lorentz Invariance Violation in neutrino sector
We discuss the constraints on superluminal neutrino Lorentz Invariance Violation (LIV) parameters from the observation of the ultra-high-energy event KM3-230213A by KM3NeT collaboration in cases of linear $n=1$ and quadratic $n=2$ LIV scenarios. Assuming extragalactic origin of the event, we obtain the constraints on LIV mass scale $\Lambda_{n=1} = 5.4 \times 10^{30}\, \mbox{GeV}$ and $\Lambda_{n=2} = 3.5 \times 10^{19}\, \mbox{GeV}$ from the absence of neutrino splitting.
comment: 3 pages, v2: Refs added, typos corrected
♻ ☆ SpectrAx: Spectral Search of Axion-Like Particles Using Multi-Band Observations of Galaxy Clusters from SKA, SO, CMB-S4 and eROSITA
The existence of axions or Axion-Like Particles (ALPs) has been predicted by various Beyond Standard Model (BSM) theories, and the proposed photon-ALP interaction is one of the ways to probe them. Such an interaction will lead to photon-ALP resonant conversion in galaxy clusters, resulting in a polarized spectral distortion in the CMB along the cluster line of sight. The estimation of this signal from galaxy clusters requires an estimation of their electron density and magnetic field profiles, as well as their redshifts. We have developed a new Bayesian framework \texttt{SpectrAx} that can use observations from different electromagnetic bands such as radio, CMB, optical, and X-ray to infer the astrophysical properties of a galaxy cluster, such as cluster its redshift, electron density and magnetic field, along with the BSM physics such as ALPs. We use simulated redshifts in our analysis, but that can be obtained by cross-matching with optical surveys having overlapping sky regions with the galaxy clusters. Also, we use radial profiles that are motivated from observations of galaxy clusters at low redshifts. By using the simulated data corresponding to the ALP mass of $10^{-14}$ eV for upcoming CMB surveys such as Simons Observatory (SO) and CMB-S4 in combination with Square Kilometer Array (SKA) and extended ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array (eROSITA) we demonstrate the capability in accurately inferring the ALPs coupling strength along with the radial profile of electron density and magnetic field from galaxy clusters. The application of this framework to the data from future surveys by combining SKA+SO+eROSITA and SKA+CMB-S4+eROSITA will make it possible for the first time to explore both astrophysics and BSM physics from low-redshift galaxy clusters using a multi-band approach.
comment: 35 pages, 12 figures, 6 tables, Published in JCAP
♻ ☆ On the Feasibility of Deriving Pseudo-Redshifts of Gamma-ray Bursts from Two Phenomenological Correlations
Accurate knowledge of gamma-ray burst (GRB) redshifts is essential for studying their intrinsic properties and exploring their potential application in cosmology. Currently, only a small fraction of GRBs have independent redshift measurements, primarily due to the need of rapid follow-up optical/IR spectroscopic observations. For this reason, many have utilized phenomenological correlations to derive pseudo-redshifts of GRBs with no redshift measurement. In this work, we explore the feasibility of analytically deriving pseudo-redshifts directly from the Amati and Yonetoku relations. We simulate populations of GRBs that (i) fall perfectly on the phenomenological correlation track, and (ii) include intrinsic scatter matching observations. Our findings indicate that, in the case of the Amati relation , the mathematical formulation is ill-behaved so that it yields two solutions within a reasonable redshift range $z \in [0.1, 10] $. When realistic scatter is included, it may result in no solution, or the redshift error range is excessively large. In the case of the Yonetoku relation, while it can result in a unique solution in most cases, the large systematic errors of the redshift calls for attention, especially when attempting to use pseudo redshifts to study GRB population properties.
comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ
♻ ☆ Chiral Symmetry in Dense Matter with Meson Condensation
Kaon condensation in hyperon-mixed matter [($Y$+$K$) phase], which may be realized in neutron stars, is discussed on the basis of chiral symmetry. With the use of the effective chiral Lagrangian for kaon--baryon and kaon--kaon interactions; coupled with the relativistic mean field theory and universal three-baryon repulsive interaction, we clarify the effects of the $s$-wave kaon--baryon scalar interaction simulated by the kaon--baryon sigma terms and vector interaction (Tomozawa--Weinberg term) on kaon properties in hyperon-mixed matter, the onset density of kaon condensation, and the equation of state with the ($Y$+$K$) phase. In particular, the quark condensates in the ($Y$+$K$) phase are obtained, and their relevance to chiral symmetry restoration is discussed.
comment: 22 pages, 7 figures, published in Symmetry 2025,17,270, the Special Issue: Chiral Symmetry, and Restoration in Nuclear Dense Matter. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:2411.09967
♻ ☆ Discovery of high-frequency quasi-periodic oscillation in short-duration gamma-ray bursts
Rapidly rotating newborn magnetars, which originate from binary neutron star (NS) mergers and serve as the central engines of short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), may leave some imprints on their prompt gamma-ray light curves even though they are far from their radiating fireballs. A high-frequency quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) would be a unique feature for the magnetar central engine, especially a hypermassive magnetar. By conducting a systematic analysis of the prompt gamma-ray light curves from 605 short GRBs observed by {\em Fermi}/Gamma-ray Burst Monitor, we have identified such QPO signals in three GRBs (e.g. GRB 120323A, GRB 181222B, and GRB 190606A). The QPOs that peaked at $1258^{+6}_{-6}$ Hz for GRB 120323A, $623^{+4}_{-4}$ Hz for GRB 181222B, and $1410^{+4}_{-5}$ Hz for GRB 190606A are all with a confidence level above 5.2 $\sigma$. The high-frequency QPO signals of those three short GRBs may be caused by a hypermassive magnetar acting as the central engine in a binary NS merger of a binary NS.
comment: 11 pages, 1 Table, 7 Figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS, and matched with the published verison
♻ ☆ Exploring Axion-Like Particle from observation of FSRQ Ton 599 by Fermi-LAT
High energy photons traveling through astrophysical magnetic fields have the potential to undergo oscillations with axion-like particles (ALPs), resulting in modifications to the observed photon spectrum. High energy $\gamma-$ray sources with significant magnetic field strengths provide an ideal setting to investigate this phenomenon. Ton 599, a flat spectrum radio quasar with a magnetic field strength on the order of Gauss in its emission region, presents a promising opportunity for studying ALP-photon oscillations. In this study, we analyze the effects of ALP-photon oscillations on the $\gamma$-ray spectrum of Ton 599 as observed by Fermi-LAT. Our investigation considers the potential influences of the broad-line region and dusty torus on the $\gamma-$ray spectrum of Ton 599. We set the constraints on the ALP parameters at the $95\%$ confidence level, and find that the constraints on \(g_{a\gamma}\) can reach approximately \(2 \times 10^{-12}~\mathrm{GeV}^{-1}\) for \(m_a \sim 10^{9}~\mathrm{eV}\).
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics 8
☆ Characterization of a TES-based Anti-Coincidence Detector for Future Large Field-of-View X-ray Calorimetry Missions
Microcalorimeter instruments aboard future X-ray observatories will require an anti-coincidence (anti-co) detector to veto charged particle events and reduce the non-X-ray background. We have developed a large-format, TES-based prototype anti-coincidence detector that is particularly suitable for use with spatially-extended (~ 10 cm^2}) TES microcalorimeter arrays, as would be used for a future large field-of-view X-ray missions. This prototype was developed in the context of the Line Emission Mapper (LEM) probe concept, which required a ~ 14 cm^2 anti-co detector with > 95% live time and a low-energy threshold below 20 keV. Our anti-co design employs parallel networks of quasiparticle-trap-assisted electrothermal feedback TESs (QETs) to detect the athermal phonon signal produced in the detector substrate by incident charged particles. We developed multiple prototype anti-co designs featuring 12 channels and up to 6300 QETs. Here we focus on a design utilizing tungsten TESs and present characterization results. Broad energy range measurements have been performed (4.1 keV -- 5.5 MeV). Based on noise and responsivity measurements, the implied low-energy threshold is < 1 keV and a live time fraction of > 96% can be achieved up to 5.5 MeV. We also find evidence of mm-scale-or-better spatial resolution and discuss the potential utility of this for future missions. Finally, we discuss the early development of a soild-state physics model of the anti-co towards understanding phonon propagation and quasiparticle production in the detector.
comment: 26 pages, 16 figures
☆ A crude but efficient pipeline for JWST MIRI imager : the case of sn1987A
Most of the space projects or large observatories do have official tools like simulators, end-to-end pipelines developed during years by a large team of contributors. They are like {\em cathedrals}. In this paper, we show that very simplistic code using basic operators provided by high level language like GDL allows to write quickly high quality code to process raw data into scientifically validated outputs. This is {\em bazaar}. In this paper we argument why we consider large infrastructure should be designed to allow small ones to benefit from it and allow to graft better alternative processing at very low cost.
comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, ADASS conference 2024
☆ PINN ME: A Physics-Informed Neural Network Framework for Accurate Milne-Eddington Inversions of Solar Magnetic Fields
Spectropolarimetric inversions of solar observations are fundamental for the estimation of the magnetic field in the solar atmosphere. However, instrumental noise, computational requirements, and varying levels of physical realism make it challenging to derive reliable solar magnetic field estimates. In this study, we present a novel approach for spectropolarimetric inversions based on Physics Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) to infer the photospheric magnetic field under the Milne-Eddington approximation (PINN ME). Our model acts as a representation of the parameter space, mapping input coordinates (t, x, y) to the respective spectropolarimetric parameters, which are used to synthesize the corresponding stokes profiles. By iteratively sampling coordinate points, synthesizing profiles, and minimizing the deviation from the observed stokes profiles, our method can find the set of Milne-Eddington parameters that best fit the observations. In addition, we directly include the point-spread-function to account for instrumental effects. We use a predefined parameter space as well as synthetic profiles from a radiative MHD simulation to evaluate the performance of our method and to estimate the impact of instrumental noise. Our results demonstrate that PINN ME achieves an intrinsic spatio-temporal coupling, which can largely mitigate observational noise and provides a memory-efficient inversion even for extended fields-of-view. Finally, we apply our method to observations and show that our method provides a high spatial coherence and can resolve small-scale features both in strong- and weak-field regions.
☆ Evaluation of EAS directions based on TAIGA HiSCORE data using fully connected neural networks
The direction of extensive air showers can be used to determine the source of gamma quanta and plays an important role in estimating the energy of the primary particle. The data from an array of non-imaging Cherenkov detector stations HiSCORE in the TAIGA experiment registering the number of photoelectrons and detection time can be used to estimate the shower direction with high accuracy. In this work, we use artificial neural networks trained on Monte Carlo-simulated TAIGA HiSCORE data for gamma quanta to obtain shower direction estimates. The neural networks are multilayer perceptrons with skip connections using partial data from several HiSCORE stations as inputs; composite estimates are derived from multiple individual estimates by the neural networks. We apply a two-stage algorithm in which the direction estimates obtained in the first stage are used to transform the input data and refine the estimates. The mean error of the final estimates is less than 0.25 degrees. The approach will be used for multimodal analysis of the data from several types of detectors used in the TAIGA experiment.
comment: The work was reported on the 8th International Conference on Deep Learning in Computational Physics (DLCP2025), June 19-21, 2024, Moscow, Russia (https://dlcp2024.sinp.msu.ru/). To bee published in Moscow University Physics Bulletin
☆ The T16 Project: Image Subtraction Light Curves from TESS Cycle 1 Full-Frame Images for Stars with T < 16 SP
We present 83,717,159 light curves for 56,401,549 stars with T < 16 mag observed in the Full-Frame Images (FFIs) of Cycle 1 of the NASA TESS mission. These light curves were extracted from subtracted images produced by the Cluster Difference Imaging Survey (CDIPS; Bouma et al. 2019). We make public the raw image subtraction light curves, together with light curves detrended against instrumental systematics. We compare the light curves to other publicly available light curves from the TESS FFIs, finding that for a substantial fraction of stars with T < 16, the T16 project provides the highest precision FFI light curves available. We demonstrate that the detrended T16 light curves are generally as good as, or better than, the light curves from other projects for the known TOIs. We also show that the un-detrended light curves can be used to study high amplitude variable stars. The light curves are being made available through the NASA Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST). Light curve production is underway for additional TESS Cycles.
comment: 27 pages, 19 figures, 3 pages, accepted for publication in PASP, data available on MAST at https://archive.stsci.edu/hlsp/t16
☆ SEW: A full-spectrum linear fitting with stellar population synthesis method Based on "Equivalent Widths spectrum"
We present a full-spectrum linear fitting method, SEW, for stellar population synthesis based on equivalent widths (EWs) to extract galaxy properties from observed spectra. This approach eliminates the need for prior assumptions about dust attenuation curves, which are instead derived as outputs of the fitting process. By leveraging the invariance of EWs and employing the Discrete Penalised Least Squares (DPLS) method to extract EWs, we address the nonlinear aspects of the fitting process by linearising the matrix equations. This enables accurate recovery of key parameters, stellar age, metallicity and dust attenuation, even under systematic calibration biases and varying attenuation conditions. Rigorous testing with mock spectra across signal-to-noise ratios (S/N = 5-30) and calibration biases demonstrates the robustness of method. The derived attenuation curves align closely with input models, and stellar population parameters are recovered with minimal bias. To facilitate adoption, we implement this method as a Python extension package for \texttt{pPXF} (\texttt{pPXF-SEW}). Our work addresses critical degeneracies in traditional spectral fitting and enhances the reliability of extragalactic studies.
comment: 16 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables
♻ ☆ Machine-assisted classification of potential biosignatures in earth-like exoplanets using low signal-to-noise ratio transmission spectra
The search for atmospheric biosignatures in Earth-like exoplanets is one of the most pressing challenges in observational astrobiology. Detecting biogenic gases in terrestrial planets requires high-resolution observations and long integration times. In this work, we developed and tested a general machine-learning methodology designed to classify transmission spectra with low Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) according to their potential to contain biosignatures or bioindicators. To achieve this, we trained a set of models capable of classifying noisy transmission spectra (including stellar contamination) as containing methane, ozone, and/or water (multilabel classification), or simply as being interesting for follow-up observations (binary classification). The models were trained using $\sim10^7$ synthetic spectra of planets similar to TRAPPIST-1 e, generated with the package MultiREx. The trained algorithms correctly classified most of the test planets with transmission spectra having an SNR as low as 4, containing methane and/or ozone at mixing ratios similar to those of modern and Proterozoic Earth. Tests on realistic synthetic spectra, based on the current Earth's atmosphere, indicate that some of our models would classify most inhabited terrestrial planets observed with JWST/NIRSpec PRISM around M-dwarfs at distances similar to or smaller than that of TRAPPIST-1 e as likely to contain bioindicators, using 4 to 10 transits. These results have significant implications for the design of observing programs and future campaigns. Machine-assisted strategies, such as the one presented here, could greatly optimize the use of JWST resources for biosignature and bioindicator searches, while maximizing the chances of a real discovery through dedicated follow-up observations of promising candidates.
comment: 25 pages, under review in MNRAS, Revieve, 20figures, MultiREx package available at https://github.com/D4san/MultiREx-public
♻ ☆ ExoMiner++ on TESS with Transfer Learning from Kepler: Transit Classification and Vetting Catalog for 2-min Data
We present ExoMiner++, an enhanced deep learning model that builds on the success of ExoMiner to improve transit signal classification in 2-minute TESS data. ExoMiner++ incorporates additional diagnostic inputs, including periodogram, flux trend, difference image, unfolded flux, and spacecraft attitude control data, all of which are crucial for effectively distinguishing transit signals from more challenging sources of false positives. To further enhance performance, we leverage transfer learning from high-quality labeled data from the Kepler space telescope, mitigating the impact of TESS's noisier and more ambiguous labels. ExoMiner++ achieves high accuracy across various classification and ranking metrics, significantly narrowing the search space for follow-up investigations to confirm new planets. To serve the exoplanet community, we introduce new TESS catalogs containing ExoMiner++ classifications and confidence scores for each transit signal. Among the 147,568 unlabeled TCEs, ExoMiner++ identifies 7,330 as planet candidates, with the remainder classified as false positives. These 7,330 planet candidates correspond to 1,868 existing TESS Objects of Interest (TOIs), 69 Community TESS Objects of Interest (CTOIs), and 50 newly introduced CTOIs. 1,797 out of the 2,506 TOIs previously labeled as planet candidates in ExoFOP are classified as planet candidates by ExoMiner++. This reduction in plausible candidates combined with the excellent ranking quality of ExoMiner++ allows the follow-up efforts to be focused on the most likely candidates, increasing the overall planet yield.
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 13
☆ The Starobinsky model of inflation and Renormalizability
The Starobinsky model was born in a cosmological scenario where conformally coupled matter quantum field fluctuations on the vacuum drive a non trivial semiclassical energy momentum tensor quadratic in curvature. The presence of an unstable de Sitter solution of the semiclassical Einstein equations contributed to spread the idea that the early universe could have experienced an inflationary epoch. Effective "$R + R^2$" models of gravity have later gained much attention since their predictions are in very good agreement with the measurements of CMB data and tensor to scalar ratio bounds. In this paper we observe how the Starobinsky model can be well approximated by the asymptotically free quadratic gravity on a part of a renormalization group trajectory (below some high UV scale) which is free from tachyonic instabilities, if a definition of ``physical'' running is employed.
comment: Invited Contribution to the Starobinsky Memorial Volume, Springer Nature 2025, 14 pages, 1 figure
☆ Quantifying the Detectability of Milky Way Satellites with Image Simulations: a Case Study with KiDS
Ultra-faint dwarf galaxies, which can be detected as resolved satellite systems of the Milky Way, are critical to understanding galaxy formation, evolution, and the nature of dark matter, as they are the oldest, smallest, most metal-poor, and most dark matter-dominated stellar systems known. Quantifying the sensitivity of surveys is essential for understanding their capability and limitations in searching for ultra-faint satellites. In this paper, we present the first study of the image-level observational selection function for Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS) based on the Synthetic UniveRses For Surveys (surfs)-based KiDS-Legacy-Like Simulations. We generate mock satellites and simulate images that include resolved stellar populations of the mock satellites and the background galaxies, capturing realistic observational effects such as source blending, photometric uncertainties, and star-galaxy separation. The matched-filter method is applied to recover the injected satellites. We derive the observational selection function of the survey in terms of the luminosity, half-light radius, and heliocentric distance of the satellites. Compared to a catalogue-level simulation as used in previous studies, the image-level simulation provides a more realistic assessment of survey sensitivity, accounting for observational limitations that are neglected in catalogue-level simulations. The image-level simulation shows a detection loss for compact sources with a distance $d \gtrsim 100~\rm kpc$. We argue that this is because compact sources are more likely to be identified as single sources rather than being resolved during the source extraction process.
comment: 17 pages, 15 figures, 3 tables, submitted to Astronomy & Astrophysics
☆ Violation of Bell inequalities from Cosmic Microwave Background data
In a recent paper [R. Dale. R. Lapiedra, and J. A. Morales-Lladosa, Phys. Rev. D {\bf 107}, 023506 (2023)] a cosmic-like Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (CHSH) inequality was proved for the temperature fluctuations $\delta T$ of the perturbed Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), assuming local realism. This inequality can be tested from observational data. In fact, no violation for it has been found from the CMB data provided by the COBE satellite in different sky directions. This is a result which, being negative, is not conclusive in relation to the possible violation of the CHSH inequality in a cosmological context. So, the preceding analysis needs to be extended by using more precise current CMB data, like those provided by WMAP and Planck satellites. This is a task of considerable importance but, technically, much more involved in data treatments. In this work, assuming again local realism behind measurements and observational data, this extension is accomplished. The result is that a sound violation of the CHSH inequality is found, which would mean the failure of the assumed local realism in accordance with the quantum origin of the primordial temperature fluctuations in the framework of standard inflation and the orthodox interpretation of the Quantum Mechanics.
comment: 28 pages, 6 figures
☆ Unveiling a 36 Billion Solar Mass Black Hole at the Centre of the Cosmic Horseshoe Gravitational Lens
Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are found at the centre of every massive galaxy, with their masses tightly connected to their host galaxies through a co-evolution over cosmic time. For massive ellipticals, the SMBH mass ($M_\text{BH}$) strongly correlates with the central stellar velocity dispersion ($\sigma_e$), via the $M_\text{BH}-\sigma_e$ relation. However, SMBH mass measurements have traditionally relied on central stellar dynamics in nearby galaxies ($z < 0.1$), limiting our ability to explore the SMBHs across cosmic time. In this work, we present a self-consistent analysis combining 2D stellar dynamics and lens modelling of the Cosmic Horseshoe gravitational lens system ($z = 0.44$), one of the most massive galaxies ever observed. Using integral-field spectroscopic data from MUSE and high-resolution imaging from HST, we model the radial arc and stellar kinematics, constraining the galaxy's central mass distribution and SMBH mass. Bayesian model comparison yields a $5\sigma$ detection of an ultramassive black hole (UMBH) with $\log_{10}(M_\text{BH}/M_{\odot}) = 10.56^{+0.07}_{-0.08} \pm (0.12)^\text{sys}$, consistent across various systematic tests. Our findings place the Cosmic Horseshoe $\sim$$1.5\sigma$ above the $M_\text{BH}-\sigma_e$ relation, supporting an emerging trend observed in BGCs and other massive galaxies. This suggests a steeper $M_\text{BH}-\sigma_e$ relationship at the highest masses, potentially driven by a different co-evolution of SMBHs and their host galaxies. Future surveys will uncover more radial arcs, enabling the detection of SMBHs over a broader redshift and mass range. These discoveries will further refine our understanding of the $M_\text{BH}-\sigma_e$ relation and its evolution across cosmic time.
comment: 20 pages, 12 figures, 11 tables
☆ Dynamics of $Z_N$ domain walls with bias directions
The spontaneous breaking of a discrete symmetry can lead to the formation of domain walls in the early Universe. In this work, we explore the impact of bias directions on the dynamics of $Z_N$ domain walls, mainly focusing on the $N = 3$ model with a biased potential. Utilizing the Press-Ryden-Spergel method, we numerically investigate the dynamics of domain walls with lattice simulations. We find notable differences in the dynamics of domain walls due to bias directions. Our results indicate that the annihilation time depends not only on the vacuum energy difference $\delta V$ but also on bias directions described by the relative potential difference $ \zeta $.
☆ Production of Dark Photons through Higher Electromagnetic Moments at LDMX: Simulations and Model Discrimination
We extend the projected sensitivity of LDMX for sub-GeV dark matter (DM) to the case of dark photons produced through higher order electromagnetic moments. These moments arise from loop diagrams involving portal matter fields, along with the gauge fields of new symmetry groups. Due to the Lorentz structures, in particular the momentum dependence, of these additional interactions, the kinematic distributions expected at missing momentum/energy experiments vary with model in addition to dark photon mass. By considering four additional types of interactions -- magnetic and electric dipole, charge radius, and anapole moment -- we show that LDMX Phase-II is expected to probe the relic target of these additional dark photon models. We compare the analytic with the numerical methods for calculating the dark bremsstrahlung cross section, and compute the kinematic distributions for each model. The potential for model discrimination in the scenario of non-zero signal events at LDMX is discussed. We find that there is a degeneracy between the dark photon mass and model, which can be partially broken by considering both the energy and the transverse momentum of the recoil electron.
♻ ☆ What do we learn by mapping dark energy to a single value of $w$?
We examine several dark energy models with a time-varying equation of state parameter, $w(z)$, to determine what information can be derived by fitting the distance modulus in such models to a constant equation of state parameter, $w_*$. We derive $w_*$ as a function of the model parameters for the Chevallier-Polarski-Linder (CPL) parametrization, and for the Dutta-Scherrer approximation to hilltop quintessence models. We find that all of the models examined here can be well-described by a pivot-like redshift, $z_{pivot}$ at which the value of $w(z)$ in the model is equal to $w_*$. However, the exact value of $z_{pivot}$ is a model-dependent quantity; it varies from $z_{pivot} = 0.22-0.25$ for the CPL models to $z_{pivot} = 0.17-0.20$ for the hilltop quintessence models. Hence, for all of the models considered here, a constant-$w$ fit gives the value of $w$ for $z$ near 0.2. However, given the fairly wide variation in $z_{pivot}$ over even this restricted set of models, the information gained by fitting to a constant value of $w$ seems rather limited.
comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, quality of figures improved, matches published version
♻ ☆ Discriminating among cosmological models by data-driven methods
We explores the Pantheon+SH0ES dataset to identify patterns that can discriminate between different cosmological models. We focus on determining whether the behaviour of dark energy is consistent with the standard $\Lambda$CDM model or suggests novel cosmological features. The central goal is to evaluate the robustness of the $\Lambda$CDM model compared with other dark energy models, and to investigate whether there are deviations that might indicate new cosmological insights. The study takes into account a data-driven approach, using both traditional statistical methods and machine learning techniques. Initially, we evaluate six different dark energy models using traditional statistical methods like Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC), Static and Dynamic Nested Sampling to infer the cosmological parameters. Subsequently, we adopt a machine learning approach, developing a regression model to compute the distance modulus of each supernova, expanding the feature set to 74 statistical features. Traditional statistical analysis confirms that the $\Lambda$CDM model is robust, yielding expected parameter values. Other models show deviations, with the Generalised and Modified Chaplygin Gas models performing poorly. In the machine learning analysis, feature selection techniques, particularly Boruta, significantly improve model performance. In particular, models initially considered weak (Generalised/Modified Chaplygin Gas) show significant improvement after feature selection. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of a data-driven approach to cosmological model evaluation. The $\Lambda$CDM model remains robust, while machine learning techniques, in particular feature selection, reveal potential improvements in alternative models which could be relevant for new observational campaigns like the recent DESI survey.
comment: 23 pages, 20 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomyy & Astrophysics
♻ ☆ Galactic Compton Wavelengths in $f(R)$ Screening Theories
$f(R)$ theories of modified gravity may be compatible with current observations if the deviations from general relativity are sufficiently well screened in dense environments. In recent work [arXiv:2310.19955] we have shown that approximations commonly used to assess whether galaxies are screened, or unscreened, fail to hold in observationally interesting parts of parameter space. One of the assumptions commonly made in these approximations, and more broadly in the study of $f(R)$ models, is that the mass of the scalar mode can be neglected inside a galaxy. In this work we demonstrate that this approximation may fail spectacularly and discuss the implications of this for tests of the theory.
comment: 15 pages, 4 figures. Code available publicly at https://github.com/Bradley-March/scalar-compton-wavelength. Published in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
♻ ☆ Testing galaxy formation models with the stellar mass-halo mass relations for star-forming and quiescent galaxies
The tight relationship between the stellar mass and halo mass of galaxies is one of the most fundamental scaling relations in galaxy formation and evolution. It has become a critical constraint for galaxy formation models. Over the past decade, growing evidence has convincingly shown that the stellar mass-halo mass relations (SHMRs) for star-forming and quiescent central galaxies differ significantly: at a given stellar mass, the average host halo mass of quiescent centrals is more massive than that of the star-forming centrals. Despite the importance of this feature, its scientific implications have not yet been fully recognized or thoroughly explored in the field. In this work, we demonstrate that the semi-analytical model L-GALAXIES successfully reproduces these observational results, whereas three state-of-the-art hydrodynamic galaxy formation simulations (TNG, Illustris, and EAGLE) do not. Consequently, in L-GALAXIES, star-forming central galaxies are more efficient at converting baryons into stars than quiescent central galaxies at a given halo mass, while the other models predict similar efficiencies for both populations. Further analysis reveals that these fundamental discrepancies stem from distinct evolutionary paths on the stellar mass-halo mass plane. We show that the observed SHMRs for star-forming and quiescent galaxies support galaxy formation models in which quenching only weakly correlates with halo assembly histories, and in which the stellar mass of star-forming galaxies can increase significantly since cosmic noon. In contrast, models in which quenching strongly prefers to happen in early-formed halos are not very favored. Additionally, we find that galaxy downsizing is present in L-GALAXIES and TNG, but absent in Illustris and EAGLE.
comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, ApJ accepted
♻ ☆ SpectrAx: Spectral Search of Axion-Like Particles Using Multi-Band Observations of Galaxy Clusters from SKA, SO, CMB-S4 and eROSITA
The existence of axions or Axion-Like Particles (ALPs) has been predicted by various Beyond Standard Model (BSM) theories, and the proposed photon-ALP interaction is one of the ways to probe them. Such an interaction will lead to photon-ALP resonant conversion in galaxy clusters, resulting in a polarized spectral distortion in the CMB along the cluster line of sight. The estimation of this signal from galaxy clusters requires an estimation of their electron density and magnetic field profiles, as well as their redshifts. We have developed a new Bayesian framework \texttt{SpectrAx} that can use observations from different electromagnetic bands such as radio, CMB, optical, and X-ray to infer the astrophysical properties of a galaxy cluster, such as cluster its redshift, electron density and magnetic field, along with the BSM physics such as ALPs. We use simulated redshifts in our analysis, but that can be obtained by cross-matching with optical surveys having overlapping sky regions with the galaxy clusters. Also, we use radial profiles that are motivated from observations of galaxy clusters at low redshifts. By using the simulated data corresponding to the ALP mass of $10^{-14}$ eV for upcoming CMB surveys such as Simons Observatory (SO) and CMB-S4 in combination with Square Kilometer Array (SKA) and extended ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array (eROSITA) we demonstrate the capability in accurately inferring the ALPs coupling strength along with the radial profile of electron density and magnetic field from galaxy clusters. The application of this framework to the data from future surveys by combining SKA+SO+eROSITA and SKA+CMB-S4+eROSITA will make it possible for the first time to explore both astrophysics and BSM physics from low-redshift galaxy clusters using a multi-band approach.
comment: 35 pages, 12 figures, 6 tables, Published in JCAP
♻ ☆ Primordial Bounce-Inflation Scenario to Alleviate Cosmological Tensions and Lensing Anomaly
We put forward a primordial scenario to alleviate cosmological tensions, i.e. Hubble ($H_0$) tension and $ S_8 $ tension. Based on flat $\Lambda$CDM, the Bounce-Inflation (BI) scenario gives the results that $ H_0 = 68.60^{+0.40}_{-0.45} \, \text{km}/\text{s}/\text{Mpc}$, $ S_8 = 0.806 \pm 0.011 $ by using \texttt{Planck 2018} data sets and $ H_0 = 68.96 \pm 0.38 \, \text{km}/\text{s}/\text{Mpc}$, $ S_8 = 0.797\pm 0.010 $ by using \texttt{Planck 2018} + \texttt{SPT3G} data sets. These reduce the cosmological tensions slightly. We also take an extended $\Lambda$CDM model into account, $\Lambda$CDM (BI)+$A_L$, where $ A_L $ is the gravitational lensing amplitude. The results are $ H_0 = 69.38 \pm 0.49 \, \text{km}/\text{s}/\text{Mpc}$, $ S_8 = 0.774 \pm 0.014 $ fitted by \texttt{Planck 2018} data sets and $ H_0 = 69.49 \pm 0.45 \, \text{km}/\text{s}/\text{Mpc}$, $ S_8 = 0.771^{+0.013}_{-0.012} $ fitted by \texttt{Planck 2018} + \texttt{SPT3G} data sets, which reduce the Hubble tension to $\sim 3\sigma $ level and show no $S_8 $ tension. The $A_L \approx 1.1$ is smaller than the result of the inflation scenario with a constraint of \texttt{Planck 2018} data sets. Besides, the spectral index of the bounce-inflation scenario $ n_s $ is about $ 0.98 $, with a trend to the Harrison-Zel'dovich spectrum.
comment: 3 pages, 2 figures, 1 table, science bulletin accepted
♻ ☆ Fuzzy Dark Matter Constraints from the Hubble Frontier Fields
In fuzzy dark matter (FDM) cosmologies, the dark matter consists of ultralight bosons ($m\lesssim10^{-20}$ eV). The astrophysically large de Broglie wavelengths of such particles hinder the formation of low-mass dark matter halos. This implies a testable prediction: a corresponding suppression in the faint-end of the ultraviolet luminosity function (UVLF) of galaxies. Notably, recent estimates of the faint-end UVLF at $z\sim5-9$ in the Hubble Frontier Fields, behind foreground lensing clusters, probe up to five magnitudes fainter than typical ("blank-field") regions. These measurements thus far disfavor prominent turnovers in the UVLF at low luminosity, implying bounds on FDM. We fit a semi-empirical model to these and blank-field UVLF data, including the FDM particle mass as a free parameter. This fit excludes cases where the dark matter is entirely a boson of mass $m<1.5\times10^{-21}$ eV (with $2\sigma$ confidence). We also present a less stringent bound deriving solely from the requirement that the total observed abundance of galaxies, integrated over all luminosities, must not exceed the total halo abundance in FDM. This more model-agnostic bound disfavors $m<5\times10^{-22}$ eV ($2\sigma$). We forecast that future UVLF measurements from JWST lensing fields may probe masses several times larger than these bounds, although we demonstrate this is subject to theoretical uncertainties in modeling the FDM halo mass function.
comment: MNRAS accepted version. 13 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 12
☆ Examining the Potential for Methyl Halide Accumulation and Detectability in Possible Hycean-Type Atmospheres
Some sub-Neptune planets may host habitable conditions; for example "Hycean" worlds with H2 envelopes over liquid water oceans can maintain potentially hospitable pressures and temperatures at their surface. Recent JWST observations of K2-18b and TOI-270d have shown that such worlds could be compelling targets for biosignature searches, given their extended scale heights and therefore large atmospheric signatures. Methylated biosignatures, a broad group of gases that can be generated by biological attachment of a CH3 group to an environmental substrate, have been proposed as candidate signs of life for Earth-like exoplanets. However, methyl halides (CH3 + halogen) have not yet been robustly examined with self-consistent photochemical and spectral models for planets with H2-dominated atmospheres. Here we demonstrate that methyl chloride (CH3Cl), predominantly produced by marine microbes, could be detected using JWST in tens of transits or fewer for Hycean planets, comparable to detection requirements for other potential atmospheric biosignatures. The threshold atmospheric mixing ratio for detectability is $\sim$10 ppm, which can accumulate with global fluxes comparable to moderately productive local environments on Earth.
comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, 1 appendix; accepted at ApJL
☆ The T16 Project: Image Subtraction Light Curves from TESS Cycle 1 Full-Frame Images for Stars with T < 16 SP
We present 83,717,159 light curves for 56,401,549 stars with T < 16 mag observed in the Full-Frame Images (FFIs) of Cycle 1 of the NASA TESS mission. These light curves were extracted from subtracted images produced by the Cluster Difference Imaging Survey (CDIPS; Bouma et al. 2019). We make public the raw image subtraction light curves, together with light curves detrended against instrumental systematics. We compare the light curves to other publicly available light curves from the TESS FFIs, finding that for a substantial fraction of stars with T < 16, the T16 project provides the highest precision FFI light curves available. We demonstrate that the detrended T16 light curves are generally as good as, or better than, the light curves from other projects for the known TOIs. We also show that the un-detrended light curves can be used to study high amplitude variable stars. The light curves are being made available through the NASA Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST). Light curve production is underway for additional TESS Cycles.
comment: 27 pages, 19 figures, 3 pages, accepted for publication in PASP, data available on MAST at https://archive.stsci.edu/hlsp/t16
☆ HCN and C2H2 in the atmosphere of a T8.5+T9 brown dwarf binary
T-type brown dwarfs present an opportunity to explore atmospheres teeming with molecules such as H2O, CH4 and NH3, which exhibit a wealth of absorption features in the mid-infrared. With JWST, we can finally explore this chemistry in detail, including for the coldest brown dwarfs that were not yet discovered in the Spitzer era. This allows precise derivations of the molecular abundances, which in turn informs our understanding of vertical transport in these atmospheres and can provide clues about the formation of cold brown dwarfs and exoplanets. This study presents the first JWST/MRS mid-IR spectrum (R ~ 1500-3000) of a T-dwarf: the T8.5+T9 brown dwarf binary WISE J045853.90+643451.9. We fit the spectrum using a parameterized P-T profile and free molecular abundances (i.e., a retrieval analysis), treating the binary as unresolved. We find a good fit with a cloud-free atmosphere and identify H2O, CH4 and NH3 features. Moreover, we make the first detections of HCN and C2H2 (at 13.4$\sigma$ and 9.5$\sigma$ respectively) in any brown dwarf atmosphere. The detection of HCN suggests intense vertical mixing ($K_{zz}\sim10^{11}$cm$^2$s$^{-1}$), challenging previous literature derivations of $K_{zz}$ values for T-type brown dwarfs. Even more surprising is the C2H2 detection, which cannot be explained with existing atmospheric models for isolated objects. This result challenges model assumptions about vertical mixing, and/or our understanding of the C2H2 chemical network, or might hint towards a more complex atmospheric processes such as magnetic fields driving aurorae, or lightning driving ionization. These findings open a new frontier in studying carbon chemistry within brown dwarf atmospheres.
comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 13 pages (5 figures) + appendices
☆ Prediction for close approaches with terrestrial planets of asteroids from the main belt
Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs), a special subset of Near-Earth Objects, are both dangerous and scientifically valuable. PHAs that truly undergo close approaches with the Earth (dubbed CAPHAs) are of particular interest and extensively studied. The concept and study of CAPHA can be extended to other Solar system planets, which have significant implications for future planet-based observations and explorations. In this work, we conduct numerical simulations that incorporate the Yarkovsky effect to study the transformation of main belt asteroids into CAPHAs of terrestrial planets, using precise nominal timesteps, especially to ensure the reliability of the results for Mercury and Venus. Our simulations predict a total of 1893 Mercury-CAPHAs, 3014 Venus-CAPHAs, 3791 Earth-CAPHAs and 18066 Mars-CAPHAs, with an occurrence frequency of about 1, 9, 15 and 66 per year, respectively. The values for Mars-CAPHAs are consistent with our previous work, which were based on simulations with a larger nominal timestep. The predicted occurrence frequency and velocity distribution of Earth-CAPHAs are in reasonable agreement with the observed population of Earth-CAPHAs. We also find that certain asteroids can be caught in close approach with different planets at different times, raising an interesting possibility of using them as transportation between terrestrial planets in the future.
comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2405.02614
☆ The Venusian Chronicles
Venus' atmosphere -- specifically its clouds buoyed up 40 to 60 km above the surface -- has long been suspected to encompass a biosphere where Earth-like living organisms could grow and flourish. This idea has been recently rekindled by the observation (signal-to-noise ratio of about 15$\sigma$) of a phosphine (PH$_3$) absorption-line profile against the thermal background from deeper, hotter layers of the atmosphere. There is a chance that this observation could be a sign of life, because the PH$_3$ gas observed on Earth originates mostly in decaying organic material. Furthermore, it has been shown that there is no other natural process on Venus that could otherwise produce the observed PH$_3$ absorption line. On the other hand, cosmic rays and the particle cascades they produce in the Earth's atmosphere are hazardous to living organisms, because the ionizing radiation produced in air showers can blow apart chemical molecules and disrupt biochemical processes, causing cells to die or undergo dangerous mutations. Compared to Earth, the hypothesized biosphere of Venus could be exposed to substantially more ionizing radiation. This is because Venus has no protective intrinsic magnetic field, orbits closer to the Sun, and the entire eventual habitable region lies in the clouds high in the atmosphere. Thereby, if the clouds were sterilized there would be no reservoir of deeper life that can recolonize afterwards. In this communication we study the effects of particle cascades in the venusian atmosphere using the AIRES simulation package properly configured. We show that the effects of cosmic radiation in the habitable zone would be comparable to those on the Earth's surface and so would not have any hazardous effect on possible venusian microorganisms.
comment: To be published in the proceedings of the UHECR 2024 international symposium, Malarg\"ue, Argentina, Nov 2024
♻ ☆ Orbital Dynamics of the Solar Basin
We study the dynamics of the solar basin -- the accumulated population of weakly-interacting particles on bound orbits in the Solar System. We focus on particles starting off on Sun-crossing orbits, corresponding to initial conditions of production inside the Sun, and investigate their evolution over the age of the Solar System. A combination of analytic methods, secular perturbation theory, and direct numerical integration of orbits sheds light on the long- and short-term evolution of a population of test particles orbiting the Sun and perturbed by the planets. Our main results are that the effective lifetime of a solar basin at Earth's location is $\tau_{\rm eff} = 1.20\pm 0.09 \,\mathrm{Gyr}$, and that there is annual (semi-annual) modulation of the basin density with known phase and amplitude at the fractional level of 6.5% (2.2%). These results have important implications for direct detection searches of solar basin particles, and the strong temporal modulation signature yields a robust discovery channel. Our simulations can also be interpreted in the context of gravitational capture of dark matter in the Solar System, with consequences for any dark-matter phenomenon that may occur below the local escape velocity.
♻ ☆ The GAPS Programme at TNG LXVII. Detection of water and preliminary characterisation of the atmospheres of the two hot Jupiters KELT-8 b and KELT-23 Ab
Expanding the number of hot giant planets with atmospheric characterisation can improve our understanding of their atmospheres as well as their formation and evolution mechanisms. In this work, we use high-resolution spectroscopy in the near-infrared (NIR) to search for chemical signatures in the atmosphere of the two hot Jupiters KELT-8 b and KELT-23 Ab, and perform a first characterisation of their atmospheric properties. We measured the transmission spectrum of each target with the NIR high-resolution spectrograph GIANO-B at the TNG and searched for atmospheric signals by cross-correlating the data with synthetic transmission spectra. In order to characterise the chemical-physical properties of the two atmospheres, we ran two different atmospheric retrievals for each dataset: a retrieval assuming chemical equilibrium and a `free-chemistry' retrieval, in which the abundance of each molecule could vary freely. We detect H$_2$O in the atmospheres of KELT-8 b and KELT-23 Ab with an S/N = 6.6 and S/N = 4.2, respectively. The two retrievals indicate a water-rich atmosphere for both targets. For KELT-8 b, we determine a water volume mixing ratio of log$_{10}$(VMR$_{\rm H_2O})=-2.07^{+0.53}_{-0.72}$, a metallicity of [M/H] $=0.77^{+0.61}_{-0.89}$ dex, and a sub-solar C/O ratio (C/O $\leq0.30$, at $2\,\sigma$). For KELT-23 Ab, we find log$_{10}$(VMR$_{\rm H_2O})=-2.26^{+0.75}_{-1.24}$, [M/H] $=-0.42^{+1.56}_{-1.35}$ dex, and C/O ratio $\leq0.78$ (at $2\,\sigma$). Comparing these chemical properties with those of the host stars, we suggest that, for both planets, the accretion of gaseous material occurred within the H$_2$O snowline in a pebble-rich disk enriched in oxygen due to sublimation of water ice from the inward-drifting pebbles. In conclusion, we measure the atmospheric signals of KELT-8 b and KELT-23 Ab for the first time and place first constraints on their properties.
comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in the Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A) journal. Corrected by the language editor
♻ ☆ Dynamics of the Beta Pictoris planetary system and possibility of an additional planet
The $\beta$ Pictoris system is characterized by a dusty debris disk, in addition to the presence of two already known planets. This makes it a particularly interesting case for studying the formation and evolution of planetary systems at a stage where giant planets have already formed, most of the protoplanetary gas has dissipated, and terrestrial planets could emerge. Our goal here is to explore the possibility of additional planets orbiting beyond the outermost known one, $\beta$ Pic b. More specifically, we aim to assess whether additional planets in the system could explain the discrepancy between the predicted cutoff of the disk inner cavity at $\sim$28 au with only two planets, and the observed one at $\sim$50 au. We performed an exhaustive dynamical modeling of the debris disk and the carving of its inner edge, by introducing one or two additional planets beyond $\beta$ Pic b, coplanar with the disk. Guided by theoretical predictions for the parameter space - mass, semi-major axis, eccentricity - allowed for additional planets, we further carried out a set of N-body simulations, using the symplectic integrator RMVS3. Our simulations indicate that an additional planet with a low eccentricity of 0.05, a mass between 0.15 and 1 $M_{Jup}$, and a semi-major axis between 30 and 36 au, would be consistent with the observations of an inner debris disk edge at 50 au. We have also explored the hypotheses of a higher eccentricity and the presence of two additional lower mass planets instead of one, which could also account for these observations. While we find that one or even two additional planets could explain the observed location of the disk inner edge, these hypothetical planets remain in most cases below the current observational limits of high contrast imaging. Future observational campaigns with improved sensitivity will help lowering these limits and perhaps detect that planet.
comment: Accepted for publication in A&A on December 27, 2024
♻ ☆ Rate-induced biosphere collapse in the Daisyworld model
There is much interest in the phenomenon of rate-induced tipping, where a system changes abruptly when forcings change faster than some critical rate. Here, we demonstrate and analyse rate-induced tipping in the classic "Daisyworld" model. The Daisyworld model considers a hypothetical planet inhabited only by two species of daisies with different reflectivities, and is notable because the daisies lead to an emergent "regulation" of the planet's temperature. The model serves as a useful thought experiment regarding the co-evolution of life and the global environment, and has been widely used in the teaching of Earth system science. We show that sufficiently fast changes in insolation (i.e. incoming sunlight) can cause life on Daisyworld to go extinct, even if life could in principle survive at any fixed insolation value among those encountered. Mathematically, this occurs due to the fact that the solution of the forced (nonautonomous) system crosses the stable manifold of a saddle point for the frozen (autonomous) system. The new discovery of rate-induced tipping in such a classic, simple, and well-studied model provides further supporting evidence that rate-induced tipping -- and indeed, rate-induced collapse -- may be common in a wide range of systems.
comment: Final accepted author manuscript
♻ ☆ Magnetic disk winds in protoplanetary disks: Description of the model and impact on global disk evolution
Canonically, a protoplanetary disk is thought to undergo (gravito-)viscous evolution, wherein the angular momentum of the accreting material is transported outwards. However, several lines of reasoning suggest that the turbulent viscosity in a typical protoplanetary disk is insufficient to drive the observed accretion rates. An emerging paradigm suggests that radially extended magnetic disk winds may play a crucial role in the disk evolution. We propose a global model of magnetic wind-driven accretion for evolution of protoplanetary disks, based on the insights gained from local shearing box simulations. Here we develop this model and constrain its parameters with the help of theoretical expectations and comparison with observations. The magnetic wind is characterized with the associated loss of angular momentum and mass, which depend on the local disk conditions and stellar properties. We incorporate the disk winds self-consistently in the code FEOSAD and study formation and long-term evolution of protoplanetary disks. We include disk self-gravity and an adaptive turbulent alpha, while the co-evolution of dust is also considered. Synthetic observations are obtained via radiation thermo-chemical code ProDiMo. The models with inclusion of disk winds satisfy general expectations from both theory and observations. The disk wind parameters can be guided by observational constraints and the synthetic observations resulting from such a model compare favorably with the selected ALMA survey data of Class II disks. The proposed magnetic disk wind model is a significant step forward in the direction of representing a more complete disk evolution, wherein the disk experiences concurrent torques from viscous, gravitational, and magnetic wind processes.
comment: 24 pages, 8 figures, 5 tables, Accepted
♻ ☆ Machine-assisted classification of potential biosignatures in earth-like exoplanets using low signal-to-noise ratio transmission spectra
The search for atmospheric biosignatures in Earth-like exoplanets is one of the most pressing challenges in observational astrobiology. Detecting biogenic gases in terrestrial planets requires high-resolution observations and long integration times. In this work, we developed and tested a general machine-learning methodology designed to classify transmission spectra with low Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) according to their potential to contain biosignatures or bioindicators. To achieve this, we trained a set of models capable of classifying noisy transmission spectra (including stellar contamination) as containing methane, ozone, and/or water (multilabel classification), or simply as being interesting for follow-up observations (binary classification). The models were trained using $\sim10^7$ synthetic spectra of planets similar to TRAPPIST-1 e, generated with the package MultiREx. The trained algorithms correctly classified most of the test planets with transmission spectra having an SNR as low as 4, containing methane and/or ozone at mixing ratios similar to those of modern and Proterozoic Earth. Tests on realistic synthetic spectra, based on the current Earth's atmosphere, indicate that some of our models would classify most inhabited terrestrial planets observed with JWST/NIRSpec PRISM around M-dwarfs at distances similar to or smaller than that of TRAPPIST-1 e as likely to contain bioindicators, using 4 to 10 transits. These results have significant implications for the design of observing programs and future campaigns. Machine-assisted strategies, such as the one presented here, could greatly optimize the use of JWST resources for biosignature and bioindicator searches, while maximizing the chances of a real discovery through dedicated follow-up observations of promising candidates.
comment: 25 pages, under review in MNRAS, Revieve, 20figures, MultiREx package available at https://github.com/D4san/MultiREx-public
♻ ☆ ExoMiner++ on TESS with Transfer Learning from Kepler: Transit Classification and Vetting Catalog for 2-min Data
We present ExoMiner++, an enhanced deep learning model that builds on the success of ExoMiner to improve transit signal classification in 2-minute TESS data. ExoMiner++ incorporates additional diagnostic inputs, including periodogram, flux trend, difference image, unfolded flux, and spacecraft attitude control data, all of which are crucial for effectively distinguishing transit signals from more challenging sources of false positives. To further enhance performance, we leverage transfer learning from high-quality labeled data from the Kepler space telescope, mitigating the impact of TESS's noisier and more ambiguous labels. ExoMiner++ achieves high accuracy across various classification and ranking metrics, significantly narrowing the search space for follow-up investigations to confirm new planets. To serve the exoplanet community, we introduce new TESS catalogs containing ExoMiner++ classifications and confidence scores for each transit signal. Among the 147,568 unlabeled TCEs, ExoMiner++ identifies 7,330 as planet candidates, with the remainder classified as false positives. These 7,330 planet candidates correspond to 1,868 existing TESS Objects of Interest (TOIs), 69 Community TESS Objects of Interest (CTOIs), and 50 newly introduced CTOIs. 1,797 out of the 2,506 TOIs previously labeled as planet candidates in ExoFOP are classified as planet candidates by ExoMiner++. This reduction in plausible candidates combined with the excellent ranking quality of ExoMiner++ allows the follow-up efforts to be focused on the most likely candidates, increasing the overall planet yield.
Astrophysics of Galaxies 15
☆ Lowest-mass X-ray selected AGNs in the Boötes Field
We present a multi-wavelength analysis of three candidate active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in low-mass galaxies in the Bo\"otes field with the aim of improving constraints on the occupation fraction of low-mass black holes (BHs). Galaxies with low stellar masses ($M_{\star} < 10^{9.5} M_{\odot}$) are particularly interesting hosts for AGNs as they may contain BHs that have not grown significantly since the epoch of their formation in the early Universe. Using archival data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory, we find three X-ray luminous low-mass galaxies and assess whether they host AGNs. We find one of these sources to be variable in the X-ray and compute its X-ray light curve and spectrum. We compute the X-ray, mid-infrared, and [O III] luminosities and compare them to established AGN luminosity relationships in the literature. We then fit various star-forming, dust emission, and AGN templates to the spectral energy distributions (SEDs). The star formation rates estimated from the SED fits are unable to explain the observed X-ray luminosities of the candidates, providing more support for the presence of AGNs. By analysing the deviation from linear relationships between X-ray and mid-infrared luminosities, we find these systems to be obscured (with $\log N_{\rm H}[{\rm {cm^{-2}}}] \sim 22.7, > 25.0$, and $24.4$, respectively). We employ the scaling relationship between BH mass and stellar velocity dispersion to estimate the BH masses as $\sim 10^5 - 10^6 M_{\odot}$ and accreting at Eddington ratios $10^{-2} < \lambda_{\rm Edd} <10^{-1}$.
comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ The JWST Resolved Stellar Populations Early Release Science Program. VIII. The Spatially Resolved Star Formation History of WLM
We measure radial stellar age gradients in the relatively isolated gas-rich dwarf irregular WLM, combining JWST NIRCam and NIRISS imaging with six archival Hubble fields over semi-major axis equivalent distances of 0$\lesssim$R$_{SMA}$$\lesssim$4 kpc ($\lesssim$3R$_{hl}$). Fitting lifetime star formation histories (SFHs) to resolved color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs), radial age gradients are quantified using $\tau_{90}$ and $\tau_{50}$, the lookback times to form 90\% and 50\% of the cumulative stellar mass. We find that globally, the outskirts of WLM are older on average, with ($\delta$$\tau_{90}$, $\delta$$\tau_{50}$)/$\delta$R$_{SMA}=$(0.82$^{+0.10}_{-0.10}$, 1.60$^{+0.23}_{-0.22}$) Gyr/kpc (stat.), in good agreement with simulations. However, we also detect an azimuthal dependence of radial stellar age gradients, finding that stars on the leading edge of WLM (relative to its proper motion) are both younger and have a flatter age gradient compared to the trailing edge. This difference persists over 0.6$\lesssim$R$_{SMA}$$\lesssim$3.2 kpc ($\sim$0.5$-$2.5R$_{hl}$) and lookback times up to $\sim$8 Gyr, and is robust to assumed stellar evolutionary model. Our results are consistent with star formation triggered by ram pressure stripping from a circumgalactic and/or intergalactic medium, suggested by recent HI observations. If confirmed, processes typifying dense environments, such as ram pressure stripping, may be more relevant to the evolution of isolated galaxies than previously thought.
comment: ApJ in press. 23 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables
☆ Hierarchical accretion flow from the G351 infrared dark filament to its central cores
Aims: We characterize and quantify this multi-scale flow for a prototypical high-mass star-forming region. Methods: In a multi-scale analysis from parsec to ~50au scales, we combined multiple single-dish and interferometric observations to study the gas flow from large-scale sizes of several parsec (Mopra) via intermediate-scale filamentary gas flows (ALMA-IMF) to the central cores (ALMA DIHCA and configuration 10 data). The highest-resolution multi-configuration ALMA dataset achieved a spatial resolution of 0.027''x0.022'' or 50au. Results: This multi-scale study allows us to follow the gas from the environment of the high-mass star-forming region (~2pc) via intermediate-scale (~0.25pc) filamentary gas flows down to the innermost cores within the central few 1000au. The intermediate-scale filaments connect spatially and kinematically to the larger-scale cloud as well as the innermost cores. We estimate a filamentary mass inflow rate around 10^-3M_sun/yr, feeding into the central region that hosts at least a dozen mm cores. While the flow from the cloud via the filaments down to 10^4au appears relatively ordered, within the central 10^4au the kinematic structures become much more complicated and disordered. We speculate that this is caused by the interplay of the converging infalling gas with feedback processes from the forming central protostars. Conclusions: This multi-scale study characterises and quantifies the hierarchical gas flow from clouds down to the central protostars for a prototypical infrared dark cloud with several embedded cores at an unprecedented detail. While comparatively ordered gas flows are found over a broad range of scales, the innermost area exhibits more disordered structures, likely caused by the combination of inflow, outflow and cluster dynamical processes.
comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, accepted for Astronomy & Astrophysics
☆ Unveiling a 36 Billion Solar Mass Black Hole at the Centre of the Cosmic Horseshoe Gravitational Lens
Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are found at the centre of every massive galaxy, with their masses tightly connected to their host galaxies through a co-evolution over cosmic time. For massive ellipticals, the SMBH mass ($M_\text{BH}$) strongly correlates with the central stellar velocity dispersion ($\sigma_e$), via the $M_\text{BH}-\sigma_e$ relation. However, SMBH mass measurements have traditionally relied on central stellar dynamics in nearby galaxies ($z < 0.1$), limiting our ability to explore the SMBHs across cosmic time. In this work, we present a self-consistent analysis combining 2D stellar dynamics and lens modelling of the Cosmic Horseshoe gravitational lens system ($z = 0.44$), one of the most massive galaxies ever observed. Using integral-field spectroscopic data from MUSE and high-resolution imaging from HST, we model the radial arc and stellar kinematics, constraining the galaxy's central mass distribution and SMBH mass. Bayesian model comparison yields a $5\sigma$ detection of an ultramassive black hole (UMBH) with $\log_{10}(M_\text{BH}/M_{\odot}) = 10.56^{+0.07}_{-0.08} \pm (0.12)^\text{sys}$, consistent across various systematic tests. Our findings place the Cosmic Horseshoe $\sim$$1.5\sigma$ above the $M_\text{BH}-\sigma_e$ relation, supporting an emerging trend observed in BGCs and other massive galaxies. This suggests a steeper $M_\text{BH}-\sigma_e$ relationship at the highest masses, potentially driven by a different co-evolution of SMBHs and their host galaxies. Future surveys will uncover more radial arcs, enabling the detection of SMBHs over a broader redshift and mass range. These discoveries will further refine our understanding of the $M_\text{BH}-\sigma_e$ relation and its evolution across cosmic time.
comment: 20 pages, 12 figures, 11 tables
☆ Hunting pre-stellar cores with APEX: Corona Australis 151, the densest pre-stellar core or the youngest protostar?
Context. Pre-stellar cores are the birthplaces of Sun-like stars and represent the initial conditions for the assembly of protoplanetary systems. Due to their short lifespans, they are rare. In recent efforts to increase the number of such sources identified in the Solar neighbourhood, we have selected a sample of 40 starless cores from the publicly available core catalogs of the Herschel Gould Belt survey. In this work, we focus on one of the sources that stands out for its high central density: Corona Australis 151. Aims. We use molecular lines that trace dense gas (n>=10^6 cm-3) to confirm the exceptionally high density of this object, to study its physical structure, and to understand its evolutionary stage. Methods. We detected the N2H+ 3-2 and 5-4 transitions, and the N2D+ 3-2, 4-3, and 6-5 lines with the APEX telescope. We use the Herschel continuum data to infer a spherically symmetric model of the core's density and temperature. This is used as input to perform non-local-thermodynamic-equilibrium radiative transfer to fit the observed five lines. Results. Our analysis confirms that this core is characterised by very high densities (a few x 10^7 cm-3 at the centre) and cold temperatures. We infer a high deuteration level of N2D+/N2H+=0.50, indicative of an advanced evolutionary stage. In the large bandwidth covered by the APEX data, we detect several other deuterated species, including CHD2OH, D2CO, and ND3. We also detect multiple sulphurated species that present broader lines with signs of high-velocity wings. Conclusions. The observation of high-velocity wings and the fact that the linewidths of N2H+ and N2D+ become larger with increasing frequency can be interpreted either as an indication of supersonic infall motions developing in the central parts of a very evolved pre-stellar core or as the signature of outflows from a very low luminosity object (VeLLO). *SHORTENED*
comment: Accepted for publication in A&A (19 Feb. 2025)
☆ SEW: A full-spectrum linear fitting with stellar population synthesis method Based on "Equivalent Widths spectrum"
We present a full-spectrum linear fitting method, SEW, for stellar population synthesis based on equivalent widths (EWs) to extract galaxy properties from observed spectra. This approach eliminates the need for prior assumptions about dust attenuation curves, which are instead derived as outputs of the fitting process. By leveraging the invariance of EWs and employing the Discrete Penalised Least Squares (DPLS) method to extract EWs, we address the nonlinear aspects of the fitting process by linearising the matrix equations. This enables accurate recovery of key parameters, stellar age, metallicity and dust attenuation, even under systematic calibration biases and varying attenuation conditions. Rigorous testing with mock spectra across signal-to-noise ratios (S/N = 5-30) and calibration biases demonstrates the robustness of method. The derived attenuation curves align closely with input models, and stellar population parameters are recovered with minimal bias. To facilitate adoption, we implement this method as a Python extension package for \texttt{pPXF} (\texttt{pPXF-SEW}). Our work addresses critical degeneracies in traditional spectral fitting and enhances the reliability of extragalactic studies.
comment: 16 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables
☆ The RR Lyrae distribution in the Galactic Bulge
Purpose: RR Lyrae stars are important distance indicators. They are usually present in globular clusters where they were first discovered. The study of their properties and distribution in our Galaxy and external galaxies constitutes a modern field of astrophysical research. The aim of this paper is checking the possibility that the observed distribution of RR Lyrae stars in the Galactic bulge derives from orbitally decayed globular clusters (GCs). Methods: To reach the aim of the paper I made use of the comparison of observational data of RR Lyrae in the Galactic bulge with the distribution of GCs in the Milky Way (MW) as coming from theoretical models under a set of assumptions. Results: I obtain the expected numbers and distributions of RR Lyrae in the Galactic bulge as coming from an initial population of globular clusters at varying some characteristic parameters of the GC population and compare to observational data. Conclusion: The abundance of RR Lyrae distribution in the Galactic bulge and their radial distribution is likely still too uncertain to provide a straight comparison with theoretical models. Despite this, it can be stated that a significant fraction of the `foreground' RR Lyrae present in the MW originate from orbitally evolved and dissolved GCs.
comment: 21 pages, 11 figures. Paper accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Science
☆ Using detailed single star and binary evolution models to probe the large observed luminosity spread of red supergiants in young open star clusters
Red supergiants (RSGs) represent a late evolutionary stage of massive stars. Recent observations reveal that the observed luminosity range of RSGs in young open clusters is wider than expected from single star evolution models. Binary evolution effects have been suggested as a possible explanation. Here, we analyse 3670 detailed binary-evolution models, as well as corresponding single-star models, to probe the contribution of binary mass transfer and binary mergers on the luminosity distribution of RSGs in star clusters with ages up to 100 Myr. We confirm that the expected luminosity range of RSGs in a coeval population can span a factor of ten, as a consequence of mergers between two main-sequence stars, which reproduces the observed red supergiant luminosity ranges in rich clusters well. While the luminosity increase as consequence of mass transfer is more limited, it may help to increase the number of overluminous RSGs. However, our results also demonstrate that binary effects alone are insufficient to account for the number of RSGs found with luminosities of up to three times those predicted by current single-star models. We discuss observational accuracy, rotational mixing, age spread, and intrinsic RSG variability as possible explanations. Further observations of RSGs in young open clusters, in particular studies of their intrinsic brightness variability, appear crucial for disentangling these effects.
comment: 24 pages, 19 figures. Accepted for Publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters (ApJL)
☆ CASCO: Cosmological and AStrophysical parameters from Cosmological simulations and Observations III. The physics behind the emergence of the golden mass scale
Different studies have suggested the emergence of the so-called golden mass, corresponding to a virial mass of $\sim 10^{12} \, M_{\rm \odot}$ and a stellar mass of $\sim 5 \times 10^{10} \, M_{\rm \odot}$. This mass scale marks a maximum in star formation efficiency, where galaxies are minimally affected by processes like SN and AGN feedback. We use \textsc{camels} cosmological simulations, based on the IllustrisTNG subgrid, to study the origin of this mass scale and whether it persists when varying feedback from SN and AGN. We focus on the correlation between the total-to-stellar mass within the half-mass radius and stellar mass, which follows an inverted bell-shaped trend, with a minimum at the golden mass. SN feedback processes impact the emergence of the golden mass, which shifts to lower mass for high values of wind velocity and energy. We find that most AGN feedback parameters influence the emergence of the golden mass, altering the correlation slope at high mass: the black hole radiative efficiency is the most impactful, followed by the black hole feedback factor and quasar threshold. ETGs preserve the inverted bell-shaped trend, while LTGs have monotonically decreasing DM fractions with mass, with mild indication of an inversion only at low redshift, confirming results from observations. When connecting with global quantities, we see that star formation efficiency show a bell-shaped trend peaking at the golden mass, with behaviours that mirror the central quantities. In ETGs a peak at lower mass is seen, while LTGs mirror the behaviour in the central quantity, with mild indication of a maximum in the stellar fraction only at low redshift. Overall, we find that the emergence of the golden mass is driven by the SN- and AGN-feedback and appears earlier in cosmic time for stronger-feedback simulations, which faster quench star formation in the most massive galaxies. (abridged)
comment: Submitted to A&A, 11 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables
♻ ☆ Revealing the hidden cosmic feast: A z=4.3 galaxy group hosting two optically dark, efficiently star-forming galaxies
We present the confirmation of a compact galaxy group candidate, CGG-z4, at $z=4.3$ in the COSMOS field. This structure was identified by two spectroscopically confirmed $z=4.3$ $K_s$-dropout galaxies with ALMA $870\rm\, \mu m$ and 3 mm continuum detections, surrounded by an overdensity of NIR-detected galaxies with consistent photometric redshifts of $4.04$. Their high CO(5-4)/CO(4-3) ratios indicate that the inter-stellar mediums (ISMs) are close to thermalization, suggesting either high gas temperatures, densities, and/or pressure, while the low [CI](1-0)/CO(4-3) line ratios indicate high star formation efficiencies. With [CI]-derived gas masses we found the two galaxies have extremely short gas depletion times of $99$ Myr and $<63$ Myr respectively, suggesting the onset of quenching. With an estimated halo mass of $\rm log (M_{\rm halo}[M_{\odot}])\sim12.8$, we suggest that this structure is likely in the process of forming a massive galaxy cluster.
comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, 4 tables, the main text is 12 pages, appendix is 3 pages, published in A&A
♻ ☆ Galactic Compton Wavelengths in $f(R)$ Screening Theories
$f(R)$ theories of modified gravity may be compatible with current observations if the deviations from general relativity are sufficiently well screened in dense environments. In recent work [arXiv:2310.19955] we have shown that approximations commonly used to assess whether galaxies are screened, or unscreened, fail to hold in observationally interesting parts of parameter space. One of the assumptions commonly made in these approximations, and more broadly in the study of $f(R)$ models, is that the mass of the scalar mode can be neglected inside a galaxy. In this work we demonstrate that this approximation may fail spectacularly and discuss the implications of this for tests of the theory.
comment: 15 pages, 4 figures. Code available publicly at https://github.com/Bradley-March/scalar-compton-wavelength. Published in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
♻ ☆ Testing galaxy formation models with the stellar mass-halo mass relations for star-forming and quiescent galaxies
The tight relationship between the stellar mass and halo mass of galaxies is one of the most fundamental scaling relations in galaxy formation and evolution. It has become a critical constraint for galaxy formation models. Over the past decade, growing evidence has convincingly shown that the stellar mass-halo mass relations (SHMRs) for star-forming and quiescent central galaxies differ significantly: at a given stellar mass, the average host halo mass of quiescent centrals is more massive than that of the star-forming centrals. Despite the importance of this feature, its scientific implications have not yet been fully recognized or thoroughly explored in the field. In this work, we demonstrate that the semi-analytical model L-GALAXIES successfully reproduces these observational results, whereas three state-of-the-art hydrodynamic galaxy formation simulations (TNG, Illustris, and EAGLE) do not. Consequently, in L-GALAXIES, star-forming central galaxies are more efficient at converting baryons into stars than quiescent central galaxies at a given halo mass, while the other models predict similar efficiencies for both populations. Further analysis reveals that these fundamental discrepancies stem from distinct evolutionary paths on the stellar mass-halo mass plane. We show that the observed SHMRs for star-forming and quiescent galaxies support galaxy formation models in which quenching only weakly correlates with halo assembly histories, and in which the stellar mass of star-forming galaxies can increase significantly since cosmic noon. In contrast, models in which quenching strongly prefers to happen in early-formed halos are not very favored. Additionally, we find that galaxy downsizing is present in L-GALAXIES and TNG, but absent in Illustris and EAGLE.
comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, ApJ accepted
♻ ☆ Application of the FRADO model of BLR formation to the Seyfert galaxy NGC 5548 and the first step toward determining the Hubble constant
The dynamical and geometric structures of the Broad Line Region (BLR), along with the origins of continuum time delays in active galaxies, remain topics of ongoing debate. In this study, we aim to reproduce the broadband spectrum, the H$\beta$ line delay, and the continuum time delays available for the source NGC 5548. We employ the standard accretion disk model with the option of an inner hot flow, alongside the lamp-post model to account for disk irradiation and a BLR structure model based on radiation pressure acting on dust. The model is parameterized by the black hole mass (fixed), accretion rate, viewing angle, lamp-post height, cloud density, and cloud covering factor. The resulting continuum delays are calculated as a combination of disk reprocessing and the reprocessing of a fraction of radiation by the BLR. Our model reasonably reproduces the observed broad-band continuum, the H$\beta$ delay, and the continuum inter-band time delays measured during the observational campaign. When the accretion rate is not fixed based on the known distance to the source, we can directly estimate the distance from our model. The resulting value of $H_0$ = $79.8^{+5.5}_{-16.4}$ km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$ represents a noteworthy improvement compared to the findings of Cackett et al. (2007). This pilot study demonstrates that, with sufficient data coverage, it is possible to disentangle the time delays originating from the accretion disk and the BLR. This paves the way for effectively using inter-band continuum time delays in determining the Hubble constant. Additionally, the findings support the adopted model for the formation of the H$\beta$ line.
comment: submitted to A&A, comments welcome
♻ ☆ Fuzzy Dark Matter Constraints from the Hubble Frontier Fields
In fuzzy dark matter (FDM) cosmologies, the dark matter consists of ultralight bosons ($m\lesssim10^{-20}$ eV). The astrophysically large de Broglie wavelengths of such particles hinder the formation of low-mass dark matter halos. This implies a testable prediction: a corresponding suppression in the faint-end of the ultraviolet luminosity function (UVLF) of galaxies. Notably, recent estimates of the faint-end UVLF at $z\sim5-9$ in the Hubble Frontier Fields, behind foreground lensing clusters, probe up to five magnitudes fainter than typical ("blank-field") regions. These measurements thus far disfavor prominent turnovers in the UVLF at low luminosity, implying bounds on FDM. We fit a semi-empirical model to these and blank-field UVLF data, including the FDM particle mass as a free parameter. This fit excludes cases where the dark matter is entirely a boson of mass $m<1.5\times10^{-21}$ eV (with $2\sigma$ confidence). We also present a less stringent bound deriving solely from the requirement that the total observed abundance of galaxies, integrated over all luminosities, must not exceed the total halo abundance in FDM. This more model-agnostic bound disfavors $m<5\times10^{-22}$ eV ($2\sigma$). We forecast that future UVLF measurements from JWST lensing fields may probe masses several times larger than these bounds, although we demonstrate this is subject to theoretical uncertainties in modeling the FDM halo mass function.
comment: MNRAS accepted version. 13 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables
♻ ☆ Tripling the Census of Dwarf AGN Candidates Using DESI Early Data
Using early data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) survey, we search for AGN signatures in 410,757 line-emitting galaxies. By employing the BPT emission-line ratio diagnostic diagram, we identify AGN in 75,928/296,261 ($\approx$25.6%) high-mass ($\log (M_{\star}/\rm M_{\odot}) >$ 9.5) and 2,444/114,496 ($\approx$2.1%) dwarf ($\log (M_{\star}/\rm M_{\odot}) \leq$ 9.5) galaxies. Of these AGN candidates, 4,181 sources exhibit a broad H$\alpha$ component, allowing us to estimate their BH masses via virial techniques. This study more than triples the census of dwarf AGN and doubles the number of intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH; $M_{BH} \le 10^6~\rm M_{\odot}$) candidates, spanning a broad discovery space in stellar mass (7 $< \log (M_{\star}/M_{\odot}) <$ 12) and redshift (0.001 $< \rm z <$ 0.45). The observed AGN fraction in dwarf galaxies ($\approx$2.1%) is nearly four times higher than prior estimates, primarily due to DESI's smaller fiber size, which enables the detection of lower luminosity dwarf AGN candidates. We also extend the $M_{BH} - M_{\star}$ scaling relation down to $\log (M_{\star}/M_{\odot}) \approx$ 8.5 and $\log (M_{BH}/\rm M_{\odot}) \approx$ 4.4, with our results aligning well with previous low-redshift studies. The large statistical sample of dwarf AGN candidates from current and future DESI releases will be invaluable for enhancing our understanding of galaxy evolution at the low-mass end of the galaxy mass function.
comment: 35 pages, 22 figures
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 15
☆ Asteroseismology with TESS: Emergence of Dipole Mode Suppression From Subgiants?
Dipole mode suppression is an observed behavior of solar-like oscillations in evolved stars. This study aims to search for depressed dipole modes in giant stars using data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and investigate when the suppression starts to emerge. We study a sample of 8,651 TESS-evolved stars and find 179 stars with significant dipole mode depression by comparing the oscillation amplitudes of radial and dipole modes. Notably, 11 of them are located near the base of the red-giant branch, indicating that mode suppression appears earlier than the point inferred in previous studies with the Kepler data. These findings provide new evidence for the dipole mode suppression in giant stars, particularly in subgiants.
comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, and 2 Tables. The catalog is available online in the published version of APJ
☆ Polytropic Behavior in Corotating Interaction Regions: Evidence of Alfvénic Heating
Corotating Interaction Regions (CIRs) are recurring structures in the solar wind, characterized by interactions between fast and slow solar wind streams that compress and heat plasma. This study investigates the polytropic behavior of distinct regions in and around CIRs: uncompressed slow solar wind, compressed slow solar wind, compressed fast solar wind, and uncompressed fast solar wind. Using Wind spacecraft data and an established methodology for calculating the polytropic index ({\gamma}), we analyze 117 CIR events. Results indicate varying {\gamma} values across regions, with heating observed in compressed regions driven by Alfv\'en wave dissipation originating from fast streams. In the uncompressed fast solar wind, {\gamma} exceeds adiabatic values the most and correlates well with strong Alfv\'enic wave activity.
☆ PINN ME: A Physics-Informed Neural Network Framework for Accurate Milne-Eddington Inversions of Solar Magnetic Fields
Spectropolarimetric inversions of solar observations are fundamental for the estimation of the magnetic field in the solar atmosphere. However, instrumental noise, computational requirements, and varying levels of physical realism make it challenging to derive reliable solar magnetic field estimates. In this study, we present a novel approach for spectropolarimetric inversions based on Physics Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) to infer the photospheric magnetic field under the Milne-Eddington approximation (PINN ME). Our model acts as a representation of the parameter space, mapping input coordinates (t, x, y) to the respective spectropolarimetric parameters, which are used to synthesize the corresponding stokes profiles. By iteratively sampling coordinate points, synthesizing profiles, and minimizing the deviation from the observed stokes profiles, our method can find the set of Milne-Eddington parameters that best fit the observations. In addition, we directly include the point-spread-function to account for instrumental effects. We use a predefined parameter space as well as synthetic profiles from a radiative MHD simulation to evaluate the performance of our method and to estimate the impact of instrumental noise. Our results demonstrate that PINN ME achieves an intrinsic spatio-temporal coupling, which can largely mitigate observational noise and provides a memory-efficient inversion even for extended fields-of-view. Finally, we apply our method to observations and show that our method provides a high spatial coherence and can resolve small-scale features both in strong- and weak-field regions.
☆ The T16 Project: Image Subtraction Light Curves from TESS Cycle 1 Full-Frame Images for Stars with T < 16 SP
We present 83,717,159 light curves for 56,401,549 stars with T < 16 mag observed in the Full-Frame Images (FFIs) of Cycle 1 of the NASA TESS mission. These light curves were extracted from subtracted images produced by the Cluster Difference Imaging Survey (CDIPS; Bouma et al. 2019). We make public the raw image subtraction light curves, together with light curves detrended against instrumental systematics. We compare the light curves to other publicly available light curves from the TESS FFIs, finding that for a substantial fraction of stars with T < 16, the T16 project provides the highest precision FFI light curves available. We demonstrate that the detrended T16 light curves are generally as good as, or better than, the light curves from other projects for the known TOIs. We also show that the un-detrended light curves can be used to study high amplitude variable stars. The light curves are being made available through the NASA Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST). Light curve production is underway for additional TESS Cycles.
comment: 27 pages, 19 figures, 3 pages, accepted for publication in PASP, data available on MAST at https://archive.stsci.edu/hlsp/t16
☆ Hunting pre-stellar cores with APEX: Corona Australis 151, the densest pre-stellar core or the youngest protostar?
Context. Pre-stellar cores are the birthplaces of Sun-like stars and represent the initial conditions for the assembly of protoplanetary systems. Due to their short lifespans, they are rare. In recent efforts to increase the number of such sources identified in the Solar neighbourhood, we have selected a sample of 40 starless cores from the publicly available core catalogs of the Herschel Gould Belt survey. In this work, we focus on one of the sources that stands out for its high central density: Corona Australis 151. Aims. We use molecular lines that trace dense gas (n>=10^6 cm-3) to confirm the exceptionally high density of this object, to study its physical structure, and to understand its evolutionary stage. Methods. We detected the N2H+ 3-2 and 5-4 transitions, and the N2D+ 3-2, 4-3, and 6-5 lines with the APEX telescope. We use the Herschel continuum data to infer a spherically symmetric model of the core's density and temperature. This is used as input to perform non-local-thermodynamic-equilibrium radiative transfer to fit the observed five lines. Results. Our analysis confirms that this core is characterised by very high densities (a few x 10^7 cm-3 at the centre) and cold temperatures. We infer a high deuteration level of N2D+/N2H+=0.50, indicative of an advanced evolutionary stage. In the large bandwidth covered by the APEX data, we detect several other deuterated species, including CHD2OH, D2CO, and ND3. We also detect multiple sulphurated species that present broader lines with signs of high-velocity wings. Conclusions. The observation of high-velocity wings and the fact that the linewidths of N2H+ and N2D+ become larger with increasing frequency can be interpreted either as an indication of supersonic infall motions developing in the central parts of a very evolved pre-stellar core or as the signature of outflows from a very low luminosity object (VeLLO). *SHORTENED*
comment: Accepted for publication in A&A (19 Feb. 2025)
☆ Propagation of waves in weakly ionized two-fluid plasmas. I. Small-amplitude Alfvénic waves
The large abundance of electrically neutral particles has a remarkable impact on the dynamics of many astrophysical plasmas. Here, we use a two-fluid model that includes charge-neutral elastic collisions and Hall's current to study the propagation of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves in weakly ionized plasmas. we derive the dispersion relation for small-amplitude incompressible transverse waves propagating along the background magnetic field. Then, we focus on the polarization relations fulfilled by the eigenmodes and their corresponding ratios of magnetic to kinetic energies, and we study their dependence on the relations between the oscillation, collision and cyclotron frequencies. For low wave frequencies, the two components of the plasma are strongly coupled, the damping due to the charge-neutral interaction is weak and the effect of Hall's term is negligible. However, as the wave frequency increases, phase shifts between the velocity of charges, the velocity of neutrals, and the magnetic field appear, leading to enhanced damping. The effect of collisions on the propagation of waves strongly depends on their polarization state, with the left-handed circularly polarized ion-cyclotron modes being more efficiently damped than the linearly polarized Alfv\'en waves and the right-handed circularly polarized whistler modes. Moreover, the equipartition relation between the magnetic energy and the kinetic energy of Alfv\'en waves does not hold in general when the collisional interaction and Hall's current are taken into account, with the magnetic energy usually dominating over the kinetic energy. This theoretical result extends previous findings from observational and numerical works about turbulence in astrophysical scenarios.
comment: 25 pages, 16 figures. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal
☆ Using detailed single star and binary evolution models to probe the large observed luminosity spread of red supergiants in young open star clusters
Red supergiants (RSGs) represent a late evolutionary stage of massive stars. Recent observations reveal that the observed luminosity range of RSGs in young open clusters is wider than expected from single star evolution models. Binary evolution effects have been suggested as a possible explanation. Here, we analyse 3670 detailed binary-evolution models, as well as corresponding single-star models, to probe the contribution of binary mass transfer and binary mergers on the luminosity distribution of RSGs in star clusters with ages up to 100 Myr. We confirm that the expected luminosity range of RSGs in a coeval population can span a factor of ten, as a consequence of mergers between two main-sequence stars, which reproduces the observed red supergiant luminosity ranges in rich clusters well. While the luminosity increase as consequence of mass transfer is more limited, it may help to increase the number of overluminous RSGs. However, our results also demonstrate that binary effects alone are insufficient to account for the number of RSGs found with luminosities of up to three times those predicted by current single-star models. We discuss observational accuracy, rotational mixing, age spread, and intrinsic RSG variability as possible explanations. Further observations of RSGs in young open clusters, in particular studies of their intrinsic brightness variability, appear crucial for disentangling these effects.
comment: 24 pages, 19 figures. Accepted for Publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters (ApJL)
☆ HCN and C2H2 in the atmosphere of a T8.5+T9 brown dwarf binary
T-type brown dwarfs present an opportunity to explore atmospheres teeming with molecules such as H2O, CH4 and NH3, which exhibit a wealth of absorption features in the mid-infrared. With JWST, we can finally explore this chemistry in detail, including for the coldest brown dwarfs that were not yet discovered in the Spitzer era. This allows precise derivations of the molecular abundances, which in turn informs our understanding of vertical transport in these atmospheres and can provide clues about the formation of cold brown dwarfs and exoplanets. This study presents the first JWST/MRS mid-IR spectrum (R ~ 1500-3000) of a T-dwarf: the T8.5+T9 brown dwarf binary WISE J045853.90+643451.9. We fit the spectrum using a parameterized P-T profile and free molecular abundances (i.e., a retrieval analysis), treating the binary as unresolved. We find a good fit with a cloud-free atmosphere and identify H2O, CH4 and NH3 features. Moreover, we make the first detections of HCN and C2H2 (at 13.4$\sigma$ and 9.5$\sigma$ respectively) in any brown dwarf atmosphere. The detection of HCN suggests intense vertical mixing ($K_{zz}\sim10^{11}$cm$^2$s$^{-1}$), challenging previous literature derivations of $K_{zz}$ values for T-type brown dwarfs. Even more surprising is the C2H2 detection, which cannot be explained with existing atmospheric models for isolated objects. This result challenges model assumptions about vertical mixing, and/or our understanding of the C2H2 chemical network, or might hint towards a more complex atmospheric processes such as magnetic fields driving aurorae, or lightning driving ionization. These findings open a new frontier in studying carbon chemistry within brown dwarf atmospheres.
comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 13 pages (5 figures) + appendices
☆ First Imaging of Magnetic Waveguides and Resonant Cavities in Sunspots
For the first time, we have determined the spatial distribution of magnetic waveguides and resonant cavities at different heights in the sunspot atmosphere. We applied a decomposition of time cubes of EUV/UV sunspot images obtained in the SDO/AIA temperature channels into narrowband components in the form of wave sources. The methods of pixelized wavelet filtering and oscillation mode decomposition were used. For all studied sunspots the presence of selected bands in the spectra was shown. Each band corresponds to oscillations forming spatial waveguides in the volume of the sunspot atmosphere. The formation of waveguide bundles in the height from photospheric to coronal levels is shown. The regions of the waveguides with maximum oscillation power, where resonant cavities are formed, are identified. Their detection is an experimental proof of the theory of resonant layers, previously proposed to explain the presence of significant harmonics in the oscillation spectrum. The different shapes of the cavities reflect the structure of the magnetic tubes along which the waves propagate. The distribution of sources in the height layers indicates the influence of the wave cutoff frequency caused by the inclinations of the magnetic field lines. We discuss the possibility of upward wave transport due to periodic amplification of the oscillation power in the detected cavities.
comment: 15 pages, 6 figures
♻ ☆ Four Total Eclipsing Contact Binary Systems: The First Photometric Light Curve Solutions Employing TESS and Gaia Surveys
We presented the first photometric light curve solutions of four W Ursae Majoris (W UMa)-type contact binary systems. This investigation utilized photometric data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and Gaia Data Release 3 (DR3). We used the PHysics Of Eclipsing BinariEs (PHOEBE) Python code and the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method for these light curve solutions. Only TIC 249064185 among the target systems needed a cold starspot to be included in the analysis. Based on the estimated mass ratios for these total eclipse systems, three of them are categorized as low mass ratio contact binary stars. The absolute parameters of the systems were estimated using the Gaia DR3 parallax method and the orbital period and semi-major axis ($P-a$) empirical relationship. We defined that TIC 318015356 and TIC 55522736 systems are A-subtypes, while TIC 249064185 and TIC 397984843 are W-subtypes, depending on each component's effective temperature and mass. We estimated the initial masses of the stars, the mass lost by the binary system, and the systems' ages. We displayed star positions in the mass-radius, mass-luminosity, and total mass-orbital angular momentum diagrams. In addition, our findings indicate a good agreement with the mass-temperature empirical parameter relationship for the primary stars.
comment: Accepted by the RAA journal
♻ ☆ Precise and Accurate Mass and Radius Measurements of Fifteen Galactic Red Giants in Detached Eclipsing Binaries
Precise and accurate mass and radius measurements of evolved stars are crucial to calibrating stellar models. Stars in detached eclipsing binaries (EBs) are excellent potential calibrators because their stellar parameters can be measured with fractional uncertainties of a few percent, independent of stellar models. The All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN) has identified tens of thousands of EBs, >35,000 of which were included in the ASAS-SN eclipsing binaries catalog. Here, we select eight EBs from this sample that contain giants based on their Gaia colors and absolute magnitudes. We use LBT/PEPSI, APF, and CHIRON to obtain multi-epoch spectra of these binaries and measure their radial velocities using two-dimensional cross-correlation methods. We simultaneously fit the ASAS-SN light curves and the radial velocities with PHOEBE to derive accurate and precise masses and radii with fractional uncertainties of $\lesssim 3\%$. For four systems, we also include Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) light curves in our PHOEBE models, which significantly improves the radius determinations. In seven of our systems, both components have evolved off of the main sequence, and one system has a giant star component with a main sequence, Sun-like companion. Finally, we compare our mass and radius measurements to single-star evolutionary tracks and distinguish between systems that are first ascent red giant branch stars and those that are likely core helium-burning stars.
comment: 25 pages, 18 figures. Accepted to The Open Journal of Astrophysics
♻ ☆ Orbital Dynamics of the Solar Basin
We study the dynamics of the solar basin -- the accumulated population of weakly-interacting particles on bound orbits in the Solar System. We focus on particles starting off on Sun-crossing orbits, corresponding to initial conditions of production inside the Sun, and investigate their evolution over the age of the Solar System. A combination of analytic methods, secular perturbation theory, and direct numerical integration of orbits sheds light on the long- and short-term evolution of a population of test particles orbiting the Sun and perturbed by the planets. Our main results are that the effective lifetime of a solar basin at Earth's location is $\tau_{\rm eff} = 1.20\pm 0.09 \,\mathrm{Gyr}$, and that there is annual (semi-annual) modulation of the basin density with known phase and amplitude at the fractional level of 6.5% (2.2%). These results have important implications for direct detection searches of solar basin particles, and the strong temporal modulation signature yields a robust discovery channel. Our simulations can also be interpreted in the context of gravitational capture of dark matter in the Solar System, with consequences for any dark-matter phenomenon that may occur below the local escape velocity.
♻ ☆ Dynamics of the Beta Pictoris planetary system and possibility of an additional planet
The $\beta$ Pictoris system is characterized by a dusty debris disk, in addition to the presence of two already known planets. This makes it a particularly interesting case for studying the formation and evolution of planetary systems at a stage where giant planets have already formed, most of the protoplanetary gas has dissipated, and terrestrial planets could emerge. Our goal here is to explore the possibility of additional planets orbiting beyond the outermost known one, $\beta$ Pic b. More specifically, we aim to assess whether additional planets in the system could explain the discrepancy between the predicted cutoff of the disk inner cavity at $\sim$28 au with only two planets, and the observed one at $\sim$50 au. We performed an exhaustive dynamical modeling of the debris disk and the carving of its inner edge, by introducing one or two additional planets beyond $\beta$ Pic b, coplanar with the disk. Guided by theoretical predictions for the parameter space - mass, semi-major axis, eccentricity - allowed for additional planets, we further carried out a set of N-body simulations, using the symplectic integrator RMVS3. Our simulations indicate that an additional planet with a low eccentricity of 0.05, a mass between 0.15 and 1 $M_{Jup}$, and a semi-major axis between 30 and 36 au, would be consistent with the observations of an inner debris disk edge at 50 au. We have also explored the hypotheses of a higher eccentricity and the presence of two additional lower mass planets instead of one, which could also account for these observations. While we find that one or even two additional planets could explain the observed location of the disk inner edge, these hypothetical planets remain in most cases below the current observational limits of high contrast imaging. Future observational campaigns with improved sensitivity will help lowering these limits and perhaps detect that planet.
comment: Accepted for publication in A&A on December 27, 2024
♻ ☆ Magnetic disk winds in protoplanetary disks: Description of the model and impact on global disk evolution
Canonically, a protoplanetary disk is thought to undergo (gravito-)viscous evolution, wherein the angular momentum of the accreting material is transported outwards. However, several lines of reasoning suggest that the turbulent viscosity in a typical protoplanetary disk is insufficient to drive the observed accretion rates. An emerging paradigm suggests that radially extended magnetic disk winds may play a crucial role in the disk evolution. We propose a global model of magnetic wind-driven accretion for evolution of protoplanetary disks, based on the insights gained from local shearing box simulations. Here we develop this model and constrain its parameters with the help of theoretical expectations and comparison with observations. The magnetic wind is characterized with the associated loss of angular momentum and mass, which depend on the local disk conditions and stellar properties. We incorporate the disk winds self-consistently in the code FEOSAD and study formation and long-term evolution of protoplanetary disks. We include disk self-gravity and an adaptive turbulent alpha, while the co-evolution of dust is also considered. Synthetic observations are obtained via radiation thermo-chemical code ProDiMo. The models with inclusion of disk winds satisfy general expectations from both theory and observations. The disk wind parameters can be guided by observational constraints and the synthetic observations resulting from such a model compare favorably with the selected ALMA survey data of Class II disks. The proposed magnetic disk wind model is a significant step forward in the direction of representing a more complete disk evolution, wherein the disk experiences concurrent torques from viscous, gravitational, and magnetic wind processes.
comment: 24 pages, 8 figures, 5 tables, Accepted
♻ ☆ Solar Cycles: Can They Be Predicted?
The solar magnetic field, thought to be generated by the motion of plasma within the Sun, alternates on the order of 11-year cycles and is incompletely understood. Industries rely on accurate forecasts of solar activity, but can solar cycles be predicted? Of more than 100 predictions for cycle 25, most underestimated the amplitude (peak sunspot number). Fewer predictions were made for the timing of solar maximum, but timing predictions seem to be performing better than amplitude predictions. Reasons for inaccurate prediction are suggested, and perspectives are given on how future studies might improve upon the extant literature.
comment: 5 pages, 1 figure
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena 32
☆ On testing in-vacuo dispersion with the most energetic neutrinos: KM3-230213A case study
The phenomenology of in-vacuo dispersion, an effect such that quantum properties of spacetime slow down particles proportionally to their energies, has been a very active research area since the advent of the Fermi telescope. One of the assumptions made in this 15-year effort is that the phenomenology of in-vacuo dispersion has a particle-energy sweet spot: the energy of the particle should be large enough to render the analysis immune to source-intrinsic confounding effects but still small enough to facilitate the identification of the source of the particle. We use the gigantic energy of KM3-230213A as an opportunity to challenge this expectation. For a neutrino of a few hundred PeVs a transient source could have been observed at lower energies several years earlier, even assuming that the characteristic scale of in-vacuo dispersion be close to the Planck scale. We report that GRB090401B is in excellent directional agreement with KM3-230213A, and we discuss a strategy of in-vacuo-dispersion analysis suitable for estimating the significance of KM3-230213A as a GRB090401B-neutrino candidate. We find significance at the level of a p-value of 0.01, not small enough to warrant any excitement, but small enough to establish the point that a handful of such coincidences would suffice to meaningfully test in-vacuo dispersion.
☆ KM3-230213A: An Ultra-High Energy Neutrino from a Year-Long Astrophysical Transient
The Km3NET collaboration has recently reported the detection of a neutrino event with energy in excess of 100 PeV. This detection is in 2.5-3$\sigma$ tension with the upper limit on the neutrino flux at this energy imposed by IceCube and the Pierre Auger Observatory, if the event is considered part of the diffuse all-sky neutrino flux. We explore an alternative possibility that the event originates from a flare of an isolated source. We show that the data of Km3NET, IceCube and the Pierre Auger Observatory are consistent with the possibility of a source flare of duration $T \lesssim 2$ yr with muon neutrino flux $F \approx 3\times 10^{-10}(1\mbox{ yr }/ T)$ erg cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$. Constraints on the neutrino spectrum indicate that the protons responsible for the neutrino emission have a very hard spectrum in the $E_p\gtrsim 10^{19}$ eV energy range, or otherwise that the neutrinos are produced by photohadronic interactions with infrared photons. The all-sky rate of similar neutrino flaring sources is constrained to be $R\lesssim 0.4/$ yr.
comment: 6 pages, 1 figure, prepared for submission to PRD
☆ Resonant axion-plasmon conversion in neutron star magnetospheres
Resonant axion-plasmon conversion in the magnetospheres of magnetars may substantially impact the landscape of dark-matter axion detection. This work explores how resonant axion-plasmon conversion, through a mechanism that is analogous to the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein (NSW) effect in neutrinos, modify the expected radio signals from axion-photon conversions observed on Earth. Critically, the resonant conversion radius lies within the region expected for axion-photon conversion, introducing a nonradiative power loss that diminishes the anticipated photon flux. Our analysis demonstrates that this effect can reduce radio telescope sensitivities, shifting them into regions excluded by previous experiments. These findings compel a reassessment of experimental constraints derived from radio signatures of axion-photon conversions and highlight the necessity of accounting for plasmon effects in astrophysical axion searches. The presented corrections provide critical insights for refining the detection strategies of future telescope-based dark matter axion experiments.
comment: axion-plasmon conversion, longitudinal plasma mode, neutron magnetospheres, corrected radio signals
☆ Exploring Axion-Like Particle from observation of FSRQ Ton 599 by Fermi-LAT
High energy photons traveling through astrophysical magnetic fields have the potential to undergo oscillations with axion-like particles (ALPs), resulting in modifications to the observed photon spectrum. High energy $\gamma-$ray sources with significant magnetic field strengths provide an ideal setting to investigate this phenomenon. Ton 599, a flat spectrum radio quasar with a magnetic field strength on the order of Gauss in its emission region, presents a promising opportunity for studying ALP-photon oscillations. In this study, we analyze the effects of ALP-photon oscillations on the $\gamma$-ray spectrum of Ton 599 as observed by Fermi-LAT. Our investigation considers the potential influences of the broad-line region and dusty torus on the $\gamma-$ray spectrum of Ton 599. We set the constraints on the ALP parameters at the $95\%$ confidence level, and find that the constraints on \(g_{a\gamma}\) can reach approximately \(2 \times 10^{-12}~\mathrm{GeV}^{-1}\) for \(m_a \sim 10^{9}~\mathrm{eV}\).
☆ Reverse and forward shock afterglow emission from steep jets viewed off axis
We study the morphology of gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows viewed off-axis using a simplified analytical model. We consider steep jets, which are expected to be the most common type. These jets, characterized by steep lateral gradients in energy and Lorentz factor, produce highly beamed emission. The observed signal is dominated by their minimum visible angle at any given time. Consequently, the afterglow morphology depends on when this angle begins to decrease, revealing the inner regions of the jet. Depending on whether this decrease occurs before, at, or after the reverse shock crosses the ejecta, three distinct classes of light curves emerge. In the first scenario, the de-beamed emission can produce a rapidly rising signal even prior to the reverse shock crossing. This is expected in GRBs with long duration, low energy, dense circumburst media, or combinations thereof. In some cases, the ejecta shell can be considered as effectively thick in the inner regions and effectively thin in the outer regions. For forward shocks, the temporal slopes in both regimes are identical, which makes it hard to detect the transition. Reverse shocks, however, have distinct temporal slopes, allowing potential detection of the transition in light curves if their emission surpasses that of the forward shock. The characteristic synchrotron frequency of de-beamed emission evolves independently of jet structure for forward shocks but depends on the lateral energy and Lorentz factor gradients for the reverse shock, with slower evolution for steep energy and shallow Lorentz factor gradients.
comment: Submitted to MNRAS. Comments are welcome
☆ Where to search for supermassive binary black holes
Supermassive binary black holes (SMBBHs) are the anticipated byproducts of galaxy mergers and play a pivotal role in shaping galaxy evolution, gravitational wave emissions, and accretion physics. Despite their theoretical prevalence, direct observational evidence for SMBBHs remains elusive, with only a handful of candidates identified to date. This paper explores optimal strategies and key environments for locating SMBBHs, focusing on observational signatures in the broad Balmer lines. We present a preliminary analysis on a flux-limited sample of sources belonging to an evolved spectral type along the quasar main sequence, and we discuss the spectroscopic clues indicative of binary activity and highlight the critical role of time-domain spectroscopic surveys in uncovering periodic variability linked to binary systems.
comment: 19 pages, 4 figures, to appears in Universe, special issue Feature Papers 2024 - Compact Objects
☆ Can wormholes mirror the quasi-normal mode spectrum of Schwarzschild black holes?
Wormholes are exotic compact objects characterized by the absence of essential singularities and horizons, acting as slender bridges linking two distinct regions of spacetime. Despite their theoretical significance, they remain however undetected, possibly due to their ability to closely mimic the observational properties of black holes. This study explores whether a static and spherically symmetric wormhole within General Relativity can reproduce the quasi-normal mode spectrum of a Schwarzschild black hole under scalar, electromagnetic, and axial gravitational perturbations, both individually and in combination. To address this, we reformulate the wormhole metric components using a near-throat parametrization. Our analysis concentrates on the fundamental mode and first overtone, estimated via the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin method. By employing a customized minimization strategy, we demonstrate that within a specific region of the parameter space, a wormhole can successfully replicate a subset of the black hole quasi-normal mode spectrum.
comment: 11 pages, 3 tables, 2 figures; accepted for publication on Physical Review D
☆ Signature of Seyfert-like component in a blazar 3C 273 and its reflection-based explanation
We present the results of blazar 3C 273 obtained from simultaneous observations obtained using XMM-Newton and NuSTAR satellites during the period 2015-2019 in five epochs. When the spectra are modeled with a power-law, significant residuals arise below 2 keV and in the energy range of 30-78 keV in NuSTAR data. Residuals in the lower energy band represent soft X-ray excess while at higher energies it likely represents Compton reflection hump which might be a weak component arising from dense and cold material. The presence of a faint iron line is present in XMM-Newton observations. We interpret such features as attributed to the coronal emission plus those arising from reflection from an accretion disk. We model the SEDs with the single zone inverse Compton jet model based on Synchrotron Self Compton and External Compton phenomena. It is found that a one-zone synchrotron plus IC model explains quite well the SEDs but the jet component alone fails to fit the multiband X-ray emission for the low state of this object in 2018 and 2019 which arises due to spectral flattening at low energy X-rays, indicating that an additional Seyfert-like thermal component must be present at X-rays. This is further supported by a big blue bump present in the optical/ultraviolet band in all SEDs. Finally, we analyzed all the epochs using relxill model to incorporate relativistic reflection to model those residuals of soft excess and Compton hump in the X-ray bands.
comment: 12 pages and 4 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ
☆ VLBI Imaging of Parsec-scale Radio Structures in Nearby Low-luminosity AGN
We report the results of high-resolution 5 GHz Very Long Baseline Array and European VLBI Network observations of 36 nearby galaxies, an extension of the Legacy e-MERLIN Multi-band Imaging of Nearby Galaxies (LeMMINGs) survey. Our sample includes 21 low ionization nuclear emission regions (LINERs), 4 Seyferts, 3 absorption line galaxies (ALGs), and 8 HII galaxies. We achieved an unprecedented detection rate, successfully imaging 23 out of 36 sources with a detection threshold of $\sim$20 $\mu$Jy beam$^{-1}$. The radio sizes are typically of $\leq$ 5 pc. Core identification was achieved in 16 sources, while 7 others were identified as core candidates. Radio luminosities of the sample range from 10$\rm ^{34}$ to 10$\rm ^{38}$ erg s$^{-1}$. Our analysis reveals a predominance of compact core structures, with ten sources exhibiting a one-sided core jet morphology and NGC 2146 exhibiting a rare two-sided jet structure. The study advances our understanding of the compactness of radio sources at various scales, indicating a core-dominated nature in all but one galaxy NGC2655. We find moderate to strong correlations between radio luminosity, black hole mass, optical [O III] line luminosity, and hard X-ray luminosity, suggesting a common active galactic nucleus (AGN) core origin. These results provide new insights into the fundamental plane of black hole activity and support the role of the synchrotron process in Low-luminosity AGN (LLAGN) radio emission.
comment: 25 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in ApJS
☆ Self-Similar Solutions for Geometrically Thin Accretion Disks with Magnetically Driven Winds: Application to Tidal Disruption Events
We analytically derive self-similar solutions for a time-dependent, one-dimensional, magnetically driven accretion disk wind model derived from the magnetohydrodynamic equations. The model assumes a geometrically thin, gas-pressure dominated accretion disk, and incorporates both magnetic braking and turbulent viscosity through an extended alpha-viscosity prescription in the vertical and radial directions, respectively. The $\alpha$ parameter for the vertical stress is assumed to vary with the disk aspect ratio. We confirm that our self-similar solutions without the wind matches with the classical solution of Cannizzo et al. (1990) that the mass accretion rate follows the power law of time $t^{-19/16}$, which has been used as a good indicator for the mass accretion rate of a tidal disruption event (TDE) disk. In contrast, in the presence of the wind, the mass accretion and loss rates decay more steeply than $t^{-19/16}$. We also confirm that the power-law indices of the mass accretion and loss rates are consistent with those obtained from the numerical simulations of Tamilan et al. (2024) at late times. In particular, we find that magnetic braking leads to a faster decay of the mass accretion rate, mass loss rate, and bolometric luminosity, and they asymptote to $t^{-5/2}$ in the strong poloidal magnetic field. This steep index can serve as evidence for magnetocentrifugally driven winds with a strong poloidal magnetic field in the context of TDEs.
comment: 23 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Progress of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (PTEP)
☆ On the Feasibility of Deriving Pseudo-Redshifts of Gamma-ray Bursts from Two Phenomenological Correlations
Accurate knowledge of gamma-ray burst (GRB) redshifts is essential for studying their intrinsic properties and exploring their potential application in cosmology. Currently, only a small fraction of GRBs have independent redshift measurements, primarily due to the need of rapid follow-up optical/IR spectroscopic observations. For this reason, many have utilized phenomenological correlations to derive pseudo-redshifts of GRBs with no redshift measurement. In this work, we explore the feasibility of analytically deriving pseudo-redshifts directly from the Amati and Yonetoku relations. We simulate populations of GRBs that (i) fall perfectly on the phenomenological correlation track, and (ii) include intrinsic scatter matching observations. Our findings indicate that, in the case of the Amati relation , the mathematical formulation is ill-behaved so that it yields two solutions within a reasonable redshift range $z \in [0.1, 10] $. When realistic scatter is included, it may result in no solution, or the redshift error range is excessively large. In the case of the Yonetoku relation, while it can result in a unique solution in most cases, the large systematic errors of the redshift calls for attention, especially when attempting to use pseudo redshifts to study GRB population properties.
☆ Dyonic black bounce solutions in General Relativity
This work explores dyonic black bounce (BB) solutions within the framework of General Relativity (GR), coupled with nonlinear electrodynamics (NLED) and scalar fields (SFs). Previous research has employed NLED and SFs to obtain BB solutions in GR; however, these solutions typically assume the presence of either magnetic monopoles or electric charges exclusively as components of the Maxwell-Faraday tensor. In this study, we examine static and spherically symmetric BB solutions that incorporate both magnetic and electric components, forming what are known as dyon solutions. A dyon is a particle characterized by the coexistence of both magnetic and electric charges. We determine the NLED Lagrangian density and the scalar field potential that produce these solutions and analyze the associated gravitational configurations, focusing on horizons, the behavior of the metric function, and spacetime regularity as described by the Kretschmann scalar. Notably, we present the first BB solution derived from the coupling of a linear electromagnetic Lagrangian and a scalar field with an associated potential as the matter source. This work broadens the class of non-singular geometries in the literature and opens new avenues for investigating dyonic BB solutions within the context of other modified gravity theories.
comment: 24 pages, 26 figures
☆ Systematic Bayesian Optimization for Atomic Structure Calculations of Heavy Elements
This study presents a novel optimisation technique for atomic structure calculations using the Flexible Atomic Code, focussing on complex multielectron systems relevant to $r$-process nucleosynthesis and kilonova modelling. We introduce a method to optimise the fictitious mean configuration used in the Flexible Atomic Code, significantly improving the accuracy of calculated energy levels and transition properties for lanthanide and actinide ions. Our approach employs a Sequential Model-Based Optimisation algorithm to refine the fictitious mean configuration, iteratively minimising the discrepancy between calculated and experimentally determined energy levels. We demonstrate the efficacy of this method through detailed analyses of Au II, Pt II, Pr II, Pr III, Er II, and Er~III, representing a broad range of atomic configurations. The results show substantial improvements in the accuracy of the calculated energy levels, with average relative differences to the NIST data reduced from 20-60\% to 10\% or less for the ions studied. Transition wavelength calculations exhibit exceptional agreement with experimental data, with about 90\% of the calculated values falling within 10\% of measurements for Pr and Er ions. While improvements in transition probability calculations are observed, the calculated transition probabilities (log($gf$) values) still show significant discrepancies compared to the experimental data, with root mean square deviations of approximately 1.1-1.4 dex for Pr and Er ions. We extend our optimisation technique to systematic calculations of singly and doubly ionised lanthanides, achieving accuracies comparable to or surpassing those of \textit{ab-initio} atomic structure codes. The method's broad applicability across the lanthanide series demonstrates its potential for enhancing opacity calculations and spectral modelling in astrophysical contexts.
comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. A. 22 pages, 15 figures
☆ Discovery of the variable optical counterpart of the redback pulsar PSR J2055+1545
We present the discovery of the variable optical counterpart to PSR J2055+1545, a redback millisecond pulsar, and the first radial velocity curve of its companion star. The multi-band optical light curves of this system show a $0.4$$-$$0.6 \ \mathrm{mag}$ amplitude modulation with a single peak per orbit and variable colours, suggesting that the companion is mildly irradiated by the pulsar wind. We find that the flux maximum is asymmetric and occurs at orbital phase $\simeq0.4$, anticipating the superior conjunction of the companion (where the optical emission of irradiated redback companions is typically brightest). We ascribe this asymmetry, well fit with a hot spot in our light curve modelling, to irradiation from the intrabinary shock between pulsar and companion winds. The optical spectra obtained with the \textit{Gran Telescopio Canarias} reveal a G-dwarf companion star with temperatures of $5749 \pm 34 \ \mathrm{K}$ and $6106 \pm 35 \ \mathrm{K}$ at its inferior and superior orbital conjunctions, respectively, and a radial velocity semi-amplitude of $385 \pm 3 \ \mathrm{km}\ \mathrm{s}^{-1}$. Our best-fit model yields a neutron star mass of $1.7^{+0.4}_{-0.1} \ \mathrm{M_{sun}}$ and a companion mass of $0.29^{+0.07}_{-0.01} \ \mathrm{M_{sun}}$. Based on the close similarity between the optical light curve of PSR~J2055$+$1545 and those observed from PSR J1023+0038 and PSR J1227-4853 during their rotation-powered states, we suggest this system may develop an accretion disc in the future and manifest as a transitional millisecond pulsar.
comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables. This paper has been accepted for publication in ApJ, and currently in press
☆ The XMAGNET exascale MHD simulations of SMBH feedback in galaxy groups and clusters: Overview and preliminary cluster results
We present initial results from extremely well-resolved 3D magnetohydrodynamical simulations of idealized galaxy clusters, conducted using the AthenaPK code on the Frontier exascale supercomputer. These simulations explore the self-regulation of galaxy groups and cool-core clusters by cold gas-triggered active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback incorporating magnetized kinetic jets. Our simulation campaign includes simulations of galaxy groups and clusters with a range of masses and intragroup and intracluster medium properties. In this paper we present results that focus on a Perseus-like cluster. We find that the simulated clusters are self-regulating, with the cluster cores staying at a roughly constant thermodynamic state and AGN jet power staying at physically reasonable values ($\simeq 10^{44}-10^{45}$~erg/s) for billions of years without a discernible duty cycle. These simulations also produce significant amounts of cold gas, with calculations having strong magnetic fields generally both promoting cold gas formation and allowing cold gas out to much larger clustercentric radii ($\simeq 100$~kpc) than simulations with weak or no fields ($\simeq 10$~kpc), and also having more filamentary cold gas morphology. We find that AGN feedback significantly increases the strength of magnetic fields at the center of the cluster. We also find that the magnetized turbulence generated by the AGN results in turbulence where the velocity power spectra are tied to AGN activity whereas the magnetic energy spectra are much less impacted after reaching a stationary state.
comment: 25 pages, 14 figures. Submitted to ApJ. Comments welcome. More info/material: https://xmagnet-simulations.github.io
☆ Segregation in Nuclear Stellar Clusters: Rates and Mass Distributions of TDEs, QPEs, Plunges, and EMRIs
Supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies occasionally disrupt stars or consume stellar-mass black holes that wander too close, producing observable electromagnetic or gravitational wave signals. We examine how mass segregation impacts the rates and distributions of such events. Assuming a relaxed stellar cluster, composed of stars and stellar-mass black holes, we show that the tidal disruption rate of massive stars ($m\gtrsim M_\odot$) is enhanced relative to their abundance in the stellar population. For stars up to $m\approx3M_\odot$, this enhancement is roughly $m/M_\odot$ and it is driven by segregation within the sphere of influence. Stars with masses $m\gtrsim3M_\odot$, if relaxed, are predominantly scattered by more massive stellar-mass black holes, leading to a constant enhancement factor of $\approx 10$, independent of mass. This aligns with observational evidence suggesting an over-representation of massive stars in tidal disruption events. For stellar-mass black holes, we predict an enhancement factor scaling as $m_\bullet^{1/2}$ for plunges and $m_\bullet^{3/2}$ for extreme-mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs). The power of one-half in both cases reflects the shorter relaxation times of heavier black holes, allowing them to segregate into the sphere of influence from greater distances, thereby increasing their abundance. The additional power in the EMRIs' rate arises from the tendency of heavier black holes to circularize and sink inward more efficiently. Finally, we estimate the rate of main sequence star inspirals and find that it favors low-mass stars ($m\lesssim M_\odot$). This seems compatible with the observationally estimated rate of quasi-periodic eruptions.
comment: 12 pages, 2 figures. Submitted to ApJ
☆ NGC 3259: A Signal for an Untapped Population of Slowly Accreting Intermediate-Mass Black Holes
Low-mass active galactic nuclei (AGNs) can provide important constraints on the formation and evolution of supermassive black holes (SMBHs), a central challenge in modern cosmology. To date only small samples of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs, $M_{BH}<10^5M_{\odot}$) and 'lesser' supermassive black holes (LSMBHs, $M_{BH}<10^6M_{\odot}$) have been identified. Our present study of NGC 3259 at D=27 Mpc with the Binospec integral field unit spectrograph complemented with Keck Echelle Spectrograph and Imager observations demonstrates the need for and the power of the spectroscopic follow-up. NGC 3259 hosts a black hole with a mass of $M_{BH}=(1.7-4.1)\times10^5M_{\odot}$, inferred from multi-epoch spectroscopic data, that accretes at 1% of the Eddington limit as suggested by the analysis of archival XMM-Newton observations. It is the second nearest low-mass AGN after the archetypal galaxy NGC 4395. The spectroscopic data reveals a variable broad $H\alpha$ profile that is likely the result of asymmetrically distributed broad-line region (BLR) clouds or BLR outflow events. X-ray observations and the absence of an optical power-law continuum suggest partial obscuration of the accretion disk and hot corona by a dust torus. We estimate that the Sloan Digital Sky Survey could only detect similar objects to D=35 Mpc. A detailed photometric analysis of NGC 3259 using HST images provides a central spheroid stellar mass estimate 25 times lower than expected from the $M_{BH}-M^*_{sph}$ relation, making this galaxy a strong outlier. This discrepancy suggests divergent growth pathways for the central black hole and spheroid, potentially influenced by the presence of a bar in the galaxy. Finally, we demonstrate that the DESI and 4MOST surveys will detect low-accretion rate IMBHs and LSMBHs and the sensitivity of future X-ray instruments (such as AXIS and Athena) will secure their classification.
comment: Submitted to A&A; 16 pages, 12 figures
☆ Constraints on Lorentz invariance from the event KM3-230213A
Lorentz invariance is the cornerstone of relativity theory. Its implications have been verified experimentally with a variety of approaches. The detection of a muon at extremely high energy detected by the ARCA detector in the Mediterranean sea, the most energetic particle directly measured up to date, allows to put additional constraints on Lorentz non-invariant theories. The prediction of some of those theories is that the lifetimes of particles in the laboratory frame 'decrease' rather than 'increase' with increasing $\gamma$. In this frame the sheer fact that the muon traversed the whole ARCA detector puts a lower limit on the muon lifetime in the laboratory frame, that implies upper limits on Lorentz violating parameters.
comment: 2 pages, no figure
♻ ☆ Signatures of the Shock Interaction as an Additional Power Source in the Nebular Spectra of SN 2023ixf
Red supergiants may lose significant mass during the final 100-1000 years before core collapse, shaping their circumstellar environment. The supernova (SN) shockwave propagating through this environment forms a shock-swept dense shell that interacts with the surrounding circumstellar material (CSM), generating secondary shocks that energise the ejecta and may power the SN during the nebular phase. In the present work, we investigate the nebular spectrum of SN 2023ixf, observed one-year post-explosion (at +363 d) with the recently commissioned WEAVE instrument on the 4.2m William Herschel Telescope. This marks the first supernova spectrum captured with WEAVE. In this spectrum, H$\alpha$ exhibits a peculiar evolution, flanked by blueward and redward broad components centred at $\sim\pm 5650\,\mathrm{km\,s^{-1}}$, features that have been observed in only a few SNe as early as one-year post-explosion. These features may indicate energy deposition from shock generated by the interaction of shock-swept dense shell with CSM expelled a few hundred years prior to the explosion. Comparisons of the +363 d spectrum with model spectra from the literature suggest a shock power of at least $\sim5 \times 10 ^{40}\,\mathrm{erg\,s^{-1}}$ at this epoch. Additionally, analysis of the [O I] doublet and other emission lines helped to constrain the oxygen mass ($\lesssim 0.07-0.30 M_\odot$), He-core mass ($\lesssim 3 M_\odot$), and zero-age main sequence mass ($\lesssim 12 M_\odot$) for SN~2023ixf. The comparison with other Type II SNe highlights SN 2023ixf's unique shock interaction signatures and evidence of dust formation, setting it apart in terms of evolution and dynamics.
comment: 12 pages, 9 figures, and 2 tables. Accepted to MNRAS: 2025 February 18. Received in original form: 2024 December 04
♻ ☆ Triple Evolution Pathways to Black Hole Low-Mass X-ray Binaries: Insights from V404 Cygni
A recent discovery shows that V404 Cygni, a prototypical black hole low-mass X-ray binary (BH-LMXB) is a hierarchical triple: the BH and donor star are orbited by a $1.2$ M$_{\odot}$ tertiary at a distance of at least $3500$ au. Motivated by this system, we evolve a grid of $\sim50,000$ triple star systems, spanning a broad range of initial orbits. Our calculations employ {\tt MESA} stellar evolution models, using {\tt POSYDON}, and self-consistently track the effects of eccentric Kozai-Lidov (EKL) oscillations, mass loss, tides, and BH natal kicks. In our simulations, the progenitors of V404 Cygni-like systems have initial outer separations of $1000 - 10000$ au and inner separations of $\sim100$ au, such that they avoid Roche lobe overflow most of the time. Later on, EKL oscillations drive the inner binary to high eccentricities until tides shrink the orbit and mass transfer begins. Notably, such systems only form in simulations with very weak black hole natal kicks ($\lesssim 5\,{\rm km\,s^{-1}}$) because stronger kicks unbind the tertiaries. Our simulations also predict a population of BH-LMXB triples that form via the classical common-envelope channel, when the BH progenitor does overflow its Roche lobe. The formation rate for this channel is also higher in triples than in isolated binaries because early EKL oscillations cause inner binaries with a wider range of initial separations to enter and survive a common envelope. Our calculations demonstrate that at least some stellar BHs form with extremely weak kicks, and that triple evolution is a significant formation channel for BH-LMXBs.
comment: Accepted to ApJ
♻ ☆ Probing cosmic chemical enrichment with next-generation gravitational-wave observatories
By observing binary black hole (BBH) mergers out to the edge of the Universe, next-generation (XG) ground-based gravitational-wave (GW) detectors like Cosmic Explorer and Einstein Telescope will map the BBH merger rate across all of cosmic history. This merger rate traces the formation rate of their progenitor stars convolved with a delay time distribution. Given theoretically-motivated priors on the delay time distribution, we show how XG observations can measure the BBH progenitor formation rate, probing the star formation rate (SFR) up to $z > 15$. However, the progenitor formation rate does not directly give a measurement of the SFR, but rather a combination of the SFR and its metallicity distribution as a function of redshift. Fortunately, the metallicity-dependence of BBH formation likely varies as a function of BBH mass and/or formation channel. We find that if different BBH subpopulations with distinct metallicity biases can be identified, comparing their rates as a function of redshift yields a simultaneous measurement of the SFR and its metallicity distribution. Given optimistic theoretical priors and one year of observation, this may provide a $\sim10\%$ measurement of the SFR at its peak and a 0.2 dex (0.7 dex) measurement of the median metallicity out to $z = 10$ ($z = 15$) at 90\% credibility, although the uncertainties scale with theoretical uncertainties on BBH delay times and formation efficiencies.
comment: Updated to match published version. Invited article for CQG focus issue "Focus on the Science Case for Next Generation (XG) Ground-Based Gravitational Wave Detectors."
♻ ☆ The Impact of $^{12}$C($α, γ$)$^{16}$O Reaction on the Presupernova Evolution and Supernova Explodability of Massive Stars
Among the uncertainties of stellar evolution theory, we investigate how the $^{12}$C($\alpha, \gamma$)$^{16}$O reaction rate affects the evolution of massive stars for the initial masses of $M ({\rm ZAMS})=$ 13 - 40 M$_\odot$ and the solar metallicity. We show that the {\sl explodability} of these stars, i.e., which of a neutron star (NS) or a black hole (BH) is formed, is sensitive to the strength of convective shell burning of C and O, and thus the mass fractions of C ($X$(C)) and O in the shell. For the small $^{12}$C($\alpha, \gamma$)$^{16}$O reaction rate that yields larger $X$(C), $X$(C) is further enhanced by mixing of C from the overlying layer and then C shell burning is strengthened. The extra heating by C shell burning tends to prevent the contraction of outer layers and decrease the {\sl compactness parameter} at $M_r$ = 2.5 M$_\odot$. This effect leads to the formation of smaller mass cores of Si and Fe and steeper density and pressure gradients at the O burning shell in the presupernova models. If the pressure gradient there is steeper, the model is more likely to explode to form a NS rather than a BH. We describe the pressure gradient against $M_r$ with $V/U$ and the density drop with $1/U$, where $U$ and $V$ are non-dimensional variables to describe the stellar structure. We estimate the critical values of $V/U$ and $1/U$ at the O-burning shell above which the model is more likely to explode. We conclude that the smaller $^{12}$C($\alpha, \gamma$)$^{16}$O reaction rate makes the mass range of $M ({\rm ZAMS})$ that forms a NS larger.
comment: 46 pages, 50 figures
♻ ☆ The 3D pulsar magnetosphere with machine learning: first results
All numerical solutions of the pulsar magnetosphere over the past 25 years show closed-line regions that end a significant distance inside the light cylinder, and manifest thick strongly dissipative separatrix surfaces instead of thin current sheets, with a tip that has a distinct pointed Y shape instead of a T shape. We need to understand the origin of these results which were not predicted by our early theories of the pulsar magnetosphere. In order to gain new intuition on this problem, we set out to obtain the theoretical steady-state solution of the 3D ideal force-free magnetosphere with zero dissipation along the separatrix and equatorial current sheets. In order to achieve our goal, we needed to develop a novel numerical method. We solve two independent magnetospheric problems without current sheet discontinuities in the domains of open and closed field lines, and adjust the shape of their interface (the separatrix) to satisfy pressure balance between the two regions. The solution is obtained with meshless Physics Informed Neural Networks (PINNs). In this paper we present our first results for an inclined dipole rotator using the new methodology. We are able to zoom-in around the Y-point and inside the closed-line region with unprecedented detail, and we observe features that were never been discussed in previous numerical solutions. This is the first time the steady-state 3D problem is addressed directly, and not through a time-dependent simulation that eventually relaxes to a steady-state. We have trained a Neural Network that instantaneously yields the three components of the magnetic field and their spatial derivatives at any given point. Our results demonstrate the potential of the new method to generate the reference solution of the ideal pulsar magnetosphere.
comment: 7 pages, 8 figures, submitted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics
♻ ☆ Closed-form solutions of spinning, eccentric binary black holes at 1.5 post-Newtonian order
The closed-form solution of the 1.5 post-Newtonian (PN) accurate binary black hole (BBH) Hamiltonian system has proven to be difficult to obtain for a long time since its introduction in 1966. Closed-form solutions of the PN BBH systems with arbitrary parameters (masses, spins, eccentricity) are required for modeling the gravitational waves (GWs) emitted by them. Accurate models of GWs are crucial for their detection by LIGO/Virgo and LISA. Only recently, two solution methods for solving the BBH dynamics were proposed in arXiv:1908.02927 (without using action-angle variables), and arXiv:2012.06586, arXiv:2110.15351 (action-angle based). This paper combines the ideas laid out in the above articles, fills the missing gaps and provides the two solutions which are fully 1.5PN accurate. We also present a public Mathematica package BBHpnToolkit which implements these two solutions and compares them with a fully numerical treatment. The level of agreement between these solutions provides a numerical verification for all the five actions constructed in arXiv:2012.06586, and arXiv:2110.15351. This paper hence serves as a stepping stone for pushing the action-angle-based solution to 2PN order via canonical perturbation theory.
comment: (2+15) pages, (1+4) figures. This version is composed of an erratum (wrt. the previous arXiv preprint version), and the fully revised article appended thereafter
♻ ☆ Representation learning for fast radio burst dynamic spectra
Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-duration radio transients of extragalactic origin, with diverse time-frequency patterns and emission properties that require explanation. With one possible exception, FRBs are detected only in the radio, so analyzing their dynamic spectra is therefore crucial to disentangling the physical processes governing their generation and propagation. Furthermore, comparing FRB morphologies provides insights into possible differences among their progenitors and environments. This study applies unsupervised learning and deep learning techniques to investigate FRB dynamic spectra, focusing on two approaches: Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and a Convolutional Autoencoder (CAE) enhanced by an Information-Ordered Bottleneck (IOB) layer. PCA served as a computationally efficient baseline, capturing broad trends, identifying outliers, and providing valuable insights into large datasets. However, its linear nature limited its ability to reconstruct complex FRB structures. In contrast, the IOB-augmented CAE excelled at capturing intricate features, with high reconstruction accuracy and effective denoising at modest signal-to-noise ratios. The IOB layer's ability to prioritize relevant features enabled efficient data compression, preserving key morphological characteristics with minimal latent variables. When applied to real FRBs from CHIME, the IOB-CAE generalized effectively, revealing a latent space that highlighted the continuum of FRB morphologies and the potential for distinguishing intrinsic differences between burst types. This framework demonstrates that while FRBs may not naturally cluster into discrete groups, advanced representation learning techniques can uncover meaningful structures, offering new insights into the diversity and origins of these bursts.
♻ ☆ Axion effects on gamma-ray spectral irregularities. II: Implications of EBL absorption
The extragalactic background light (EBL) plays a crucial role in the propagation of high-energy particles throughout the Universe. In this work, we explore the impact of the EBL absorption effect on photon to axionlike particle (ALP) conversions from the very-high-energy gamma-ray spectral irregularities. For our purpose, we select four BL Lac blazars: Markarian 501, 1ES 0229+200, PKS 0301-243, and PKS 0447-439 for analysis. Their redshifts range from approximately 0.03 to 0.34. We first discuss the EBL absorption effect on the gamma-ray spectral energy distributions (SEDs) using three common EBL spectral models: Finke-10, Franceschini-17, and Saldana-Lopez-21. Then we consider the photon-ALP conversions in astrophysical magnetic fields. The best-fit chi-square distributions of these EBL models under the ALP assumption in the ALP parameter $\{m_a, g_{a\gamma}\}$ plane are provided, showing similar distributions. For comparison, we define a new delta chi-square, $\chi_d^2$, to quantify the difference in chi-square values. The distributions of $\chi_d^2$ and the gamma-ray SEDs corresponding to the maximum delta chi-square, $\chi^2_{d, \rm max}$, are also presented for comparison. Our results indicate that the influence of these different EBL models is non-dominant at the low-redshift gamma-ray axionscope. In these cases, choosing the latest model, Saldana-Lopez-21, is sufficient. However, as the redshift of the sources increases, this influence becomes more significant.
comment: 18 pages, 7 figures. Published in PLB
♻ ☆ Discovery of Rapid Polarization Angle Variation During the 2022 Outburst of XTE J1701-462
The geometry of the Comptonization corona in neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries is still unclear. We conducted time-resolved polarimetric analysis of the archival observations of XTE J1701--462 obtained with the \textit{Imaging X-ray Polarimeter Explorer} during its 2022 outburst, and found that the polarization angle (PA) varied significantly with time when the source was in the normal branch (NB), with $67 \pm 8^{\circ}$ in the first epoch, $-34 \pm 8^{\circ}$ in the second, and $-58 \pm 8^{\circ}$ in the third, last epoch. Meanwhile, the polarization degree remained constant at around 2\%, above the minimum detectable polarization at the 99\% confidence level (MDP$_{99}$). The rapid PA variation causes depolarization in the time-averaged data, resulting in a nondetection as reported in the literature. The rapid (intra-day) PA variation may suggest that there is a fast transformation of the corona geometry, likely switching from a slab geometry with enhanced disk emission and reflection, to a more vertically extended spreading layer geometry.
comment: Acceptance for publication in the Astrophysical Journal
♻ ☆ Can tensor-scalar induced GWs dominate PTA observations ?
Observational constraints on small-scale primordial gravitational waves are considerably weaker than those on large scales. We focus on scenarios with significant primordial gravitational waves and curvature perturbations on small scales, studying the energy density spectrum of the second-order TSIGW. By leveraging current data from CMB, BAO, and PTA, combined with the SNR analysis of LISA, we can investigate how tensor-scalar induced gravitational waves affect observations on various scales, thus constraining the parameter space for primordial gravitational waves and curvature perturbations. The Bayes factor analysis suggests that TSIGW+PGW might be more likely to dominate current PTA observations compared to SMBHB.
comment: Accepted for publication in JCAP on 2025 February 16
♻ ☆ Constraining first-order phase transition inside neutron stars with application of Bayesian techniques on PSR J0437-4715 NICER data
Understanding the existence of exotic matter phases and phase transitions within the core of neutron stars is crucial to advancing our knowledge of cold-dense matter physics. Recent multi-messenger observations, including gravitational waves from neutron star mergers and precise X-ray data from NASA's Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) mission, have significantly constrained the neutron star equation of state (EOS). This study investigates the effects of phase transitions in neutron stars, focusing on NICER's latest observation of PSR J0437-4715. We employ Bayesian inference techniques to evaluate the presence of first-order phase transitions using a piecewise polytropic EOS model. Our analysis incorporates data from multiple NICER sources, to refine constraints on key phase transition parameters, including critical density and transition depth. We find that including data from PSR J0437-4715 improves the evidence of phase transitions and tightens the EOS constraints, especially at higher densities. However, Bayes factor analysis only indicates a slight preference for models without phase transitions and current observational precision is insufficient to draw definitive conclusions. In particular, this polytropic model identifies the critical phase transition mass of neutron stars as being close to 1.4 solar masses, which coincides with the approximate mass range of PSR J0437-4715. This work emphasizes the importance of precise measurements of PSR J0437-4715 for deepening our understanding of neutron star interiors and exploring potential new physics at extreme densities.
comment: Submitted to ApJ
Bow Shock and Local Bubble Plasma Unveiled by the Scintillating Millisecond Pulsar J0437$-$4715
The ionized interstellar medium contains au-scale (and below) structures that scatter radio waves from pulsars, resulting in scintillation. Power spectral analysis of scintillation often shows parabolic arcs, with curvatures that encode the locations and kinematics of the pulsar, Earth, and interstellar plasma. Here we report the discovery of 25 distinct plasma structures in the direction of the brilliant millisecond pulsar, PSR J0437-4715, in observations obtained with the MeerKAT radio telescope. Four arcs reveal structures within 5000 au of the pulsar, from a series of shocks induced as the pulsar and its wind interact with the ambient interstellar medium. The measured radial distance and velocity of the main shock allows us to solve the shock geometry and space velocity of the pulsar in three dimensions, while the velocity of another structure unexpectedly indicates a back flow from the direction of the shock or pulsar-wind tail. The remaining 21 arcs represent a surprising abundance of structures sustained by turbulence within the Local Bubble -- a region of the interstellar medium thought to be depleted of gas by a series of supernova explosions about 14 Myr ago. The Local Bubble is cool enough in areas for sub-au density fluctuations to arise from turbulence.
comment: 48 pages, 10 figures, 1 table, submitted to Nature Astronomy
♻ ☆ Connecting GRBs from Binary Neutron Star Mergers to Nuclear Properties of Neutron Stars
The fate of the binary neutron star (NS) merger remnants hinges sensitively upon the NS equation of state and the threshold mass, $M_{\rm ls}$, that separates a long-lived from a short-lived NS remnant. The nature of the electromagnetic counterparts is also influenced by the remnant type, particularly in determining whether a gamma-ray burst from a compact binary merger (cbGRB) is of short or long duration. We propose a novel approach to probe $M_{\rm ls}$ by linking it to the estimated observed ratio of long to short cbGRBs. We find that current observations broadly favour a relatively high value for this transition, $M_{\rm ls}\simeq 1.3 M_{\rm TOV}$, for which $ M_{\rm TOV} \lesssim 2.6\,M_\odot $, consistent with numerical simulations, as also shown here. Our results disfavour nuclear physics scenarios that would lead to catastrophic pressure loss at a few times nuclear density and temperatures of tens of MeV, leading to a rapid gravitational collapse of binaries with total mass $M \lesssim 1.3 M_{\rm TOV}$. Future individual gravitational wave events with on-axis cbGRBs can further bound $M_{\rm ls}$.
comment: Matches version accepted to PRD
♻ ☆ Neutron Stars in Aether Scalar-Tensor Theory
Aether Scalar-Tensor theory is a modification of general relativity proposed to explain galactic and cosmological mass discrepancies conventionally attributed to dark matter.~The theory is able to fit the cosmic microwave background and the linear matter power spectrum.~In this work, we derive the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equation in this theory and solve it for realistic nuclear equations of state to predict the mass-radius relation of neutron stars.~We find solutions that are compatible with all current observations of neutron stars.
comment: 10 pages, 3 figures
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics 14
☆ Moving to ICSC: synergy between PNRR projects for more powerful Data Centers: a case study
The paper presents the new enhancement to the Data Center named DC1 at the University of Naples {\em Federico II}. The ICSC funds at INFN have allowed to improve the power and cooling subsystems, while other funds from the PNRR (the STILES project\index{STILES Project}) and funds directly from the MUR have allowed to enhance the computing, storage and network equipments. All these resources are in addition to the IBiSCo cluster and equipments described earlier in this book, but all together, thanks to a strong synergy between projects, have leaded to a very powerful Data Center for scientific applications.
☆ Testing and Combining Transient Spectral Classification Tools on 4MOST-like Blended Spectra
With the 4-meter Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope (4MOST) expected to provide an influx of transient spectra when it begins observations in early 2026 we consider the potential for real-time classification of these spectra. We investigate three extant spectroscopic transient classifiers: the Deep Automated Supernova and Host classifier (DASH), Next Generation SuperFit (NGSF) and SuperNova IDentification (SNID), with a focus on comparing the efficiency and purity of the transient samples they produce. We discuss our method for simulating realistic, 4MOST-like, host-galaxy contaminated spectra and determining quality cuts for each classifier used to ensure pure SN Ia samples while maintaining efficient classification in other transient classes. We investigate the classifiers individually and in combinations. We find that a combination of DASH and NGSF can produce a SN Ia sample with a purity of 99.9% while successfully classifying 70% of SNe Ia. However, it struggles to classify non-SN Ia transients. We investigate photometric cuts to transient magnitude and transient flux fraction, finding that both can be used to improve transient classification efficiencies by 7--25% depending on the transient subclass. Finally, we present an example classification plan for live classification and the predicted purities and efficiencies across five transient classes: Ia, Ibc, II, superluminous and non-supernova transients.
comment: Submitted to MNRAS
☆ Preparing for the 2061 return of Halley's comet -- A rendezvous mission with an innovative imaging system
The return of Comet 1P/Halley will promote a wide interest for ground and space observations of a celestial body of outstanding scientific and cultural interest. In addition to remote observations, space will open the possibility of in situ science similarly to the passage of 1986. In this paper, we first discuss the scientific motivations for a rendezvous mission, capable to overcome the limitations of the flyby missions that took place at that time. In the second part, we describe an example of a rendezvous trajectory that can be carried out with existing power and propulsion technologies. The transfer is made possible by the gravitational assistance of a giant planet. The resulting mission will be capable to reach the comet beyond the distance of Saturn, when the sublimation of super-volatile species will be ongoing, and well before the onset of the sublimation of water (4 AU). After rendezvous, the spacecraft will accompany the comet for several years before, around and after perihelion (July 2061). Our concept mission does not foresee the implementation of solar panels. In this way, operations can occur even inside the dense dust coma at short distance from the nucleus. In the third part of the paper, an innovative imaging system is proposed, with a very large field of view (100{\deg}) capable to record on the same frame details on the surface and the surrounding space, in order to follow for several degrees the trajectories of chunks and clouds ejected by pits or fractures, crucial to the understanding of the cometary activity. A concerted effort is needed in the current decade to plan and approve a rendezvous mission to 1P. Indeed, the scenario here described requires launching before 2040, less than 15 years from now. Later launches imply a severe loss of scientific knowledge, because the spacecraft will not be able to reach the comet before the onset of water sublimation.
☆ Reinforcement Learning for Adaptive Time-Stepping in the Chaotic Gravitational Three-Body Problem
Many problems in astrophysics cover multiple orders of magnitude in spatial and temporal scales. While simulating systems that experience rapid changes in these conditions, it is essential to adapt the (time-) step size to capture the behavior of the system during those rapid changes and use a less accurate time step at other, less demanding, moments. We encounter three problems with traditional methods. Firstly, making such changes requires expert knowledge of the astrophysics as well as of the details of the numerical implementation. Secondly, some parameters that determine the time-step size are fixed throughout the simulation, which means that they do not adapt to the rapidly changing conditions of the problem. Lastly, we would like the choice of time-step size to balance accuracy and computation effort. We address these challenges with Reinforcement Learning by training it to select the time-step size dynamically. We use the integration of a system of three equal-mass bodies that move due to their mutual gravity as an example of its application. With our method, the selected integration parameter adapts to the specific requirements of the problem, both in terms of computation time and accuracy while eliminating the expert knowledge needed to set up these simulations. Our method produces results competitive to existing methods and improve the results found with the most commonly-used values of time-step parameter. This method can be applied to other integrators without further retraining. We show that this extrapolation works for variable time-step integrators but does not perform to the desired accuracy for fixed time-step integrators.
comment: 27 pages, 14 figures. Accepted for publication in Communications in Nonlinear Science and Numerical Simulation
☆ Electron-induced chemistry and sputtering of volatile species from amorphous and crystalline water ice
Electron irradiation of water-rich ices plays a significant role in initiating the chemical and physical processes on the surface of airless icy bodies in radiation environments such as Europa and Enceladus, as well as on the Moon, comets, and asteroids interacting with the solar wind. The sputtering process by electrons and ions leads to chemical modification and outgassing of their icy surfaces and the subsequent formation of a tenuous atmosphere. Though electron-sputtering yields are known to be lower compared to ion-sputtering yields, one needs to also account for their differential fluxes. In our experiments, the electron-induced sputtering yields of all the gaseous species H2, O, OH, H2O, and O2 are investigated for electron energies lower than 2 keV in terms of partial pressure vs. time of irradiation. The effective averaged change in partial pressure of the desorbed species is converted to the number of sputtered atoms or molecules per second per cm2 from the ice, and then to the sputtering yields (number of species sputtered per electron). Our data agrees well with the previously reported data for the sputtering of O2 and H2O yield for the amorphous ice. We also find that crystalline ice shows significantly lower sputtering yields when compared to amorphous ice, in agreement with the observation of similar trends in the literature. Our work indicates that sputtering yields per keV of O, OH, O2, and H2O drop with increasing electron energy from 0.5 keV to 2 keV.
☆ The Sliding Flux Ramp Demodulation Algorithm with High Sampling Rate in Microwave SQUID Multiplexer
Microwave SQUID Multiplexing (uMUX) is a widely used technique in the low temperature detectors community as it offers high capacity of reading out large scale Transition-Edge Sensor (TES) arrays. In this paper, we propose a Sliding Flux Ramp Demodulation (SFRD) algorithm for uMUX readout system. It can achieve a sampling rate in the order of MHz while maintaining a multiplexing ratio about one thousand. Advancing of this large array readout technique makes it possible to observe scientiffc objects with improved time resolution and event count rate. This will be highly helpful for TES calorimeters in X-ray applications, such as X-ray astrophysics missions.
comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, published on Experimental Astronomy
☆ A Python Toolkit for Plotting Double Star Observations with 1:1 Aspect Ratio
Accurate visualization of double star astrometric data is essential for effective analysis and interpretation. This article presents a Python toolkit designed for astronomers who need to plot measurements from diverse sources -- historical, Gaia DR3, and the Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) network -- while maintaining a 1:1 aspect ratio to avoid visually distorting the data. The toolkit is composed of three scripts: one that handles polar coordinates (P.A., separation), one for Cartesian (X, Y) coordinates, and another with the option to include predicted theoretical points. This paper describes the purpose, functionality, and usage of these scripts, including example figures, installation guides, and licensing information. This toolkit has been used by the author and collaborators in published and submitted research on double star systems, demonstrating its versatility for both professional and student-driven investigations.
comment: 7 pages, 1 figure
☆ Astrometry, orbit determination, and thermal inertia of the Tianwen-2 target asteroid (469219) Kamo`oalewa
Context. (469219) Kamo`oalewa is a small near-Earth asteroid, which is currently a quasi-satellite of the Earth. Lightcurve measurements also reveal a rotation period of only about 30 minutes. This asteroid has been selected as the target of the Tianwen-2 sample-return mission of the China National Space Administration. Aims. The first goal of this paper is to observe and improve the orbit determination of (469219) Kamo`oalewa, and better determine the Yarkovsky effect acting on it. The second goal is to estimate the thermal inertia of the asteroid, taking advantage of an improved Yarkovsky effect determination. Methods. Our observational campaign imaged the asteroid from the Loiano Astronomical Station and from the Calar Alto Observatory, in March 2024. We also accurately re-measured a precovery detection from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey from 2004. New astrometry was later used in a 7-dimensional orbit determination, aimed at estimating both the orbital elements and the Yarkovsky effect. Thermal inertia is later studied by using the ASTERIA, a new method that is suitable to estimate thermal inertia of small asteroids. Results. We detected a semi-major axis drift of $(-67.35 \pm 4.70) \times 10^{-4}$ au My$^{-1}$ due to the Yarkovsky effect, with a high signal-to-noise ratio of 14. The new orbit solution also significantly reduced the position uncertainty for the arrival of the Tianwen-2 spacecraft. By using different models for the physical parameters of Kamo`oalewa, the ASTERIA model estimated the thermal inertia at $\Gamma = 150^{+90}_{-45}$ J m$^{-2}$ K$^{-1}$ s$^{-1/2}$ or $\Gamma = 181^{+95}_{-60}$ J m$^{-2}$ K$^{-1}$ s$^{-1/2}$.
comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics
☆ NGC 3259: A Signal for an Untapped Population of Slowly Accreting Intermediate-Mass Black Holes
Low-mass active galactic nuclei (AGNs) can provide important constraints on the formation and evolution of supermassive black holes (SMBHs), a central challenge in modern cosmology. To date only small samples of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs, $M_{BH}<10^5M_{\odot}$) and 'lesser' supermassive black holes (LSMBHs, $M_{BH}<10^6M_{\odot}$) have been identified. Our present study of NGC 3259 at D=27 Mpc with the Binospec integral field unit spectrograph complemented with Keck Echelle Spectrograph and Imager observations demonstrates the need for and the power of the spectroscopic follow-up. NGC 3259 hosts a black hole with a mass of $M_{BH}=(1.7-4.1)\times10^5M_{\odot}$, inferred from multi-epoch spectroscopic data, that accretes at 1% of the Eddington limit as suggested by the analysis of archival XMM-Newton observations. It is the second nearest low-mass AGN after the archetypal galaxy NGC 4395. The spectroscopic data reveals a variable broad $H\alpha$ profile that is likely the result of asymmetrically distributed broad-line region (BLR) clouds or BLR outflow events. X-ray observations and the absence of an optical power-law continuum suggest partial obscuration of the accretion disk and hot corona by a dust torus. We estimate that the Sloan Digital Sky Survey could only detect similar objects to D=35 Mpc. A detailed photometric analysis of NGC 3259 using HST images provides a central spheroid stellar mass estimate 25 times lower than expected from the $M_{BH}-M^*_{sph}$ relation, making this galaxy a strong outlier. This discrepancy suggests divergent growth pathways for the central black hole and spheroid, potentially influenced by the presence of a bar in the galaxy. Finally, we demonstrate that the DESI and 4MOST surveys will detect low-accretion rate IMBHs and LSMBHs and the sensitivity of future X-ray instruments (such as AXIS and Athena) will secure their classification.
comment: Submitted to A&A; 16 pages, 12 figures
♻ ☆ Bayesian distances for quantifying tensions in cosmological inference and the surprise statistic
Tensions between cosmological parameters derived through different channels can be a genuine signature of new physics that $\Lambda$CDM as the standard model is not able to reproduce, in particular in the missing consistency between parameter estimates from measurements the early and late Universe. Or, they could be caused by yet to be understood systematics in the measurements as a more mundane explanation. Commonly, cosmological tensions are stated in terms of mismatches of the posterior parameter distributions, often assuming Gaussian statistics. More importantly, though, would be a quantification if two data sets are consistent to each other before combining them into a joint measurement, ideally isolating hints at individual data points that have a strong influence in generating the tension. For this purpose, we start with statistical divergences applied to posterior distributions following from different data sets and develop the theory of a Fisher metric between two data sets, in analogy to the Fisher metric for different parameter choices. As a topical example, we consider the tension in the Hubble-Lema\^itre constant $H_0$ from supernova and measurements of the cosmic microwave background, derive a ranking of data points in order of their influence on the tension on $H_0$. For this particular example, we compute Bayesian distance measures and show that in the light of CMB data, supernovae are commonly too bright, whereas the low-$\ell$ CMB spectrum is too high, in agreement with intuition about the parameter sensitivity.
comment: 11 pages, 6 figures
♻ ☆ Light Streak Photometry and Streaktools
The accuracy of photometric calibration has gradually become a limiting factor in various fields of astronomy, limiting the scientific output of a host of research. Calibration using artificial light sources in low Earth orbit remains largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that photometric calibration using light sources in low Earth orbit is a viable and competitive alternative/complement to current calibration techniques, and explore the associated ideas and basic theory. We present the publicly available Python code Streaktools as a means to simulate and perform photometric calibration using real and simulated light streaks. Using Streaktools, we perform "pill" aperture photometry on 131 simulated streaks, and Markov chain Monte Carlo based point-spread-function (PSF) model-fitting photometry on 425 simulated streaks in an attempt to recover the magnitude zeropoint of a real exposure of the Dark Energy Camera instrument on the Blanco 4 m telescope. Our results show that calibration using pill photometry is too inaccurate to be useful, but that PSF photometry is able to produce unbiased and accurate (1{\sigma} error = 3.4 mmag) estimates of the zeropoint of a real image in a realistic scenario, with a reasonable light source. This demonstrates that light-streak photometry is a promising alternative and complement to established techniques, which should be explored and tested further.
comment: Published in AJ, 18 Feb 2025
♻ ☆ ExoMiner++ on TESS with Transfer Learning from Kepler: Transit Classification and Vetting Catalog for 2-min Data
We present ExoMiner++, an enhanced deep learning model that builds on the success of ExoMiner to improve transit signal classification in 2-minute TESS data. ExoMiner++ incorporates additional diagnostic inputs, including periodogram, flux trend, difference image, unfolded flux, and spacecraft attitude control data, all of which are crucial for effectively distinguishing transit signals from more challenging sources of false positives. To further enhance performance, we leverage transfer learning from high-quality labeled data from the Kepler space telescope, mitigating the impact of TESS's noisier and more ambiguous labels. ExoMiner++ achieves high accuracy across various classification and ranking metrics, significantly narrowing the search space for follow-up investigations to confirm new planets. To serve the exoplanet community, we introduce new TESS catalogs containing ExoMiner++ classifications and confidence scores for each transit signal. Among the 147,568 unlabeled TCEs, ExoMiner++ identifies 7,330 as planet candidates, with the remainder classified as false positives. These 7,330 planet candidates correspond to 1,868 existing TESS Objects of Interest (TOIs), 69 Community TESS Objects of Interest (CTOIs), and 50 newly introduced CTOIs. 1,797 out of the 2,506 TOIs previously labeled as planet candidates in ExoFOP are classified as planet candidates by ExoMiner++. This reduction in plausible candidates combined with the excellent ranking quality of ExoMiner++ allows the follow-up efforts to be focused on the most likely candidates, increasing the overall planet yield.
♻ ☆ Physics of radio antennas
Radio antennas are widely used in the field of particle astrophysics in searches for ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECR) and neutrinos (UHEN). It is therefore necessary to properly describe the physics of their response. In this article, we summarize the mathematics underlying parameterizations of radio antennas. As a paradigm, we focus on a half-wave dipole and also discuss measurements of characteristics, performed in an electromagnetic (EM) anechoic chamber.
comment: 22 pages, 9 figures (Accepted in EPJ-ST)
♻ ☆ Enhancing Peer Review in Astronomy: A Machine Learning and Optimization Approach to Reviewer Assignments for ALMA SP
The increasing volume of papers and proposals that undergo peer review emphasizes the pressing need for greater automation to effectively manage the growing scale. In this study, we present the deployment and evaluation of machine learning and optimization techniques to assign proposals to reviewers that were developed for the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) during the Cycle 10 Call for Proposals issued in 2023. Using topic modeling algorithms, we identify the proposal topics and assess reviewers' expertise based on their previous ALMA proposal submissions. We then apply an adapted version of the assignment optimization algorithm from PeerReview4All (Stelmakh et al. 2021) to maximize the alignment between proposal topics and reviewer expertise. Our evaluation shows a significant improvement in matching reviewer expertise: the median similarity score between the proposal topic and reviewer expertise increased by 51 percentage points compared to the previous cycle, and the percentage of reviewers reporting expertise in their assigned proposals rose by 20 percentage points. Furthermore, the assignment process proved highly effective in that no proposals required reassignment due to significant mismatches, resulting in a savings of 3 to 5 days of manual effort.
comment: 16 pages, 5 figures, revised version accepted by PASP
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 38
☆ New gravitational wave probe of vector dark matter
The longitudinal components of massive vector fields generated during inflation constitute a well-motivated dark matter candidate, with interesting phenomenological implications. During the epoch of radiation domination following inflation, their spectrum exhibits a peak at small scales, whose amplitude and position are governed by the parameters of the dark matter model. We calculate the stochastic gravitational wave spectrum induced at second order in fluctuations by such a longitudinal vector peak. We demonstrate that the amplitude of the gravitational wave spectrum can, in principle, reach significant values at nano-Hertz frequencies or lower. This result suggests a novel gravitational wave probe to test inflationary vector dark matter scenarios, independent from assumptions on the coupling of dark vectors to the Standard Model. Additionally, we derive new analytical formulas for the longitudinal vector transfer functions during radiation domination, offering a valuable tool for characterising the convolution integrals that govern the properties of the induced gravitational waves.
comment: 24 pages, 4 figures
☆ The cosmological Mass Varying Neutrino model in the late universe
The cosmological Mass Varying Neutrino model beyond the standard $\Lambda$CDM scenario is considered. The interaction of the fermionic field and the scalar field with the inverse power law Ratra-Peebles potential via the Yukawa coupling is studied in detail. Depending on the model parameter $\alpha$ of the Ratra-Peebles potential of the scalar field, the expansion rate of the universe, the mass equation, the mass of the scalar field, the sum of neutrino masses, the mutual influence of the sum of neutrino masses and the value of the scalar field Ratra-Peebles potential as well as the total density of the thermodynamic potential of the coupled fermionic and scalar fields at the critical point are explored. The values of the sum of neutrino masses $m_\nu(a_0)\leq0.07~{\rm eV}$ calculated for values of the model parameter $\alpha$ of the Ratra-Peebles potential $0<\alpha\leq0.016$ are consistent with the constraint $m_\nu(a_0)<0.071~{\rm eV}$ of the cosmological DESI measurements, while the values $m_\nu(a_0)\leq0.45~{\rm eV}$ for $0<\alpha\leq0.143$ are consistent with the upper limit $m_\nu(a_0)<0.45~{\rm eV}$ obtained in the KATRIN experiment.
comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, 1 table
☆ QZO: A Catalog of 5 Million Quasars from the Zwicky Transient Facility
Machine learning methods are well established in the classification of quasars (QSOs). However, the advent of light curve observations adds a great amount of complexity to the problem. Our goal is to use the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) to create a catalog of QSOs. We process the ZTF DR20 light curves with a transformer artificial neural network and combine the Pan-STARRS (PS), AllWISE, and Gaia surveys with extreme gradient boosting. Using ZTF g-band data with at least 100 observational epochs per light curve, we obtain 97% F1 score for QSOs. We find that with 3 day median cadence, a survey time span of at least 900 days is required to achieve 90% QSO F1 score. However, one can obtain the same score with a survey time span of 1800 days and the median cadence prolonged to 12 days. We find that ZTF classification is superior to the PS static bands, and on par with WISE and Gaia measurements. Additionally, we find that the light curves provide the most important features for QSO classification in the ZTF dataset. We robustly classify objects fainter than the $5\sigma$ SNR limit at $g=20.8$ by requiring $g < \mathrm{n_{obs}} / 80 + 20.375$. For this sample, we run inference with added WISE observations, and find 4,849,574 objects classified as QSOs. For 33% of QZO objects, with available WISE data, we publish redshifts with estimated error $\Delta z/(1 + z) = 0.14$.
comment: We will release the catalog upon acceptance in a journal. The code is available at https://github.com/snakoneczny/ztf-agn
☆ More accurate slow-roll approximations for inflation in scalar-tensor theories
We propose new versions of the slow-roll approximation for inflationary models with nonminimally coupled scalar fields. We derive more precise expressions for the standard slow-roll parameters as functions of the scalar field. To verify the accuracy of the proposed approximations, we consider inflationary models with the induced gravity term and the fourth-order monomial potential. For specific values of the model parameters, this model is the well-known Higgs-driven inflationary model. We investigate the inflationary dynamics in the Jordan frame and come to the conclusion that the proposed versions of the slow-roll approximation are not only more accurate at the end of inflation, but also give essentially more precise estimations for the tensor-to-scalar ratio $r$ and of the amplitude of scalar perturbations $A_s$.
comment: 24 pages, 10 figures
☆ Equivalence of Dark Energy Models: A Theoretical and Bayesian Perspective
We explore the background equivalence among three dark energy models by constructing explicit mappings between dynamical dark energy (DDE), interacting dark energy (IDE), and running vacuum (RV). In our approach, the dark sector functions that characterize each model-such as the equation of state parameter $\bar{w}(a)$ for DDE, the interaction term $Q$ for IDE, and the functional form $\Lambda(H)$ for RV-are transformed into one another under specific assumptions. Extending previous work by von Marttens et al., we demonstrate that running vacuum models, characterized by $\Lambda(H) = a_0 + a_1 \dot{H} + a_2 H^2$, can be reinterpreted as an interacting dark energy model with $Q = 3H\gamma \hat{\rho}_c$, which in turn is equivalent to a dynamic dark energy model with an appropriately defined $\bar{w}(a)$. Using Bayesian analysis with Type Ia supernovae, Baryon Acoustic Oscillations, and Cosmic Chronometers, our observational constraints confirm that these theoretical equivalences hold at the background level. This study underscores the importance of seeking convergence in dark energy models, facilitating a better understanding of the dark sector.
☆ Selection Function of Clusters in Dark Energy Survey Year 3 Data from Cross-Matching with South Pole Telescope Detections
Galaxy clusters selected based on overdensities of galaxies in photometric surveys provide the largest cluster samples. Yet modeling the selection function of such samples is complicated by non-cluster members projected along the line of sight (projection effects) and the potential detection of unvirialized objects (contamination). We empirically constrain the magnitude of these effects by cross-matching galaxy clusters selected in the Dark Energy survey data with the \rdmpr$\,$ algorithm with significant detections in three South Pole Telescope surveys (SZ, pol-ECS, pol-500d). For matched clusters, we augment the \rdmpr$\,$catalog by the SPT detection significance. For unmatched objects we use the SPT detection threshold as an upper limit on the SZe signature. Using a Bayesian population model applied to the collected multi-wavelength data, we explore various physically motivated models to describe the relationship between observed richness and halo mass. Our analysis reveals the limitations of a simple lognormal scatter model in describing the data. We rule out significant contamination by unvirialized objects at the high-richness end of the sample. While dedicated simulations offer a well-fitting calibration of projection effects, our findings suggest the presence of redshift-dependent trends that these simulations may not have captured. Our findings highlight that modeling the selection function of optically detected clusters remains a complicated challenge, requiring a combination of simulation and data-driven approaches.
comment: 19 pages, 11 figures, submitted to A&A
☆ Does dark matter fall in the same way as standard model particles? A direct constraint of Euler's equation with cosmological data
Since dark matter particles have never been directly detected, we do not know how they move, and in particular we do not know how they fall inside gravitational potential wells. Usually it is assumed that dark matter only interacts gravitationally with itself and with particles of the standard model, and therefore that its motion is governed by Euler's equation. In this paper, we test this assumption for the first time at cosmological scales, by combining measurements of galaxy velocities with measurements of gravitational potential wells, encoded in the Weyl potential. We find that current data are consistent with Euler's equation at redshifts $z\in [0.3,0.8]$, and we place constraints on the strength of a potential fifth force, which would alter the way dark matter particles fall. We find that a positive fifth force cannot exceed 7% of the gravitational interaction strength, while a negative fifth force is limited to 21%. The coming generation of surveys, including the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) will drastically improve the constraints, allowing to constrain a departure from pure gravitational interaction at the level of 2%.
comment: 11 pages, 4 figures
☆ Detecting stochastic gravitational wave background from cosmic strings with next-generation detector networks: Component separation based on a multi-source astrophysical foreground noise model
Detecting stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) from cosmic strings is crucial for unveiling the evolutionary laws of the early universe and validating non-standard cosmological models. This study presents the first systematic evaluation of the detection capabilities of next-generation ground-based gravitational wave detector networks for cosmic strings. By constructing a hybrid signal model incorporating multi-source astrophysical foreground noise, including compact binary coalescences (CBCs) and compact binary hyperbolic encounters (CBHEs), we propose an innovative parameter estimation methodology based on multi-component signal separation. Numerical simulations using one-year observational data reveal three key findings: (1) The CE4020ET network, comprising the Einstein Telescope (ET-10 km) and the Cosmic Explorer (CE-40 km and CE-20 km), achieves nearly one order of magnitude improvement in constraining the cosmic string tension $G\mu$ compared to individual detectors, reaching a relative uncertainty $\Delta G\mu / G\mu < 0.5$ for $G\mu > 3.5 \times 10^{-15}$ under standard cosmological framework; (2) The network demonstrates enhanced parameter resolution in non-standard cosmological scenarios, providing a novel approach to probe pre-Big Bang Nucleosynthesis cosmic evolution; (3) Enhanced detector sensitivity amplifies CBHE foreground interference in parameter estimation, while precise modeling of such signals could further refine $G\mu$ constraints by $1-2$ orders of magnitude. This research not only quantifies the detection potential of third-generation detector networks for cosmic string models but also elucidates the intrinsic connection between foreground modeling precision and cosmological parameter estimation accuracy, offering theoretical foundations for optimizing scientific objectives of next-generation gravitational wave observatories.
comment: 15 pages, 9 figures
☆ Intermediate Coupling Regime in Dilatonic $f(R,T)$ Inflationary Universe
In the present work we study cosmology in dilatonic $f(R,T)$ gravity to address the inflationary phase of the early Universe. As usual, in dilatonic gravity the scalar potential assumes the exponential form. However, this potential is not good enough to be in accord with the Planck 2018 data. More strikingly, the generalized $\beta$-exponential cannot take this into account either. It is just the presence of the dilatonic sector, in the intermediate coupling regime, that can help the theory to be in full accord with the observational data.
comment: 18 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables, Published in the Universe
☆ The Preference for Evolving Dark Energy from Cosmological Distance Measurements and Possible Signatures in the Growth Rate of Perturbations
In this study, we use a flexible parametrization of the equation of state of dark energy to explore its possible evolution with datasets from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), Planck cosmic microwave background, and either the 5-year Dark Energy Survey (DES) or the Pantheon+ (PP) supernova (SN) compilation. This parametrization, called transitional dark energy, allows for rapid changes in the equation of state but also changes like that in the Chevallier-Polarski-Linder parametrization. We find a 3.8{\sigma} preference for evolving dark energy over {\Lambda}CDM with the DES dataset and a weaker 2.4{\sigma} preference when using the PP dataset. This corroborates the finding of the DESI Collaboration, who found that their baryon acoustic oscillation data preferred evolving dark energy when fit with the CPL parametrization of the equation of state. Our analysis reveals no significant outliers in the DESI data around the TDE best-fit, while the data is asymmetrically distributed around the {\Lambda}CDM best-fit model such that the measured distances are on average smaller. The DESI and SN data both prefer an expansion history that implies a higher dark energy density around z=0.5 than in the Planck-{\Lambda}CDM model, with the inferred equation of state being greater than -1 around z=0 and close to or below -1 at z>0.5. We show that when the expansion rate is greater than that in the Planck-{\Lambda}CDM model (around z=0.5), the growth rate calculated assuming General Relativity is suppressed relative to the Planck-{\Lambda}CDM model, and it rebounds as the expansion rate differences between the models become smaller closer to the present time. The resulting flattening of the $f\sigma_8(z)$ curve compared to the {\Lambda}CDM model could be an independent signature of the temporal evolution of dark energy.
☆ Where to search for supermassive binary black holes
Supermassive binary black holes (SMBBHs) are the anticipated byproducts of galaxy mergers and play a pivotal role in shaping galaxy evolution, gravitational wave emissions, and accretion physics. Despite their theoretical prevalence, direct observational evidence for SMBBHs remains elusive, with only a handful of candidates identified to date. This paper explores optimal strategies and key environments for locating SMBBHs, focusing on observational signatures in the broad Balmer lines. We present a preliminary analysis on a flux-limited sample of sources belonging to an evolved spectral type along the quasar main sequence, and we discuss the spectroscopic clues indicative of binary activity and highlight the critical role of time-domain spectroscopic surveys in uncovering periodic variability linked to binary systems.
comment: 19 pages, 4 figures, to appears in Universe, special issue Feature Papers 2024 - Compact Objects
☆ Constraining circular polarization of high-frequency gravitational waves with CMB
Circular polarization in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) offers a promising probe of the parity-violating physics of the early universe. In this paper, we propose a novel method to constrain the primordial circular polarization of high-frequency gravitational waves (GW) in the GHz range. An efficient conversion of gravitons to photons in a transverse cosmological magnetic field at the epoch of last scattering can generate excess chiral photons if the GW background is chiral in nature. This excess radiation distorts the CMB thermal black-body spectrum, which can be estimated by measuring the V-Stokes parameter in the CMB polarization. Using current upper limits on the angular power spectrum of circular polarization $C_l^{VV}$ from the CLASS, MIPOL, and SPIDER experiments, we obtain the most stringent constraints on the characteristic strain and circular polarization of the isotropic background of stochastic GWs at ${40\,\rm GHz}$ and ${150\,\rm GHz}$, respectively. Our work, therefore, provides an interesting possibility to constrain the circular polarization of high-frequency GWs using the V-mode polarization measurements of CMB.
comment: 7 pages, 1 figure
☆ Late-time cosmic acceleration from quantum gravity
We deepen the analysis of the cosmological acceleration produced by quantum gravity dynamics in the formalism of group field theory condensate cosmology, treated at the coarse-grained level via a phenomenological model, in the language of hydrodynamics on minisuperspace. Specifically, we conduct a detailed analysis of the late-time evolution, which shows a phantom-like phase followed by an asymptotic De Sitter expansion. We argue that the model indicates a recent occurrence of the phantom crossing and we extract a more precise expression for the effective cosmological constant, linking its value to other parameters in the model and to the scale of the quantum bounce in the early universe evolution. Additionally, we show how the phantom phase produced by our quantum gravity dynamics increases the inferred value of the current Hubble parameter based on observed data, indicating a possible quantum gravity mechanism for alleviating the Hubble tension. Our results represent a concrete example of how quantum gravity can provide an explanation for large-scale cosmological puzzles, in an emergent spacetime scenario.
comment: 40 pages, 5 figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:2105.03751
☆ Primordial black holes
The possibility that dark matter could be primordial black holes is discussed with an emphasis on the most commonly studied inflationary dynamics that could have produced them.
comment: 8 pages. Contribution to the Proceedings of the 35th Rencontres de Blois 2024
☆ On the Impacts of Halo Model Implementations in Sunyaev-Zeldovich Cross-Correlation Analyses
Statistical studies of the circumgalactic medium (CGM) using Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) observations offer a promising method of studying the gas properties of galaxies and the astrophysics that govern their evolution. Forward modeling profiles from theory and simulations allows them to be refined directly off of data, but there are currently significant differences between the thermal SZ (tSZ) observations of the CGM and the predicted tSZ signal. While these discrepancies could be inherent, they could also be the result of decisions in the forward modeling used to build statistical measures off of theory. In order to see effects of this, we compare an analysis utilizing halo occupancy distributions (HODs) implemented in halo models to simulate the galaxy distribution against a previous studies which weighted their results off of the CMASS galaxy sample, which contains nearly one million galaxies, mainly centrals of group sized halos, selected for relatively uniform stellar mass across redshifts between $0.4
comment: 14 pages, 5 figures
☆ Learning the Universe: $3\ h^{-1}{\rm Gpc}$ Tests of a Field Level $N$-body Simulation Emulator
We apply and test a field-level emulator for non-linear cosmic structure formation in a volume matching next-generation surveys. Inferring the cosmological parameters and initial conditions from which the particular galaxy distribution of our Universe was seeded can be achieved by comparing simulated data to observational data. Previous work has focused on building accelerated forward models that efficiently mimic these simulations. One of these accelerated forward models uses machine learning to apply a non-linear correction to the linear $z=0$ Zeldovich approximation (ZA) fields, closely matching the cosmological statistics in the $N$-body simulation. This emulator was trained and tested at $(h^{-1}{\rm Gpc})^3$ volumes, although cosmological inference requires significantly larger volumes. We test this emulator at $(3\ h^{-1}{\rm Gpc})^3$ by comparing emulator outputs to $N$-body simulations for eight unique cosmologies. We consider several summary statistics, applied to both the raw particle fields and the dark matter (DM) haloes. We find that the power spectrum, bispectrum and wavelet statistics of the raw particle fields agree with the $N$-body simulations within ${\sim} 5 \%$ at most scales. For the haloes, we find a similar agreement between the emulator and the $N$-body for power spectrum and bispectrum, though a comparison of the stacked profiles of haloes shows that the emulator has slight errors in the positions of particles in the highly non-linear interior of the halo. At these large $(3\ h^{-1}{\rm Gpc})^3$ volumes, the emulator can create $z=0$ particle fields in a thousandth of the time required for $N$-body simulations and will be a useful tool for large-scale cosmological inference. This is a Learning the Universe publication.
comment: 9 pages, 7 figures. This is a Learning the Universe publication
☆ Learning the Universe: Learning to Optimize Cosmic Initial Conditions with Non-Differentiable Structure Formation Models
Making the most of next-generation galaxy clustering surveys requires overcoming challenges in complex, non-linear modelling to access the significant amount of information at smaller cosmological scales. Field-level inference has provided a unique opportunity beyond summary statistics to use all of the information of the galaxy distribution. However, addressing current challenges often necessitates numerical modelling that incorporates non-differentiable components, hindering the use of efficient gradient-based inference methods. In this paper, we introduce Learning the Universe by Learning to Optimize (LULO), a gradient-free framework for reconstructing the 3D cosmic initial conditions. Our approach advances deep learning to train an optimization algorithm capable of fitting state-of-the-art non-differentiable simulators to data at the field level. Importantly, the neural optimizer solely acts as a search engine in an iterative scheme, always maintaining full physics simulations in the loop, ensuring scalability and reliability. We demonstrate the method by accurately reconstructing initial conditions from $M_{200\mathrm{c}}$ halos identified in a dark matter-only $N$-body simulation with a spherical overdensity algorithm. The derived dark matter and halo overdensity fields exhibit $\geq80\%$ cross-correlation with the ground truth into the non-linear regime $k \sim 1h$ Mpc$^{-1}$. Additional cosmological tests reveal accurate recovery of the power spectra, bispectra, halo mass function, and velocities. With this work, we demonstrate a promising path forward to non-linear field-level inference surpassing the requirement of a differentiable physics model.
comment: 18 pages, 13 figures
☆ Towards Robustness Across Cosmological Simulation Models TNG, SIMBA, ASTRID, and EAGLE
The rapid advancement of large-scale cosmological simulations has opened new avenues for cosmological and astrophysical research. However, the increasing diversity among cosmological simulation models presents a challenge to the robustness. In this work, we develop the Model-Insensitive ESTimator (MIEST), a machine that can robustly estimate the cosmological parameters, $\Omega_m$ and $\sigma_8$, from neural hydrogen maps of simulation models in the CAMELS project$-$TNG, SIMBA, ASTRID, and EAGLE. An estimator is considered robust if it possesses a consistent predictive power across all simulations, including those used during the training phase. We train our machine using multiple simulation models and ensure that it only extracts common features between the models while disregarding the model-specific features. This allows us to develop a novel model that is capable of accurately estimating parameters across a range of simulation models, without being biased towards any particular model. Upon the investigation of the latent space$-$a set of summary statistics, we find that the implementation of robustness leads to the blending of latent variables across different models, demonstrating the removal of model-specific features. In comparison to a standard machine lacking robustness, the average performance of MIEST on the unseen simulations during the training phase has been improved by $\sim17$% for $\Omega_m$ and $\sim 38$% for $\sigma_8$. By using a machine learning approach that can extract robust, yet physical features, we hope to improve our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution in a (subgrid) model-insensitive manner, and ultimately, gain insight into the underlying physical processes responsible for robustness. This is a Learning the Universe publication.
comment: This is a Learning the Universe publication. 26 pages, 11 figures
☆ Learning the Universe: physically-motivated priors for dust attenuation curves
Understanding the impact of dust on the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of galaxies is crucial for inferring their physical properties and for studying the nature of interstellar dust. We analyze dust attenuation curves for $\sim 6400$ galaxies ($M_{\star} \sim 10^9 - 10^{11.5}\,M_{\odot}$) at $z=0.07$ in the IllustrisTNG50 and TNG100 simulations. Using radiative transfer post-processing, we generate synthetic attenuation curves and fit them with a parametric model that captures known extinction and attenuation laws (e.g., Calzetti, MW, SMC, LMC) and more exotic forms. We present the distributions of the best-fitting parameters: UV slope ($c_1$), optical-to-NIR slope ($c_2$), FUV slope ($c_3$), 2175 Angstrom bump strength ($c_4$), and normalization ($A_{\rm V}$). Key correlations emerge between $A_{\rm V}$ and the star formation rate surface density $\Sigma_{\rm SFR}$, as well as the UV slope $c_1$. The UV and FUV slopes ($c_1, c_3$) and the bump strength and visual attenuation ($c_4, A_{\rm V}$) exhibit robust internal correlations. Using these insights from simulations, we provide a set of scaling relations that predict a galaxy's median (averaged over line of sight) dust attenuation curve based solely on its $\Sigma_{\rm SFR}$ and/or $A_{\rm V}$. These predictions agree well with observed attenuation curves from the GALEX-SDSS-WISE Legacy Catalog despite minor differences in bump strength. This study delivers the most comprehensive library of synthetic attenuation curves for local galaxies, providing a foundation for physically motivated priors in SED fitting and galaxy inference studies, such as those performed as part of the Learning the Universe Collaboration.
comment: 30 pages, 12 figures, submitted to Apj; This is a Learning the Universe publication
☆ Accretion onto supermassive and intermediate mass black holes in cosmological simulations
Accretion is the dominant contribution to the cosmic massive black hole density in the Universe today. Yet, modelling it in cosmological simulations is challenging due to the dynamic range involved, as well as the theoretical uncertainties of the underlying mechanisms driving accretion from galactic to black hole horizon scales. We present a simple, flexible parametrization for gas inflows onto massive black holes in order to manage this uncertainty in large-volume cosmological simulations. This is done as part of the "Learning the Universe'' collaboration, which aims to jointly infer the initial conditions and physical processes governing the evolution of the Universe using a Bayesian forward-modelling approach. To allow such a forward-modelling, we update the prescription for accretion with a two-parameter free-fall based inflow estimate that allows for a radius-dependent inflow rate and add a simple model for unresolved accretion disks. We use uniform resolution cosmological hydrodynamical simulations and the IllustrisTNG framework to study the massive black hole population and its dependence on the introduced model parameters. Once the parameters of the accretion formula are chosen to result in a roughly similar redshift zero black hole mass density, the differences caused by the details in the accretion formula are moderate in the supermassive black hole regime, indicating that it is difficult to distinguish between accretion mechanisms based on luminous active galactic nuclei powered by supermassive black holes. Applying the same models to intermediate mass black holes at high redshift, however, reveals significantly different accretion rates in high redshift, moderate luminosity active galactic nuclei and different frequencies and mass distributions of intermediate mass black hole mergers for the same black hole formation model.
comment: 19 pages, 13 figures, submitted to A&A, comments welcome. This is a Learning the Universe publication
☆ Hunting for heavy $Z^\prime$ with IceCube neutrinos and gravitational waves
In the minimal gauged B-L extension of the Standard Model, we demonstrate that PeV-scale dark matter (DM) and the baryon asymmetry of the Universe (BAU) can be simultaneously explained through the three right-handed neutrinos (RHNs) present in the theory. The DM candidate undergoes decay into light neutrinos, providing an explanation for the observed IceCube events, while the other two RHNs generate the BAU via leptogenesis. The breaking of gauge symmetry gives rise to detectable gravitational waves (GWs) from decaying cosmic strings (CS), making this framework testable at several future GW detectors-despite being beyond the reach of conventional collider experiments due to the extremely weak coupling. The symmetry-breaking scale establishes a connection between particle masses, couplings, and the GW spectrum, offering a unified and predictive scenario.
comment: 7 pages+supplemental material (3 pages), 2 figures
♻ ☆ Gravitational waves from supercooled phase transitions in conformal Majoron models of neutrino mass
We study supercooled first-order phase transitions above the QCD scale in a wide class of conformal Majoron-like U(1)' models that explain the totality of active neutrino oscillation data and produce a detectable stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) at LIGO, LISA and ET. We place constraints on the U(1)' breaking scale and gauge coupling using current LIGO-Virgo-Kagra data. We find that strong supercooling can be ruled out in large regions of parameter space if a SGWB is not detected by these experiments. A null signal at LIGO and ET will disfavor a type-I seesaw scale above $10^{14}$ GeV, while a positive signal is a signature of heavy right-handed neutrinos. On the other hand, LISA will be sensitive to seesaw scales as low as a TeV, and could detect a SGWB even if the right-handed neutrinos are decoupled.
comment: 50 pages, 25 figures, 3 tables. Typos corrected
♻ ☆ Constraints on the Pre-Big Bang scenario from a cosmological interpretation of the NANOGrav data
We discuss a recently proposed fit of the 15-year data set obtained from the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) in terms of a relic stochastic background of primordial gravitons, produced in the context of the string cosmology pre-big bang scenario. We show that such interpretation cannot be reconciled with a phenomenologically viable minimal version of such scenario, while it can be allowed if one considers an equally viable but generalised, non-minimal version of pre-big bang evolution. Maintaining the $S$-duality symmetry throughout the high-curvature string phase is possible although somewhat disfavoured. The implications of this non-minimal scenario for the power spectrum of curvature perturbations are also briefly discussed.
comment: 19 pages, 3 figures. Published in JCAP 02 (2025) 039
♻ ☆ Bayesian distances for quantifying tensions in cosmological inference and the surprise statistic
Tensions between cosmological parameters derived through different channels can be a genuine signature of new physics that $\Lambda$CDM as the standard model is not able to reproduce, in particular in the missing consistency between parameter estimates from measurements the early and late Universe. Or, they could be caused by yet to be understood systematics in the measurements as a more mundane explanation. Commonly, cosmological tensions are stated in terms of mismatches of the posterior parameter distributions, often assuming Gaussian statistics. More importantly, though, would be a quantification if two data sets are consistent to each other before combining them into a joint measurement, ideally isolating hints at individual data points that have a strong influence in generating the tension. For this purpose, we start with statistical divergences applied to posterior distributions following from different data sets and develop the theory of a Fisher metric between two data sets, in analogy to the Fisher metric for different parameter choices. As a topical example, we consider the tension in the Hubble-Lema\^itre constant $H_0$ from supernova and measurements of the cosmic microwave background, derive a ranking of data points in order of their influence on the tension on $H_0$. For this particular example, we compute Bayesian distance measures and show that in the light of CMB data, supernovae are commonly too bright, whereas the low-$\ell$ CMB spectrum is too high, in agreement with intuition about the parameter sensitivity.
comment: 11 pages, 6 figures
♻ ☆ Cosmological constraints on mass-varying dark matter
As one of the fundamental unknowns of our Universe, the mass of dark matter remains to be a topic of great interest. We consider the possibility of a time-variation of the dark matter mass. We study the cosmological constraints on a model where the dark matter mass transitions from zero to a finite value in the early Universe. In this model, the matter power spectrum exhibits power suppression below a certain scale that depends on the epoch of transition, and the angular power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background shows a distinctive phase shift and power suppression at small scales. We use the latest cosmic microwave background data and the $S_8$ priors from weak lensing data to place a lower limit on the transition redshift. We also find that the data from the ACT show a mild preference for the mass-varying dark matter model over $\Lambda$CDM.
comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, Additional analysis included with different priors and datasets. Accepted for Publication in Physical Review D
♻ ☆ Bubbletrons: Ultrahigh-Energy Particle Collisions and Heavy Dark Matter at Phase Transitions
We initiate the study of `bubbletrons', by which we mean ultra-high-energy collisions of the particle shells that generically form at the walls of relativistic bubbles in cosmological first-order phase transitions (PT). As an application, we calculate the maximal dark matter mass $M_{DM}$ that bubbletrons can produce in a $U(1)$ gauge PT, finding $M_{DM} \sim 10^5/10^{11}/10^{15}$ GeV for PT scales $v_\phi \sim 10^{-2}/10^3/10^9$ GeV. Bubbletrons realise a novel link between ultra-high-energy phenomena and gravitational waves (GW) sourced at the PT, from nanohertz to megahertz frequencies.
comment: 5 pages plus references, 5 figures. v2: clarifications added, including a comparison with particle production from bubble collisions. Published in PRL
♻ ☆ 2D watershed void clustering for probing the cosmic large-scale structure
Cosmic void has been proven to be an effective cosmological probe of the large-scale structure (LSS). However, since voids are usually identified in spectroscopic galaxy surveys, they are generally limited to low number density and redshift. We propose to utilize the clustering of two-dimensional (2D) voids identified using Voronoi tessellation and watershed algorithm without any shape assumption to explore the LSS. We generate mock galaxy and void catalogs for the next-generation Stage IV photometric surveys in $z = 0.8-2.0$ from simulations, develop the 2D void identification method, and construct the theoretical model to fit the 2D watershed void and galaxy angular power spectra. We find that our method can accurately extract the cosmological information, and the constraint accuracies of some cosmological parameters from the 2D watershed void clustering are even comparable to the galaxy angular clustering case, which can be further improved by as large as $\sim30\%$ in the void and galaxy joint constraints. This indicates that the 2D void clustering is a good complement to galaxy angular clustering measurements, especially for the forthcoming Stage IV surveys that detect high-redshift universe.
comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, 1 table. Accepted for publication in MNRAS
♻ ☆ KiDS-SBI: Simulation-based inference analysis of KiDS-1000 cosmic shear
We present a simulation-based inference (SBI) cosmological analysis of cosmic shear two-point statistics from the fourth weak gravitational lensing data release of the ESO Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS-1000). KiDS-SBI efficiently performs non-Limber projection of the matter power spectrum via Levin's method, and constructs log-normal random matter fields on the curved sky for arbitrary cosmologies, including effective prescriptions for intrinsic alignments and baryonic feedback. The forward model samples realistic galaxy positions and shapes based on the observational characteristics, incorporating shear measurement and redshift calibration uncertainties, as well as angular anisotropies due to variations in depth and point-spread function. To enable direct comparison with standard inference, we limit our analysis to pseudo-angular power spectra. The SBI is based on sequential neural likelihood estimation to infer the posterior distribution of spatially-flat $\Lambda$CDM cosmological parameters from 18,000 realisations. We infer a mean marginal of the growth of structure parameter $S_{8} \equiv \sigma_8 (\Omega_\mathrm{m} / 0.3)^{0.5} = 0.731\pm 0.033$ ($68 \%$). We present a measure of goodness-of-fit for SBI and determine that the forward model fits the data well with a probability-to-exceed of $0.42$. For fixed cosmology, the learnt likelihood is approximately Gaussian, while constraints widen compared to a Gaussian likelihood analysis due to cosmology dependence in the covariance. Neglecting variable depth and anisotropies in the point spread function in the model can cause $S_{8}$ to be overestimated by ${\sim}5\%$. Our results are in agreement with previous analysis of KiDS-1000 and reinforce a $2.9 \sigma$ tension with constraints from cosmic microwave background measurements. This work highlights the importance of forward-modelling systematic effects in upcoming galaxy surveys.
comment: 41 pages, 30 figures. Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics
♻ ☆ A halo model approach for mock catalogs of time-variable strong gravitational lenses SC
Time delays in both galaxy- and cluster-scale strong gravitational lenses have recently attracted a lot of attention in the context of the Hubble tension. Future wide-field cadenced surveys, such as the LSST, are anticipated to discover strong lenses across various scales. We generate mock catalogs of strongly lensed QSOs and SNe on galaxy-, group-, and cluster-scales based on a halo model that incorporates dark matter halos, galaxies, and subhalos. For the upcoming LSST survey, we predict that approximately 3500 lensed QSOs and 200 lensed SNe with resolved multiple images will be discovered. Among these, about 80 lensed QSOs and 10 lensed SNe will have maximum image separations larger than 10 arcsec, which roughly correspond to cluster-scale strong lensing. We find that adopting the Chabrier stellar IMF instead of the fiducial Salpeter IMF reduces the predicted number of strong lenses approximately by half, while the distributions of lens and source redshifts and image separations are not significantly changed. In addition to mock catalogs of multiple-image lens systems, we create mock catalogs of highly magnified systems, including both multiple-image and single-image systems. We find that such highly magnified systems are typically produced by massive galaxies, but non-negligible fraction of them are located in the outskirt of galaxy groups and clusters. Furthermore, we compare subsamples of our mock catalogs with lensed QSO samples constructed from the SDSS and Gaia to find that our mock catalogs with the fiducial Salpeter IMF reproduce the observation quite well. In contrast, our mock catalogs with the Chabrier IMF predict a significantly smaller number of lensed QSOs compared with observations, which adds evidence that the stellar IMF of massive galaxies is Salpeter-like. Our python code SL-Hammocks as well as the mock catalogs are made available online. (abridged)
comment: 26 pages, 20 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in the Open Journal of Astrophysics, the code available at https://github.com/LSSTDESC/SL-Hammocks and the mock catalogs available at https://github.com/LSST-strong-lensing/data_public ; v4: typos in Introduction fixed
♻ ☆ Dark energy and lensing anomaly in Planck CMB data
In this paper, we investigate the impact of the lensing anomaly in Planck cosmic microwave background (CMB) data on the nature of dark energy (DE). We constrain the state equation ($w_0,w_a$) of DE with the lensing scaling parameter $A_L=1$ and varying $A_L$, using the Planck PR3 and two updated Planck PR4 likelihoods, CamSpec and HiLLiPoP respectively, combined with DESI baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) and Pantheon+ supernova data. As expected, when $A_L$ is allowed to vary, the evolving DE is not preferred due to the degeneracy between $w_0,w_a$ and $A_L$. In particular, we also consider replacing DESI BAO data with pre-DESI BAO in our analysis, and observe that DESI BAO appears to exacerbate the lensing anomaly, which is caused by the smaller matter density $\Omega_m$ it prefers, however, this effect can be offset by the shifts in $w_0$ and $w_a$ preferring the evolving DE. Our work indicates that the lensing anomaly in Planck data is worth carefully reconsidering when new cosmological survey data is combined with CMB.
♻ ☆ Can tensor-scalar induced GWs dominate PTA observations ?
Observational constraints on small-scale primordial gravitational waves are considerably weaker than those on large scales. We focus on scenarios with significant primordial gravitational waves and curvature perturbations on small scales, studying the energy density spectrum of the second-order TSIGW. By leveraging current data from CMB, BAO, and PTA, combined with the SNR analysis of LISA, we can investigate how tensor-scalar induced gravitational waves affect observations on various scales, thus constraining the parameter space for primordial gravitational waves and curvature perturbations. The Bayes factor analysis suggests that TSIGW+PGW might be more likely to dominate current PTA observations compared to SMBHB.
comment: Accepted for publication in JCAP on 2025 February 16
♻ ☆ Cosmology with Peculiar Velocity Surveys
Peculiar velocities are the motions of galaxies due to the gravitational influence of large-scale structure, and thus are an important cosmological probe of the underlying matter density field. In recent years the number of surveys designed to measure peculiar velocities has increased, to the point that it is plausible that we will have completely mapped out the peculiar velocity field in the local universe within the next decade. Such an abundance of data will enable us to place precise constraints on the growth rate of large-scale structure which in turn will inform us about the true nature of the laws of gravity and the standard cosmological model. In this chapter, the physics governing the generation of peculiar velocities, the methods of measuring them, and the statistical tools used to extract cosmological information from them are described. It will also cover a swathe of current and future surveys dedicated to collecting peculiar velocities, what their aims are, and what these datasets may mean for the future of cosmological analyses.
comment: 29 pages, 9 figures, 1 table. Updated to more closely match final proof of chapter. Preprint of a chapter for the 'Encyclopedia of Astrophysics' (Editor-in-Chief Ilya Mandel, Section Editor Cullan Howlett) to be published by Elsevier as a Reference Module
♻ ☆ CSST Large Scale Structure Analysis Pipeline: III. Emission-line Redshift Measurement for Slitless Spectra
The China Space Station Telescope (CSST) is a forthcoming space-based optical telescope designed to co-orbit with the Chinese Space Station. With a planned slitless spectroscopic survey spanning a broad wavelength range of $255-1000$nm and an average spectral resolution exceeding 200, the CSST holds significant potential for cosmic large-scale structure analysis. In this study, we focus on redshift determinations from slitless spectra through emission line analysis within the CSST framework. Our tailored redshift measurement process involves identifying emission lines in one-dimensional slitless spectra, aligning observed wavelengths with their rest-frame counterparts from prominent galaxy emissions, and calculating wavelength shifts to determine redshifts accurately. To validate our redshift measurement algorithm, we leverage simulated spectra generated by the CSST emulator for slitless spectroscopy. The outcomes demonstrate a remarkable redshift completeness exceeding 95 per cent for emission line galaxies (ELGs), alongside a purity surpassing 85 per cent. The redshift uncertainty remains impressively below than $\sim 0.001$. Notably, when concentrating on galaxies with more than three matched emission lines, the completeness of ELGs and the purity of measurable galaxies can reach 98 per cent and 97 per cent, respectively. Furthermore, we explore the influence of parameters like magnitude, spectral signal-to-noise ratio, and redshift on redshift completeness and purity. The discussion also delves into redshift degeneracies stemming from emission-line matching confusion. Our developed redshift measurement process will be applied to extensive simulated datasets and forthcoming CSST slitless spectroscopic observations for further cosmological and extragalactic analyses.
♻ ☆ Nuclear Recoil Calibration at Sub-keV Energies in LUX and Its Impact on Dark Matter Search Sensitivity
Dual-phase xenon time projection chamber (TPC) detectors offer heightened sensitivities for dark matter detection across a spectrum of particle masses. To broaden their capability to low-mass dark matter interactions, we investigated the light and charge responses of liquid xenon (LXe) to sub-keV nuclear recoils. Using neutron events from a pulsed Adelphi Deuterium-Deuterium neutron generator, an in situ calibration was conducted on the LUX detector. We demonstrate direct measurements of light and charge yields down to 0.45 keV and 0.27 keV, respectively, both approaching single quanta production, the physical limit of LXe detectors. These results hold significant implications for the future of dual-phase xenon TPCs in detecting low-mass dark matter via nuclear recoils.
♻ ☆ NeutralUniverseMachine: How Filaments and Dark Matter Halo Influence the Galaxy Cold Gas Content
Aims. We aim to investigate the influence of the distance to filaments and dark-matter haloes on galaxy cold-gas content in the empirical model NeutralUniverseMachine (NUM) and the hydrodynamical simulation IllustrisTNG. Methods. We used DisPerSE to identify cosmic web structures and calculate the distance of galaxies to filaments for both observations and models. We show the results of the HI and H2 mass functions, HI- and H2-halo-mass relations, HI- and H2-stellar-mass relations for galaxies in the NUM model and IllustrisTNG with different distances to filaments and compare them with observational measurements. We also show the evolution of HI and H2 mass densities at different distances to filament bins. Results. We find that how filaments affect the HI gas is generally less significant compared to the halo environment. There is a weak trend in the observations at z=0 that low-mass haloes lying closer to the filaments tend to have reduced HI masses. However, this trend reverses for massive haloes with log(Mvir/Msun) > 12.5. This behaviour is accurately reproduced in the NUM model due to the dependence of HI gas on the halo formation time, but it does not appear in IllustrisTNG. The influence of filaments on the HI gas becomes slightly weaker at higher redshifts and is only significant for galaxies that reside in massive haloes in the NUM model. Filaments have almost no impact on the H2-stellar-mass relation in both models, confirming that H2 is primarily determined by the galaxy stellar mass and star formation rate.
comment: Accepted by A&A, 10 pages, 7 figures
♻ ☆ Map-based E/B separation of filtered timestreams using space-based E-mode observations
E to B mixing or "leakage" due to time-ordered data (TOD) filtering has become an important source of sensitivity loss that ground-based cosmic microwave background polarization experiments must address. However, it is a difficult problem for which very few viable solutions exist. In this paper, we expand upon satellite E-mode methods to cover E/B leakage specifically due to TOD filtering. We take a satellite E-mode map and TOD filter it through the ground-based experiment data analysis pipeline, from which we construct a map-space "leakage template" and subtract it from the ground-based experiment map. We evaluate the residual leakage by simulating the satellite E-mode maps with Planck-like and LiteBIRD-like noise levels, and simulate the ground-based experiment with Simons Observatory-like and CMB-S4-like noise levels. The effectiveness of the method is measured in the improvement of the Fisher uncertainty $\sigma(r=0)$. We find that our method can reduce $\sigma(r=0)$ by $\sim15\text{--}75\%$ depending on the noise levels considered.
comment: 24 pages, 19 figures
♻ ☆ Large Field Polynomial Inflation in Palatini $f(R,φ)$ Gravity
In this paper, we employ the Palatini formalism to investigate the dynamics of large-field inflation using a renormalizable polynomial inflaton potential in the context of $f(R,\phi)$ gravity. Assuming instant reheating, we make a comparative analysis of large-field polynomial inflation (PI). We first consider the minimal and non-minimal coupling of inflaton in $R$ gravity, and then we continue with the minimally and non-minimally coupled inflaton in $f(R,\phi)$ gravity. We scan the parameter space for the inflationary predictions ($n_s$ and $r$) consistent with the Planck and BICEP/Keck 2018 results as well as the sensitivity forecast of the future CMB-S4 and depict the compliant regions in the $\phi_0-\beta$ plane where $\phi_0$ and $\beta$ are two parameters of polynomial inflation model which control the saddle point of the potential and the flatness in the vicinity of this point respectively. We find that a substantial portion of the parameter space aligns with the observational data.
comment: 27 pages, 11 figures
♻ ☆ Neutron Stars in Aether Scalar-Tensor Theory
Aether Scalar-Tensor theory is a modification of general relativity proposed to explain galactic and cosmological mass discrepancies conventionally attributed to dark matter.~The theory is able to fit the cosmic microwave background and the linear matter power spectrum.~In this work, we derive the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equation in this theory and solve it for realistic nuclear equations of state to predict the mass-radius relation of neutron stars.~We find solutions that are compatible with all current observations of neutron stars.
comment: 10 pages, 3 figures
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 11
☆ Ionosphere of Ganymede: Galileo observations versus test particle simulation
In this paper, we model the plasma environment of Ganymede by means of a collisionless test particle simulation. By coupling the outputs from a DSMC simulation of Ganymede's exosphere (i.e. number density profiles of neutral species such as $\mathrm{H}$, $\mathrm{H_2}$, $\mathrm{O}$, $\mathrm{HO}$, $\mathrm{H_2O}$, $\mathrm{O_2}$ for which we provide parametrisation) with those of a MagnetoHydroDynamic simulation of the interaction between Ganymede and the Jovian plasma (i.e. electric and magnetic fields), we perform a comparison between simulated ion plasma densities and ion energy spectra with those observed in-situ during 6 close flybys of Ganymede by the Galileo spacecraft. We find that not only our test particle simulation sometimes can well reproduce the in-situ ion number density measurement, but also the dominant ion species during these flybys are $\mathrm{H_2^+}$, $\mathrm{O_2^+}$, and occasionally $\mathrm{H_2O^+}$. Although the observed ion energy spectra cannot be reproduced exactly, the simulated ion energy spectra exhibit similar trends to those observed near the closest approach and near the magnetopause crossings but at lower energies. We show that the neutral exosphere plays an important role in supplying plasma to Ganymede's magnetised environment and that additional mechanisms may be at play to energise/accelerate newborn ions from the neutral exosphere.
comment: accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ OGLE-2014-BLG-1760: A Jupiter-Sun analogue residing in the Galactic Bulge
We present the analysis of OGLE-2014-BLG-1760, a planetary system in the galactic bulge. We combine Keck Adaptive Optics follow-up observations in $K$-band with re-reduced light curve data to confirm the source and lens star identifications and stellar types. The re-reduced MOA dataset had an important impact on the light curve model. We find the Einstein ring crossing time of the event to be $\sim$ 2.5 days shorter than previous fits, which increases the planetary mass-ratio and decreases the source angular size by a factor of 0.25. Our OSIRIS images obtained 6 years after the peak of the event show a source-lens separation of 54.20 $\pm$ 0.23 mas, which leads to a relative proper motion of $\mu_{\rm rel}$ = 9.14 $\pm$ 0.05 mas/yr, larger than the previous light curve-only models. Our analysis shows that the event consists of a Jupiter-mass planet of $M_{\rm p}$ = 0.931 $\pm$ 0.117 $M_{\rm Jup}$ orbiting a K-dwarf star of $M_*$ = 0.803 $\pm$ 0.097 $M_{\odot}$ with a $K$-magnitude of $K_{\rm L}$ = 18.30 $\pm$ 0.05, located in the galactic bulge or bar. We also attempt to constrain the source properties using the source angular size $\theta_*$ and $K$-magnitude. Our results favor the scenario of the source being a younger star in the galactic disk, behind the galactic center, but future multicolor observations are needed to constrain the source and thus the lens properties.
comment: 20 pages, 8 figures. In review in AJ
☆ Preparing for the 2061 return of Halley's comet -- A rendezvous mission with an innovative imaging system
The return of Comet 1P/Halley will promote a wide interest for ground and space observations of a celestial body of outstanding scientific and cultural interest. In addition to remote observations, space will open the possibility of in situ science similarly to the passage of 1986. In this paper, we first discuss the scientific motivations for a rendezvous mission, capable to overcome the limitations of the flyby missions that took place at that time. In the second part, we describe an example of a rendezvous trajectory that can be carried out with existing power and propulsion technologies. The transfer is made possible by the gravitational assistance of a giant planet. The resulting mission will be capable to reach the comet beyond the distance of Saturn, when the sublimation of super-volatile species will be ongoing, and well before the onset of the sublimation of water (4 AU). After rendezvous, the spacecraft will accompany the comet for several years before, around and after perihelion (July 2061). Our concept mission does not foresee the implementation of solar panels. In this way, operations can occur even inside the dense dust coma at short distance from the nucleus. In the third part of the paper, an innovative imaging system is proposed, with a very large field of view (100{\deg}) capable to record on the same frame details on the surface and the surrounding space, in order to follow for several degrees the trajectories of chunks and clouds ejected by pits or fractures, crucial to the understanding of the cometary activity. A concerted effort is needed in the current decade to plan and approve a rendezvous mission to 1P. Indeed, the scenario here described requires launching before 2040, less than 15 years from now. Later launches imply a severe loss of scientific knowledge, because the spacecraft will not be able to reach the comet before the onset of water sublimation.
☆ Ringworlds and Dyson spheres can be stable
In his 1856 Adams Prize essay, James Clark Maxwell demonstrated that Saturn's rings cannot be comprised of a uniform rigid body. This is a consequence of the two-body gravitational interaction between a ring and planet resulting in instability. Similarly, it is also known that a so-called Dyson sphere encompassing a single star would be unstable due to Newton's shell theorem. A surprising finding is reported here that both a ring and a sphere (shell) can be stable in the restricted three-body problem. First, if two primary masses are considered in orbit about their common centre of mass, a large, uniform, infinitesimal ring enclosing the smaller of the masses can in principle be stable under certain conditions. Similarly, a Dyson sphere can, be stable, if the sphere encloses the smaller of the two primary masses, again under certain conditions. These findings extend Maxwell's results on the dynamics of rings and have an interesting bearing on so-called Ringworlds and Dyson spheres from fiction. Moreover, the existence of passively stable orbits for such large-scale structures may have implications for so-called techno-signatures in search for extra-terrestrial intelligence studies.
comment: 19 pages, 16 figures, 1 table, published in MNRAS
☆ Dynamical Constraints on the Vertical Structure of Jupiter's Polar Cyclones
Jupiter's poles feature striking polygons of cyclones that drift westward over time-a motion governed by beta-drift. This study investigates how beta-drift and the resulting westward motion depend on the depth of these cyclones. Counterintuitively, shallower cyclones drift more slowly, a consequence of stronger vortex stretching. By employing a 2D quasi-geostrophic model of Jupiter's polar regions, we constrain the cyclones' deformation radius, a key parameter that serves as a proxy for their vertical extent, required to replicate the observed westward drift. We then explore possible vertical structures and the static stability of the poles by solving the eigenvalue problem that links the 2D model to a 3D framework, matching the constrained deformation radius. These findings provide a foundation for interpreting upcoming Juno microwave measurements of Jupiter's north pole, offering insights into the static stability and vertical structure of the polar cyclones. Thus, by leveraging long-term motion as a novel constraint on vertical dynamics, this work sets the stage for advancing our understanding of the formation and evolution of Jupiter's enigmatic polar cyclones.
☆ Electron-induced chemistry and sputtering of volatile species from amorphous and crystalline water ice
Electron irradiation of water-rich ices plays a significant role in initiating the chemical and physical processes on the surface of airless icy bodies in radiation environments such as Europa and Enceladus, as well as on the Moon, comets, and asteroids interacting with the solar wind. The sputtering process by electrons and ions leads to chemical modification and outgassing of their icy surfaces and the subsequent formation of a tenuous atmosphere. Though electron-sputtering yields are known to be lower compared to ion-sputtering yields, one needs to also account for their differential fluxes. In our experiments, the electron-induced sputtering yields of all the gaseous species H2, O, OH, H2O, and O2 are investigated for electron energies lower than 2 keV in terms of partial pressure vs. time of irradiation. The effective averaged change in partial pressure of the desorbed species is converted to the number of sputtered atoms or molecules per second per cm2 from the ice, and then to the sputtering yields (number of species sputtered per electron). Our data agrees well with the previously reported data for the sputtering of O2 and H2O yield for the amorphous ice. We also find that crystalline ice shows significantly lower sputtering yields when compared to amorphous ice, in agreement with the observation of similar trends in the literature. Our work indicates that sputtering yields per keV of O, OH, O2, and H2O drop with increasing electron energy from 0.5 keV to 2 keV.
☆ Seismological study of meta-instability of the Yangbi $M_S$ 6.4 earthquake in 2021
Meta-instability is an irreversible precursor of earthquakes. To identify the meta-instability precursor of the Yangbi $M_S$ 6.4 earthquake ($99.87^{\circ}\mathrm{E}$, $25.67^{\circ}\mathrm{N}$)that occurred on May 21, 2021, we selected seismic data from the pre-earthquake period between 1 and 21 May. We then calculated the apparent wave velocity ratio and the apparent Poisson\text{'}s ratio within the region of $98.5^{\circ} \mathrm{E}-101^{\circ}\mathrm{E}$, $24.6^{\circ}\mathrm{N}-27.1^{\circ}\mathrm{N}$ and interpolated these values. Our findings revealed that the trends of the fitted straight lines at the maximum and minimum points of the gradient divergences of the apparent wave velocity ratio and apparent Poisson\text{'}s ratio fields are consistent with the source mechanism solution for Sections 1 and 2, respectively. Similarly, the trend of the fitted straight lines at the minimum and maximum points of their values is also consistent with the source mechanism solution for Sections 1 and 2. Positive gradient divergence values indicate energy released, whereas negative values suggest energy absorption. The observed stress state matches the experimentally demonstrated meta-instable state. We propose that this method can be a reference for identifying the meta-instability of strike-slip strong earthquakes with a significant number of foreshocks. For seismically active regions, increasing the number of stations with rich data acquisition will facilitate more convenient stress field analysis.
☆ Introduction to magnetic star-planet interactions
The interaction between planets and their host stars is governed by the forces of gravity, radiation, and magnetic fields. For planets orbiting their stars at distances of approximately 10 stellar radii or less, these effects are significantly intensified. Such interactions can be investigated through a combination of photometric, spectroscopic, and spectropolarimetric studies spanning wavelengths from X-rays to radio frequencies. When a hot planet resides within the star's sub-Alfv\'enic radius, magnetic star-planet interactions (SPI) become possible, often observable as stellar activity enhancements influenced by the planet's orbital motion rather than stellar rotation alone. Such interactions offer a unique perspective on the atmospheric erosion and magnetospheric characteristics of close-in exoplanets.The behavior and impacts of these magnetic interactions are highly sensitive to the magnetic fields of both the planet and its host star. This interplay can influence the magnetic activity of both bodies and has implications for the planet's irradiation levels, orbital migration, and the star's rotational dynamics. By employing phase-resolved observational methods on an expanding sample of hot Jupiter (HJ) systems, researchers can now extend these studies to other compact star-planet systems, including smaller planets in the habitable zones of M dwarfs. Efforts to comprehend magnetic SPI have led to extensive advancements in theoretical research and computational modeling. These efforts include investigations into the space weather environments of close-in giant exoplanets. Utilizing hydrodynamical (HD) and magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) simulations, researchers aim to provide both qualitative and quantitative descriptions of SPI. In this chapter, we first review notable SPI detections before summarizing the current understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms driving SPI.
comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, to be published as a chapter in 'Space Environments and their Impact on Exoplanets', editor O. Cohen
☆ Astrometry, orbit determination, and thermal inertia of the Tianwen-2 target asteroid (469219) Kamo`oalewa
Context. (469219) Kamo`oalewa is a small near-Earth asteroid, which is currently a quasi-satellite of the Earth. Lightcurve measurements also reveal a rotation period of only about 30 minutes. This asteroid has been selected as the target of the Tianwen-2 sample-return mission of the China National Space Administration. Aims. The first goal of this paper is to observe and improve the orbit determination of (469219) Kamo`oalewa, and better determine the Yarkovsky effect acting on it. The second goal is to estimate the thermal inertia of the asteroid, taking advantage of an improved Yarkovsky effect determination. Methods. Our observational campaign imaged the asteroid from the Loiano Astronomical Station and from the Calar Alto Observatory, in March 2024. We also accurately re-measured a precovery detection from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey from 2004. New astrometry was later used in a 7-dimensional orbit determination, aimed at estimating both the orbital elements and the Yarkovsky effect. Thermal inertia is later studied by using the ASTERIA, a new method that is suitable to estimate thermal inertia of small asteroids. Results. We detected a semi-major axis drift of $(-67.35 \pm 4.70) \times 10^{-4}$ au My$^{-1}$ due to the Yarkovsky effect, with a high signal-to-noise ratio of 14. The new orbit solution also significantly reduced the position uncertainty for the arrival of the Tianwen-2 spacecraft. By using different models for the physical parameters of Kamo`oalewa, the ASTERIA model estimated the thermal inertia at $\Gamma = 150^{+90}_{-45}$ J m$^{-2}$ K$^{-1}$ s$^{-1/2}$ or $\Gamma = 181^{+95}_{-60}$ J m$^{-2}$ K$^{-1}$ s$^{-1/2}$.
comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics
♻ ☆ ExoMiner++ on TESS with Transfer Learning from Kepler: Transit Classification and Vetting Catalog for 2-min Data
We present ExoMiner++, an enhanced deep learning model that builds on the success of ExoMiner to improve transit signal classification in 2-minute TESS data. ExoMiner++ incorporates additional diagnostic inputs, including periodogram, flux trend, difference image, unfolded flux, and spacecraft attitude control data, all of which are crucial for effectively distinguishing transit signals from more challenging sources of false positives. To further enhance performance, we leverage transfer learning from high-quality labeled data from the Kepler space telescope, mitigating the impact of TESS's noisier and more ambiguous labels. ExoMiner++ achieves high accuracy across various classification and ranking metrics, significantly narrowing the search space for follow-up investigations to confirm new planets. To serve the exoplanet community, we introduce new TESS catalogs containing ExoMiner++ classifications and confidence scores for each transit signal. Among the 147,568 unlabeled TCEs, ExoMiner++ identifies 7,330 as planet candidates, with the remainder classified as false positives. These 7,330 planet candidates correspond to 1,868 existing TESS Objects of Interest (TOIs), 69 Community TESS Objects of Interest (CTOIs), and 50 newly introduced CTOIs. 1,797 out of the 2,506 TOIs previously labeled as planet candidates in ExoFOP are classified as planet candidates by ExoMiner++. This reduction in plausible candidates combined with the excellent ranking quality of ExoMiner++ allows the follow-up efforts to be focused on the most likely candidates, increasing the overall planet yield.
♻ ☆ Architecture Classification for Extrasolar Planetary Systems
This paper presents a classification framework for the architectures of planetary systems based on a complete survey of the confirmed exoplanet population. With nearly 6000 confirmed exoplanets discovered, including more than 300 multiplanet systems with three or more planets, the current observational sample has reached the point where it is both feasible and useful to build a classification system that divides the observed population into meaningful categories. This framework provides a criterion to split planetary systems into inner and outer regimes, and then further divides inner systems into dynamical classes. The resulting categories include "peas-in-a-pod systems" with uniformly small planets and "warm Jupiter systems" with a mix of large and small planets, as well as "closely-spaced systems" and "gapped systems," with further subdivisions based on the locations of gaps and other features. These categories can classify nearly all of the confirmed systems with three or more planets with minimal ambiguity. We qualitatively examine the relative prevalence of each type of system, subject to observational selection effects, as well as other notable features such as the presence of hot Jupiters. A small number of outlier systems are also discussed. Potential additional classes of systems yet to be discovered are proposed.
comment: 35 pages, 17 figures, 5 tables
Astrophysics of Galaxies 37
☆ No Evidence of Asymmetrically Enhanced Star Formation in Infalling Galaxies in UNIONS
Ram pressure stripping is a well-known environmental quenching mechanism that removes gas from galaxies infalling into groups and clusters. In some extreme examples of ram pressure stripping, galaxies with extended gas tails show evidence of enhanced star formation prior to quenching. In this work we use a sample of 5277 local satellite galaxies in which a stripped tail of gas has not necessarily been observed, to quantify the strength of ram pressure-enhanced star formation and compare these results to a control sample of 8360 field galaxies. We use u-band imaging from the Ultraviolet-Near Infrared Northern Survey (UNIONS) as a star formation tracer and several metrics to quantify star formation asymmetry. We compare these results to environmental properties of the galaxy, such as their time since infall and host halo mass, to constrain the degree of ram pressure enhanced star formation as a function of environment. We find no significant differences between the satellite and the field samples. We further restrict our sample to galaxies which we most expect to be experiencing significant ram pressure but find no strong evidence of these galaxies having systematically enhanced star formation. Finally, we investigate the properties of the most asymmetric galaxies in our sample and again find no strong evidence of ram pressure-induced star formation enhancement. We conclude that any star formation enhancement must be small for infalling galaxies, suggesting that this effect is either uncommon or short-lived.
comment: 19 pages, 10 figures, accepted by ApJ
☆ QZO: A Catalog of 5 Million Quasars from the Zwicky Transient Facility
Machine learning methods are well established in the classification of quasars (QSOs). However, the advent of light curve observations adds a great amount of complexity to the problem. Our goal is to use the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) to create a catalog of QSOs. We process the ZTF DR20 light curves with a transformer artificial neural network and combine the Pan-STARRS (PS), AllWISE, and Gaia surveys with extreme gradient boosting. Using ZTF g-band data with at least 100 observational epochs per light curve, we obtain 97% F1 score for QSOs. We find that with 3 day median cadence, a survey time span of at least 900 days is required to achieve 90% QSO F1 score. However, one can obtain the same score with a survey time span of 1800 days and the median cadence prolonged to 12 days. We find that ZTF classification is superior to the PS static bands, and on par with WISE and Gaia measurements. Additionally, we find that the light curves provide the most important features for QSO classification in the ZTF dataset. We robustly classify objects fainter than the $5\sigma$ SNR limit at $g=20.8$ by requiring $g < \mathrm{n_{obs}} / 80 + 20.375$. For this sample, we run inference with added WISE observations, and find 4,849,574 objects classified as QSOs. For 33% of QZO objects, with available WISE data, we publish redshifts with estimated error $\Delta z/(1 + z) = 0.14$.
comment: We will release the catalog upon acceptance in a journal. The code is available at https://github.com/snakoneczny/ztf-agn
☆ Galactic magnetic fields II. Applying the model to nearby galaxies
Many spiral galaxies host magnetic fields with energy densities comparable to those of the turbulent and thermal motions of their interstellar gas. However, quantitative comparison between magnetic field properties inferred from observation and those obtained from theoretical modeling has been lacking. In Paper I we developed a simple, axisymmetric galactic dynamo model that uses various observational data as input. Here we apply our model to calculate radial profiles of azimuthally and vertically averaged magnetic field strength and pitch angle, gas velocity dispersion and scale height, turbulent correlation time and length, and the sizes of supernova remnants for the galaxies M31, M33, M51, and NGC 6946, using input data collected from the literature. Scaling factors are introduced to account for a lack of precision in both theory and observation. Despite the simplicity of our model, its outputs agree fairly well with galaxy properties inferred from observation. Additionally, we find that most of the parameter values are similar between galaxies. We extend the model to predict the magnetic field pitch angles arising from a combination of mean-field dynamo action and the winding up of the random small-scale field owing to the large-scale radial shear. We find their magnitudes to be much smaller than those of the pitch angles measured in polarized radio and far infrared emission. This suggests that effects not included in our model, such as effects associated with spiral arms, are needed to explain the pitch angle values.
comment: 27 pages, 13 figures, 5 tables, submitted to the Astrophysical Journal (ApJ)
☆ OGLE-2014-BLG-1760: A Jupiter-Sun analogue residing in the Galactic Bulge
We present the analysis of OGLE-2014-BLG-1760, a planetary system in the galactic bulge. We combine Keck Adaptive Optics follow-up observations in $K$-band with re-reduced light curve data to confirm the source and lens star identifications and stellar types. The re-reduced MOA dataset had an important impact on the light curve model. We find the Einstein ring crossing time of the event to be $\sim$ 2.5 days shorter than previous fits, which increases the planetary mass-ratio and decreases the source angular size by a factor of 0.25. Our OSIRIS images obtained 6 years after the peak of the event show a source-lens separation of 54.20 $\pm$ 0.23 mas, which leads to a relative proper motion of $\mu_{\rm rel}$ = 9.14 $\pm$ 0.05 mas/yr, larger than the previous light curve-only models. Our analysis shows that the event consists of a Jupiter-mass planet of $M_{\rm p}$ = 0.931 $\pm$ 0.117 $M_{\rm Jup}$ orbiting a K-dwarf star of $M_*$ = 0.803 $\pm$ 0.097 $M_{\odot}$ with a $K$-magnitude of $K_{\rm L}$ = 18.30 $\pm$ 0.05, located in the galactic bulge or bar. We also attempt to constrain the source properties using the source angular size $\theta_*$ and $K$-magnitude. Our results favor the scenario of the source being a younger star in the galactic disk, behind the galactic center, but future multicolor observations are needed to constrain the source and thus the lens properties.
comment: 20 pages, 8 figures. In review in AJ
☆ Testing and Combining Transient Spectral Classification Tools on 4MOST-like Blended Spectra
With the 4-meter Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope (4MOST) expected to provide an influx of transient spectra when it begins observations in early 2026 we consider the potential for real-time classification of these spectra. We investigate three extant spectroscopic transient classifiers: the Deep Automated Supernova and Host classifier (DASH), Next Generation SuperFit (NGSF) and SuperNova IDentification (SNID), with a focus on comparing the efficiency and purity of the transient samples they produce. We discuss our method for simulating realistic, 4MOST-like, host-galaxy contaminated spectra and determining quality cuts for each classifier used to ensure pure SN Ia samples while maintaining efficient classification in other transient classes. We investigate the classifiers individually and in combinations. We find that a combination of DASH and NGSF can produce a SN Ia sample with a purity of 99.9% while successfully classifying 70% of SNe Ia. However, it struggles to classify non-SN Ia transients. We investigate photometric cuts to transient magnitude and transient flux fraction, finding that both can be used to improve transient classification efficiencies by 7--25% depending on the transient subclass. Finally, we present an example classification plan for live classification and the predicted purities and efficiencies across five transient classes: Ia, Ibc, II, superluminous and non-supernova transients.
comment: Submitted to MNRAS
☆ Unveiling the warm molecular outflow component of type-2 quasars with SINFONI
We present seeing-limited (0.8 arcsec) near-infrared integral field spectroscopy data of the type-2 quasars (QSO2s) SDSS J135646.10+102609.0 (J1356) and SDSS J143029.89+133912.1 (J1430, the Teacup), both belonging to the Quasar Feedback (QSOFEED) sample. The nuclear K-band spectra (1.95-2.45 \textmu m) of these radio-quiet QSO2s reveal several $H_2$ emission lines, indicative of the presence of a warm molecular gas reservoir (T$\geq$1000 K). We measure nuclear masses of 5.9, 4.1, and 1.5 $\times 10^3~M_{\odot}$ in the inner 0.8 arcsec diameter region of the Teacup, J1356 north (J1356N), and south nuclei, respectively. The total warm $H_2$ mass budget is $\sim 4.5$ and $\sim 1.3 \times 10^4~M_{\odot}$ for the Teacup and J1356N, implying warm-to-cold molecular gas ratios of $10^{-6}$. The warm molecular gas kinematics, traced with the $H_2$1-0S(1) and S(2) emission lines, is consistent with that of the cold molecular phase, traced by ALMA CO emission at higher angular resolution (0.2 and 0.6 arcsec). In J1430, we detect the blue- and red-shifted sides of a compact warm molecular outflow extending up to 1.9 kpc and with velocities of 450 km/s. In J1356 only the red-shifted side is detected, with a radius of up to 2.0 kpc and velocity of 370 km/s. The outflow masses are 2.6 and 1.5 $\times 10^3~M_{\odot}$ for the Teacup and J1356N, and the warm-to-cold gas ratios in the outflows are 0.8 and 1 $\times 10^{-4}$, implying that the cold molecular phase dominates the mass budget. We measure warm molecular mass outflow rates of 6.2 and 2.9 $\times 10^{-4}~M_{\odot}/yr$ for the Teacup and J1356N, approximately 0.001\% of the total mass outflow rate. We find an enhancement of velocity dispersion in the $H_2$1-0S(1) residual dispersion map of the Teacup, both along and perpendicular to the compact radio jet direction. This enhanced turbulence can be reproduced by simulations of jet-ISM interactions.
comment: Accepted for publication on A&A
☆ Semi-empirical Models of Galaxy Formation and Evolution
We provide a review on semi-empirical models of galaxy formation and evolution. We present a brief census of the three main modeling approaches to galaxy evolution, namely hydrodynamical simulations, semi-analytic models, and semi-empirical models (SEMs). We focus on SEMs in their different flavors, i.e. interpretative, descriptive and hybrid, discussing the peculiarities and highlighting virtues and shortcomings for each of these variants. We dissect a simple and recent hybrid SEM from our team to highlight some technical aspects. We offer some outlook on the prospective developments of SEMs. Finally, we provide a short summary of this review.
comment: 23 pages, 9 figures. This is a pre-print of a chapter for the Encyclopedia of Astrophysics (edited by I. Mandel, section editor S. McGee) to be published by Elsevier as a Reference Module
☆ Where to search for supermassive binary black holes
Supermassive binary black holes (SMBBHs) are the anticipated byproducts of galaxy mergers and play a pivotal role in shaping galaxy evolution, gravitational wave emissions, and accretion physics. Despite their theoretical prevalence, direct observational evidence for SMBBHs remains elusive, with only a handful of candidates identified to date. This paper explores optimal strategies and key environments for locating SMBBHs, focusing on observational signatures in the broad Balmer lines. We present a preliminary analysis on a flux-limited sample of sources belonging to an evolved spectral type along the quasar main sequence, and we discuss the spectroscopic clues indicative of binary activity and highlight the critical role of time-domain spectroscopic surveys in uncovering periodic variability linked to binary systems.
comment: 19 pages, 4 figures, to appears in Universe, special issue Feature Papers 2024 - Compact Objects
☆ Bridging Theory and Observations: Insights into Star Formation Efficiency and Dust Attenuation in $z > 5$ Galaxies
We investigate early galaxy evolution by modeling self-consistently their radially-resolved evolution of gas, stars, heavy elements, and dust content. Our model successfully reproduces various observed properties of JWST-identified galaxies at $z > 5$, including sizes, stellar masses, star formation rates (SFR), metallicities, and dust-to-stellar mass ratios. We show that the star formation efficiency (SFE), $f_\ast \equiv {\rm SFR}/(f_{\rm b} \dot{M}_{\rm h})$, is regulated by the global equilibrium between cosmological gas inflows, star formation, and gas outflows. Our model predicts $f_\ast \lesssim 20~\%$ for galaxies with halo masses of $M_{\rm h} \sim 10^{11-12}\, M_\odot$ down to $z = 5$, allowing them to reach intrinsic UV magnitudes of $M_{\rm UV} \lesssim -22~{\rm mag}$; when dust attenuation is ignored, the predicted UV luminosity function (LF) at $z \sim 12$ agrees well with observations. However, our model also suggests that these galaxies would be heavily obscured by dust, with high optical depths at 1500~\AA~of $\tau_{1500} \gtrsim 10$, causing the dust-attenuated UV LF to fall significantly below the observed one. This discrepancy highlights the need for mechanisms that mitigate strong dust attenuation, such as dust evacuation from star-forming regions and/or preferential production of large dust grains. Further exploration of these processes is essential for understanding the early stages of galaxy evolution.
comment: 18 pages, 18 figures, 2 tables. Submitted to MNRAS. Comments welcome
☆ Dominant Role of Coplanar Inflows in Driving Disk Evolution Revealed by Gas-Phase Metallicity Gradients
Using spatially resolved spectroscopic data from the MaNGA sample, we investigate the parameters influencing the radial gradients of gas-phase metallicity ($\nabla\log(\mathrm{O/H})$), to determine whether disk formation is primarily driven by coplanar gas inflow or by the independent evolution of distinct regions within the disk. Our results show that $\nabla \log(\mathrm{O/H})$ strongly correlates with local gas-phase metallicity at a given stellar mass, with steeper gradients observed in metal-poorer disks. This trend supports the coplanar gas inflow scenario, wherein the gas is progressively enriched by in situ star formation as it flows inward. In contrast, the radial gradient of stellar mass surface density shows very weak correlations with $\nabla \log(\mathrm{O/H})$, which is inconsistent with the independent evolution mode, where gas inflow, star formation, and metal enrichment occur independently within each annulus of the disk. Furthermore, we find that $\nabla \log(\mathrm{O/H})$ is also closely correlated with an indicator of local gas turbulence $\sigma_{\mathrm{gas}}/R_{\mathrm{e}}$, highlighting the competing roles of turbulence and coplanar inflow in shaping metallicity gradients. Our results provide indirect observational evidence supporting coplanar gas inflow as the driving mechanism for disk evolution.
comment: 16 pages, 5+4 figures. Accepted by ApJL
☆ On the Impacts of Halo Model Implementations in Sunyaev-Zeldovich Cross-Correlation Analyses
Statistical studies of the circumgalactic medium (CGM) using Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) observations offer a promising method of studying the gas properties of galaxies and the astrophysics that govern their evolution. Forward modeling profiles from theory and simulations allows them to be refined directly off of data, but there are currently significant differences between the thermal SZ (tSZ) observations of the CGM and the predicted tSZ signal. While these discrepancies could be inherent, they could also be the result of decisions in the forward modeling used to build statistical measures off of theory. In order to see effects of this, we compare an analysis utilizing halo occupancy distributions (HODs) implemented in halo models to simulate the galaxy distribution against a previous studies which weighted their results off of the CMASS galaxy sample, which contains nearly one million galaxies, mainly centrals of group sized halos, selected for relatively uniform stellar mass across redshifts between $0.4
comment: 14 pages, 5 figures
☆ Dynamics of stellar systems with collisions: eigenvalues and eigenfunctions in nearly collisionless limit
We examine the decay of perturbations in an infinite homogeneous self-gravitating model with a Maxwellian distribution function (DF) when weak collisions are present. In collisionless systems within the stable parameter range, the eigenvalue spectrum consists of a continuous set of real frequencies associated with van Kampen modes, which are singular eigenfunctions of the stellar DF. An initial perturbation in the stellar density and gravitational potential decays exponentially through a superposition of these modes, a phenomenon known as Landau damping. However, the perturbation in the stellar DF does not decay self-similarly; it becomes increasingly oscillatory in velocity space over time, indicating the absence of eigenfunctions corresponding to the Landau damping eigenfrequencies. Consequently, we refer to perturbations undergoing Landau damping as quasi-modes rather than true eigenmodes. Even rare collisions suppress the formation of steep DF gradients in velocity space. Ng & Bhattacharjee (2021) demonstrated that introducing collisions eliminates van Kampen modes and transforms Landau quasi-modes into true eigenmodes forming a complete set. As the collision frequency approaches zero, their eigenfrequencies converge to those of the collisionless Landau quasi-modes. In this study, we investigate the behavior of the eigenfunction of the least-damped aperiodic mode as the collision frequency approaches zero. We derive analytic expressions for the eigenfunction in the resonance region and for the damping rate as a function of collision frequency. Additionally, we employ the standard matrix eigenvalue problem approach to numerically verify our analytical results.
comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, 1 table. Accepted by AJ
☆ Applying a star formation model calibrated on high-resolution interstellar medium simulations to cosmological simulations of galaxy formation
Modern high-resolution simulations of the interstellar medium (ISM) have shown that key factors in governing star formation are the competing influences of radiative dissipation, pressure support driven by stellar feedback, and the relentless pull of gravity. Cosmological simulations of galaxy formation, such as IllustrisTNG or ASTRID, are however not able to resolve this physics in detail and therefore need to rely on approximate treatments. These have often taken the form of empirical subgrid models of the ISM expressed in terms of an effective equation of state (EOS) that relates the mean ISM pressure to the mean gas density. Here we seek to improve these heuristic models by directly fitting their key ingredients to results of the high-resolution TIGRESS simulations, which have shown that the dynamical equilibrium of the ISM can be understood in terms of a pressure-regulated, feedback modulated (PRFM) model for star formation. Here we explore a simple subgrid model that draws on the PRFM concept but uses only local quantities. It accurately reproduces PRFM for pure gas disks, while it predicts slightly less star formation than PRFM in the presence of an additional thin stellar disk. We compare the properties of this model with the older Springel and Hernquist and TNG prescriptions, and apply all three to isolated simulations of disk galaxies as well as to a set of high-resolution zoom-in simulations carried out with a novel 'multi-zoom' technique that we introduce in this study. The softer EOS implied by TIGRESS produces substantially thinner disk galaxies, which has important ramifications for disk stability and galaxy morphology. The total stellar mass of galaxies is however hardly modified at low redshift, reflecting the dominating influence of large-scale gaseous inflows and outflows to galaxies, which are not sensitive to the EOS itself
comment: 22 pages, 21 figures, to be submitted to MNRAS. This is a Learning the Universe publication
☆ Learning the Universe: $3\ h^{-1}{\rm Gpc}$ Tests of a Field Level $N$-body Simulation Emulator
We apply and test a field-level emulator for non-linear cosmic structure formation in a volume matching next-generation surveys. Inferring the cosmological parameters and initial conditions from which the particular galaxy distribution of our Universe was seeded can be achieved by comparing simulated data to observational data. Previous work has focused on building accelerated forward models that efficiently mimic these simulations. One of these accelerated forward models uses machine learning to apply a non-linear correction to the linear $z=0$ Zeldovich approximation (ZA) fields, closely matching the cosmological statistics in the $N$-body simulation. This emulator was trained and tested at $(h^{-1}{\rm Gpc})^3$ volumes, although cosmological inference requires significantly larger volumes. We test this emulator at $(3\ h^{-1}{\rm Gpc})^3$ by comparing emulator outputs to $N$-body simulations for eight unique cosmologies. We consider several summary statistics, applied to both the raw particle fields and the dark matter (DM) haloes. We find that the power spectrum, bispectrum and wavelet statistics of the raw particle fields agree with the $N$-body simulations within ${\sim} 5 \%$ at most scales. For the haloes, we find a similar agreement between the emulator and the $N$-body for power spectrum and bispectrum, though a comparison of the stacked profiles of haloes shows that the emulator has slight errors in the positions of particles in the highly non-linear interior of the halo. At these large $(3\ h^{-1}{\rm Gpc})^3$ volumes, the emulator can create $z=0$ particle fields in a thousandth of the time required for $N$-body simulations and will be a useful tool for large-scale cosmological inference. This is a Learning the Universe publication.
comment: 9 pages, 7 figures. This is a Learning the Universe publication
☆ Learning the Universe: Learning to Optimize Cosmic Initial Conditions with Non-Differentiable Structure Formation Models
Making the most of next-generation galaxy clustering surveys requires overcoming challenges in complex, non-linear modelling to access the significant amount of information at smaller cosmological scales. Field-level inference has provided a unique opportunity beyond summary statistics to use all of the information of the galaxy distribution. However, addressing current challenges often necessitates numerical modelling that incorporates non-differentiable components, hindering the use of efficient gradient-based inference methods. In this paper, we introduce Learning the Universe by Learning to Optimize (LULO), a gradient-free framework for reconstructing the 3D cosmic initial conditions. Our approach advances deep learning to train an optimization algorithm capable of fitting state-of-the-art non-differentiable simulators to data at the field level. Importantly, the neural optimizer solely acts as a search engine in an iterative scheme, always maintaining full physics simulations in the loop, ensuring scalability and reliability. We demonstrate the method by accurately reconstructing initial conditions from $M_{200\mathrm{c}}$ halos identified in a dark matter-only $N$-body simulation with a spherical overdensity algorithm. The derived dark matter and halo overdensity fields exhibit $\geq80\%$ cross-correlation with the ground truth into the non-linear regime $k \sim 1h$ Mpc$^{-1}$. Additional cosmological tests reveal accurate recovery of the power spectra, bispectra, halo mass function, and velocities. With this work, we demonstrate a promising path forward to non-linear field-level inference surpassing the requirement of a differentiable physics model.
comment: 18 pages, 13 figures
☆ Towards Robustness Across Cosmological Simulation Models TNG, SIMBA, ASTRID, and EAGLE
The rapid advancement of large-scale cosmological simulations has opened new avenues for cosmological and astrophysical research. However, the increasing diversity among cosmological simulation models presents a challenge to the robustness. In this work, we develop the Model-Insensitive ESTimator (MIEST), a machine that can robustly estimate the cosmological parameters, $\Omega_m$ and $\sigma_8$, from neural hydrogen maps of simulation models in the CAMELS project$-$TNG, SIMBA, ASTRID, and EAGLE. An estimator is considered robust if it possesses a consistent predictive power across all simulations, including those used during the training phase. We train our machine using multiple simulation models and ensure that it only extracts common features between the models while disregarding the model-specific features. This allows us to develop a novel model that is capable of accurately estimating parameters across a range of simulation models, without being biased towards any particular model. Upon the investigation of the latent space$-$a set of summary statistics, we find that the implementation of robustness leads to the blending of latent variables across different models, demonstrating the removal of model-specific features. In comparison to a standard machine lacking robustness, the average performance of MIEST on the unseen simulations during the training phase has been improved by $\sim17$% for $\Omega_m$ and $\sim 38$% for $\sigma_8$. By using a machine learning approach that can extract robust, yet physical features, we hope to improve our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution in a (subgrid) model-insensitive manner, and ultimately, gain insight into the underlying physical processes responsible for robustness. This is a Learning the Universe publication.
comment: This is a Learning the Universe publication. 26 pages, 11 figures
☆ Learning the Universe: physically-motivated priors for dust attenuation curves
Understanding the impact of dust on the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of galaxies is crucial for inferring their physical properties and for studying the nature of interstellar dust. We analyze dust attenuation curves for $\sim 6400$ galaxies ($M_{\star} \sim 10^9 - 10^{11.5}\,M_{\odot}$) at $z=0.07$ in the IllustrisTNG50 and TNG100 simulations. Using radiative transfer post-processing, we generate synthetic attenuation curves and fit them with a parametric model that captures known extinction and attenuation laws (e.g., Calzetti, MW, SMC, LMC) and more exotic forms. We present the distributions of the best-fitting parameters: UV slope ($c_1$), optical-to-NIR slope ($c_2$), FUV slope ($c_3$), 2175 Angstrom bump strength ($c_4$), and normalization ($A_{\rm V}$). Key correlations emerge between $A_{\rm V}$ and the star formation rate surface density $\Sigma_{\rm SFR}$, as well as the UV slope $c_1$. The UV and FUV slopes ($c_1, c_3$) and the bump strength and visual attenuation ($c_4, A_{\rm V}$) exhibit robust internal correlations. Using these insights from simulations, we provide a set of scaling relations that predict a galaxy's median (averaged over line of sight) dust attenuation curve based solely on its $\Sigma_{\rm SFR}$ and/or $A_{\rm V}$. These predictions agree well with observed attenuation curves from the GALEX-SDSS-WISE Legacy Catalog despite minor differences in bump strength. This study delivers the most comprehensive library of synthetic attenuation curves for local galaxies, providing a foundation for physically motivated priors in SED fitting and galaxy inference studies, such as those performed as part of the Learning the Universe Collaboration.
comment: 30 pages, 12 figures, submitted to Apj; This is a Learning the Universe publication
☆ Accretion onto supermassive and intermediate mass black holes in cosmological simulations
Accretion is the dominant contribution to the cosmic massive black hole density in the Universe today. Yet, modelling it in cosmological simulations is challenging due to the dynamic range involved, as well as the theoretical uncertainties of the underlying mechanisms driving accretion from galactic to black hole horizon scales. We present a simple, flexible parametrization for gas inflows onto massive black holes in order to manage this uncertainty in large-volume cosmological simulations. This is done as part of the "Learning the Universe'' collaboration, which aims to jointly infer the initial conditions and physical processes governing the evolution of the Universe using a Bayesian forward-modelling approach. To allow such a forward-modelling, we update the prescription for accretion with a two-parameter free-fall based inflow estimate that allows for a radius-dependent inflow rate and add a simple model for unresolved accretion disks. We use uniform resolution cosmological hydrodynamical simulations and the IllustrisTNG framework to study the massive black hole population and its dependence on the introduced model parameters. Once the parameters of the accretion formula are chosen to result in a roughly similar redshift zero black hole mass density, the differences caused by the details in the accretion formula are moderate in the supermassive black hole regime, indicating that it is difficult to distinguish between accretion mechanisms based on luminous active galactic nuclei powered by supermassive black holes. Applying the same models to intermediate mass black holes at high redshift, however, reveals significantly different accretion rates in high redshift, moderate luminosity active galactic nuclei and different frequencies and mass distributions of intermediate mass black hole mergers for the same black hole formation model.
comment: 19 pages, 13 figures, submitted to A&A, comments welcome. This is a Learning the Universe publication
☆ Inferring the density and membership of stellar streams with flexible models: The GD-1 stream in Gaia Data Release 3
As bound stellar systems orbit within a galaxy, stars may be tidally stripped to form streams of stars that nearly follow the orbit of their progenitor system. Stellar streams provide one of the most promising avenues for constraining the global mass distribution of the Milky Way and the nature of dark matter (DM). The stream stars' kinematic "track" enables inferring large-scale properties of the DM distribution, while density variations and anomalies provide information about local DM clumps (e.g., from DM subhalos). Using precise astrometric data from the Gaia Mission, which enables clean selections of Milky Way stream stars, we now know of a few streams with perturbations and density anomalies. A full accounting of the density tracks and substructures within all >100 Milky Way stellar streams will therefore enable powerful new constraints on DM. However, methods for discovering and characterizing membership of streams are heterogeneous and often highly customized to individual streams. Here we present a new, flexible framework for modeling stellar stream density and membership. Our framework allows us to include off-track or non-Gaussian components to the stream density, meaning we can capture anomalous features (such as the GD-1 steam's spur). We test our model on GD-1, where we characterize previously-known features and provide the largest catalog of probable member stars to date (1689 stars). Our framework (built on JAX and numpyro) provides a path toward uniform analysis of all Milky Way streams, enabling tight constraints on the Galactic mass distribution and its dark matter.
comment: Submitted to ApJ. Comments welcome. Model framework repository at https://github.com/stellarstreams/stream-membership and GD-1-specific application repository at https://github.com/ktavangar/gd1-dr3. Membership probability table will become public upon acceptance. Please contact the authors if you would like access to the membership probability table before then
☆ PHIBSS: Searching for Molecular Gas Outflows in Star-Forming Galaxies at $z =$ 0.5-2.6
We present an analysis of millimeter CO observations to search and quantify signatures of molecular gas outflows. We exploit the large sample of $0.5 < z < 2.6$ galaxies observed as part of the PHIBSS1/2 surveys with the IRAM Plateau de Bure interferometer, focusing on the 154 typical massive star-forming galaxies with CO detections (mainly CO(3-2), but including also CO(2-1) and CO(6-5)) at signal-to-noise (SNR) > 1.5 and available properties (stellar mass, star formation rate, size) from ancillary data. None of the individual spectra exhibit a compelling signature of CO outflow emission even at high SNR > 7. To search for fainter outflow signatures, we carry out an analysis of stacked spectra, including the full sample, as well as subsets, split in terms of stellar mass, redshift, inclination, offset in star formation rate (SFR) from the main sequence, and AGN activity. None of the physically motivated subsamples show any outflow signature. We report a tentative detection in a subset statistically designed to maximize outflow signatures. We derive upper limits on molecular gas outflow rate and mass loading factors $\eta$ based on our results and find $\eta \leq$ 2.2-35.4, depending on the subsample. Much deeper CO data and observations of alternative tracers are needed to decisively constrain the importance of cold molecular gas component of outflows relative to other gas phases.
comment: 19 pages, 8 figures. Submitted to ApJ
☆ Robust machine learning model of inferring the ex-situ stellar fraction of galaxies from photometric data
We search for parameters defined from photometric images to quantify the ex situ stellar mass fraction of galaxies. We created mock images using galaxies in the cosmological hydrodynamical simulations TNG100, EAGLE, and TNG50 at redshift $z=0$. We define a series of parameters describing their structures. In particular, the inner and outer halo of a galaxy are defined by sectors ranging from $45-135$ degrees from the disk major axis, and with radii ranging from $3.5-10$ kpc and $10-30$ kpc, respectively, to avoid the contamination of disk and bulge. The surface brightness and colour gradients are defined by the same sectors along the minor axis and with similar radii ranges. We used the Random Forest method to create a model that predicts $f_{\rm exsitu}$ from morphological parameters. The model predicts $f_{\rm exsitu}$ well with a scatter smaller than 0.1 compared to the ground truth in all mass ranges. The models trained from TNG100 and EAGLE work similarly well and are cross-validated; they also work well in making predictions for TNG50 galaxies. The analysis using Random Forest reveals that $\nabla \rho_{\rm outer}$, $\nabla (g-r)_{\rm outer}$, $f_{\rm outerhalo}$ and $f_{\rm innerhalo}$ are the most influential parameters in predicting $f_{\rm exsitu}$, underscoring their significance in uncovering the merging history of galaxies. We further analyse how the quality of images will affect the results by using SDSS-like and HSC-like mock images for galaxies at different distances. Our results can be used to infer the ex situ stellar mass fractions for a large sample of galaxies from photometric surveys.
comment: Accepted in A&A
☆ An optical perspective on early-stage AGN with extreme radio flares
In the last decade of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) monitoring programs, the Mets\"ahovi Radio Observatory detected multiple times seven powerful flaring narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxies at 37 GHz. Several hypotheses have been proposed, but the understanding of this unique phenomenon is still far. To look at the case from a different point of view, we performed an emission line analysis of the optical spectra, with the aim of identifying similarities among the sources, that can be in turn possibly tied with the radio behavior. Our data were obtained with the Gran Telescopio Canarias. The results we obtained show that six out of seven sources have typical properties for the NLS1 class, and one of them is an intermediate Seyfert galaxy. We found on average black hole masses above the median value for the class (> 10$^7$ M$_\odot$), and a strong Fe II emission, which could be a proxy for an intense ongoing accretion activity. Although interesting, the characteristics we found are not unusual for these kind of AGN: the optical spectra of our sources do not related with their unique radio properties. Therefore, further multi-wavelength studies will be necessary to narrow the field of hypotheses for this peculiar phenomenon.
comment: 22 pages with appendix, 6 figures and 4 tables in the main text. Accepted for publication in A&A
☆ The XMAGNET exascale MHD simulations of SMBH feedback in galaxy groups and clusters: Overview and preliminary cluster results
We present initial results from extremely well-resolved 3D magnetohydrodynamical simulations of idealized galaxy clusters, conducted using the AthenaPK code on the Frontier exascale supercomputer. These simulations explore the self-regulation of galaxy groups and cool-core clusters by cold gas-triggered active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback incorporating magnetized kinetic jets. Our simulation campaign includes simulations of galaxy groups and clusters with a range of masses and intragroup and intracluster medium properties. In this paper we present results that focus on a Perseus-like cluster. We find that the simulated clusters are self-regulating, with the cluster cores staying at a roughly constant thermodynamic state and AGN jet power staying at physically reasonable values ($\simeq 10^{44}-10^{45}$~erg/s) for billions of years without a discernible duty cycle. These simulations also produce significant amounts of cold gas, with calculations having strong magnetic fields generally both promoting cold gas formation and allowing cold gas out to much larger clustercentric radii ($\simeq 100$~kpc) than simulations with weak or no fields ($\simeq 10$~kpc), and also having more filamentary cold gas morphology. We find that AGN feedback significantly increases the strength of magnetic fields at the center of the cluster. We also find that the magnetized turbulence generated by the AGN results in turbulence where the velocity power spectra are tied to AGN activity whereas the magnetic energy spectra are much less impacted after reaching a stationary state.
comment: 25 pages, 14 figures. Submitted to ApJ. Comments welcome. More info/material: https://xmagnet-simulations.github.io
☆ Segregation in Nuclear Stellar Clusters: Rates and Mass Distributions of TDEs, QPEs, Plunges, and EMRIs
Supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies occasionally disrupt stars or consume stellar-mass black holes that wander too close, producing observable electromagnetic or gravitational wave signals. We examine how mass segregation impacts the rates and distributions of such events. Assuming a relaxed stellar cluster, composed of stars and stellar-mass black holes, we show that the tidal disruption rate of massive stars ($m\gtrsim M_\odot$) is enhanced relative to their abundance in the stellar population. For stars up to $m\approx3M_\odot$, this enhancement is roughly $m/M_\odot$ and it is driven by segregation within the sphere of influence. Stars with masses $m\gtrsim3M_\odot$, if relaxed, are predominantly scattered by more massive stellar-mass black holes, leading to a constant enhancement factor of $\approx 10$, independent of mass. This aligns with observational evidence suggesting an over-representation of massive stars in tidal disruption events. For stellar-mass black holes, we predict an enhancement factor scaling as $m_\bullet^{1/2}$ for plunges and $m_\bullet^{3/2}$ for extreme-mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs). The power of one-half in both cases reflects the shorter relaxation times of heavier black holes, allowing them to segregate into the sphere of influence from greater distances, thereby increasing their abundance. The additional power in the EMRIs' rate arises from the tendency of heavier black holes to circularize and sink inward more efficiently. Finally, we estimate the rate of main sequence star inspirals and find that it favors low-mass stars ($m\lesssim M_\odot$). This seems compatible with the observationally estimated rate of quasi-periodic eruptions.
comment: 12 pages, 2 figures. Submitted to ApJ
☆ Inconsistent metallicity spreads in first generation stars of globular clusters from high resolution spectroscopy and HST photometry
An open issue about multiple stellar populations in globular clusters (GCs) is the possible existence of metallicity spreads in first generation (FG) stars. Recent estimates based on HST pseudo-colours map (PCM) derived unlikely large spreads in [Fe/H] from spreads in the colour col=m_{F275W}-m_{F814W}. The inferred metallicity spreads for many GCs are comparable or even larger than those observed in dwarf galaxies. This result is clearly unexpected and at odds with the birth time of stars in dwarf galaxies, spanning several billion years, as opposed to very short formation times of the stellar component in GCs (a few million years). The contradiction is corroborated by the comparison of the widths of red giant branches in both classes of objects. Moreover, the so called spreads in FG stars estimated from the PCMs are always larger than the intrinsic metallicity spreads derived from spectroscopy. We used 30 pairs of FG stars with similar parameters in 12 GCs to highlight that a constant displacement in Delta col corresponds to variable differences in [Fe/H] up to 0.2 dex, depending on the GC. Providing for the first time quantitative measurements of the extension in Delta col of the sequences of FG and SG stars, we found no relation between metallicity spreads previously derived and extension of FG stars. We found that the length of the FG region correlates with the average global metallicity of GCs, and not with the observed metallicity spreads. The extension of FG stars also correlates with the extension of SG stars, and the global mass of the GCs. Our findings seriously challenge the scenario claiming more inhomogeneous mixing among FG stars, invalidating previous speculations in the literature.
comment: 18 pages, 17 figures, plus an Appendix with 5 pages and 5 figures, accepted for publication on Astronomy and Astrophysics
☆ NGC 3259: A Signal for an Untapped Population of Slowly Accreting Intermediate-Mass Black Holes
Low-mass active galactic nuclei (AGNs) can provide important constraints on the formation and evolution of supermassive black holes (SMBHs), a central challenge in modern cosmology. To date only small samples of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs, $M_{BH}<10^5M_{\odot}$) and 'lesser' supermassive black holes (LSMBHs, $M_{BH}<10^6M_{\odot}$) have been identified. Our present study of NGC 3259 at D=27 Mpc with the Binospec integral field unit spectrograph complemented with Keck Echelle Spectrograph and Imager observations demonstrates the need for and the power of the spectroscopic follow-up. NGC 3259 hosts a black hole with a mass of $M_{BH}=(1.7-4.1)\times10^5M_{\odot}$, inferred from multi-epoch spectroscopic data, that accretes at 1% of the Eddington limit as suggested by the analysis of archival XMM-Newton observations. It is the second nearest low-mass AGN after the archetypal galaxy NGC 4395. The spectroscopic data reveals a variable broad $H\alpha$ profile that is likely the result of asymmetrically distributed broad-line region (BLR) clouds or BLR outflow events. X-ray observations and the absence of an optical power-law continuum suggest partial obscuration of the accretion disk and hot corona by a dust torus. We estimate that the Sloan Digital Sky Survey could only detect similar objects to D=35 Mpc. A detailed photometric analysis of NGC 3259 using HST images provides a central spheroid stellar mass estimate 25 times lower than expected from the $M_{BH}-M^*_{sph}$ relation, making this galaxy a strong outlier. This discrepancy suggests divergent growth pathways for the central black hole and spheroid, potentially influenced by the presence of a bar in the galaxy. Finally, we demonstrate that the DESI and 4MOST surveys will detect low-accretion rate IMBHs and LSMBHs and the sensitivity of future X-ray instruments (such as AXIS and Athena) will secure their classification.
comment: Submitted to A&A; 16 pages, 12 figures
☆ Impact of merger histories on the timing argument estimate of the Local Group mass
The timing argument (TA) aims to find the total mass of the Local Group (LG) from the relative motions of the Milky Way (MW) and Andromeda Galaxy (M31). However, the classical TA always overestimates the LG mass, presumably because it does not account for the hierarchical scenario and other interactions such as that with the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We focus on the impact of the recent major merger at M31 by using three merger models to find the peculiar motion of M31 within the simple two-body and point-mass scenario of TA. We found that the merger correction may affect the TA mass by either plus or minus 10-15% depending on the M31 tangential motion, which has very large uncertainties. If we consider a M31 merger configuration that reduces the TA mass by 10-15% to which we add the impact due to the LMC infall into the MW as reported in the literature, the TA mass would be found consistent with the LG mass from Hubble-Lemaitre flow. Galaxies are expected to experience about 16 major mergers each since z=11.5. Assuming all these mergers have similar impact on the TA mass as the most recent M31 merger, the ratio of LG mass to TA mass would be $0.85^{+0.65}_{-0.37}$ and such a TA mass is consistent with all the LG mass estimates. Our result also agrees with the findings using LG analogues in the cosmological simulations. We find that the TA mass estimate is limited by the hierarchical scenario, since it not possible to track the progenitors of both MW and M31 through so many mergers. We conclude that the MW-M31 dynamical system is far too complex to be modelled as a simple two-body point mass system.
comment: Accepted in Astronomy and Astrophysics, February 14th 2025, 5 pages, 4 Figures
♻ ☆ Probing cosmic chemical enrichment with next-generation gravitational-wave observatories
By observing binary black hole (BBH) mergers out to the edge of the Universe, next-generation (XG) ground-based gravitational-wave (GW) detectors like Cosmic Explorer and Einstein Telescope will map the BBH merger rate across all of cosmic history. This merger rate traces the formation rate of their progenitor stars convolved with a delay time distribution. Given theoretically-motivated priors on the delay time distribution, we show how XG observations can measure the BBH progenitor formation rate, probing the star formation rate (SFR) up to $z > 15$. However, the progenitor formation rate does not directly give a measurement of the SFR, but rather a combination of the SFR and its metallicity distribution as a function of redshift. Fortunately, the metallicity-dependence of BBH formation likely varies as a function of BBH mass and/or formation channel. We find that if different BBH subpopulations with distinct metallicity biases can be identified, comparing their rates as a function of redshift yields a simultaneous measurement of the SFR and its metallicity distribution. Given optimistic theoretical priors and one year of observation, this may provide a $\sim10\%$ measurement of the SFR at its peak and a 0.2 dex (0.7 dex) measurement of the median metallicity out to $z = 10$ ($z = 15$) at 90\% credibility, although the uncertainties scale with theoretical uncertainties on BBH delay times and formation efficiencies.
comment: Updated to match published version. Invited article for CQG focus issue "Focus on the Science Case for Next Generation (XG) Ground-Based Gravitational Wave Detectors."
♻ ☆ Blowing star formation away in AGN Hosts (BAH) -- II. Investigating the origin of the H2 emission excess in nearby galaxies with JWST MIRI
We use James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) medium-resolution spectrometer (MRS) observations of 3C 293 (UGC 8782), CGCG 012-070 and NGC 3884 to investigate the origin of the H$_2$ emission. These three nearby Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) hosts are known to present H$_2$ emission excess relative to star-forming galaxies, as traced by the H$_2$ S(3)/PAH$_{\rm 11.3\mu m}$ line ratio. We define the kinematically disturbed region (KDR) by the AGN and the virially dominated region (VDR) based on the H$_2$ line widths, using the $W{\rm 80}$ parameter. From the correlations between $W{\rm 80}$ and H$_2$ S(3)/PAH${\rm 11.3\mu m}$, as well as the higher H$2$ S(5)/H$2$ S(3) and [Fe II]${\rm 5.34 \mu m}$/PAH${\rm 11.3\mu m}$ ratios and flatter power-law temperature distributions observed in the KDR, we conclude that the H$_2$ emission in the KDR is primarily driven by shock-heated gas. For 3C 293, the KDR is co-spatial with the radio core, indicating that the origin of the shocks is the interaction of the radio jet with the interstellar medium, which is also responsible for the observed molecular and ionized gas outflows in this source. The other galaxies are weak radio sources; however, due to the lack of high-resolution radio images, we cannot rule out low-power jets as the origin of the shock-heated H$_2$. Our results indicate that the excess H$_2$ emission excess is associated to shock heating of the gas, generated by outflows or by the interaction of the radio jet with the ambient gas.
comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 16 pages, 5 figures
♻ ☆ JADES: A large population of obscured, narrow line AGN at high redshift
We present the identification of 42 narrow-line active galactic nuclei (type-2 AGN) candidates in the two deepest observations of the JADES spectroscopic survey with JWST/NIRSpec. The spectral coverage and the depth of our observations allow us to select narrow-line AGNs based on both rest-frame optical and UV emission lines up to z=10. Due to the metallicity decrease of galaxies, at $z>3$ the standard optical diagnostic diagrams (N2-BPT or S2-VO87) become unable to distinguish many AGN from other sources of photoionisation. Therefore, we also use high ionisation lines, such as HeII$\lambda$4686, HeII$\lambda$1640, NeIV$\lambda$2422, NeV$\lambda$3420, and NV$\lambda$1240, also in combination with other UV transitions, to trace the presence of AGN. Out of a parent sample of 209 galaxies, we identify 42 type-2 AGN (although 10 of them are tentative), giving a fraction of galaxies in JADES hosting type-2 AGN of about $20\pm3$\%, which does not evolve significantly in the redshift range between 2 and 10. The selected type-2 AGN have estimated bolometric luminosities of $10^{41.3-44.9}$ erg s$^{-1}$ and host-galaxy stellar masses of $10^{7.2-9.3}$ M$_{\odot}$. The star formation rates of the selected AGN host galaxies are consistent with those of the star-forming main sequence. The AGN host galaxies at z=4-6 contribute $\sim$8-30 \% to the UV luminosity function, slightly increasing with UV luminosity.
comment: 23 pages 13 figures
♻ ☆ The mass-dependent UVJ diagram at cosmic noon: A challenge for galaxy evolution models and dust radiative transfer
Context. The UVJ color-color diagram is a widely used diagnostic to separate star-forming and quiescent galaxies. Observational data from photometric surveys reveal a strong stellar mass trend, with higher-mass star-forming galaxies being systematically more dust-reddened. Aims. We analyze the UVJ diagram in the TNG100 cosmological simulation at cosmic noon ($z\approx2$). Specifically, we focus on the trend between UVJ colors and mass which has not been reproduced in any cosmological simulation thus far. Methods. We applied the SKIRT dust radiative transfer code to the TNG100 simulation to generate rest-frame UVJ fluxes. These UVJ colors were then compared to observational data from several well-studied extragalactic fields from the CANDELS/3D-HST programs, augmented by recent JWST/NIRCam photometry. Results. Quiescent and low-mass ($M_\star\lesssim10^{10.5}\,\mathrm{M}_\odot$) galaxies at cosmic noon do not require significant levels of dust reddening, as opposed to massive ($M_\star\gtrsim10^{11}\,\mathrm{M}_\odot$) star-forming galaxies. An extensive range of possible dust models fall short of the required dust reddening in V-J color for massive star-forming galaxies, with the simulated galaxies being too blue by $\approx0.9\,\mathrm{mag}$. Conclusions. We find that only variations in the star-to-dust geometries of the simulated galaxies can yield V-J colors that are red enough to match the observations. A toy model with isolated dust screens around younger stellar populations (with ages below $\sim1\,\mathrm{Gyr}$) can reproduce the observational data, while all conventional dust radiative transfer models (where the dust distribution follows the metals in the interstellar medium) fail to achieve the required V-J colors.
comment: Main text 17 pages, 12 figures. Accepted to A&A. Our analysis is publicly available at https://github.com/andreagebek/TNG100_UVJ
♻ ☆ The Impact of $^{12}$C($α, γ$)$^{16}$O Reaction on the Presupernova Evolution and Supernova Explodability of Massive Stars
Among the uncertainties of stellar evolution theory, we investigate how the $^{12}$C($\alpha, \gamma$)$^{16}$O reaction rate affects the evolution of massive stars for the initial masses of $M ({\rm ZAMS})=$ 13 - 40 M$_\odot$ and the solar metallicity. We show that the {\sl explodability} of these stars, i.e., which of a neutron star (NS) or a black hole (BH) is formed, is sensitive to the strength of convective shell burning of C and O, and thus the mass fractions of C ($X$(C)) and O in the shell. For the small $^{12}$C($\alpha, \gamma$)$^{16}$O reaction rate that yields larger $X$(C), $X$(C) is further enhanced by mixing of C from the overlying layer and then C shell burning is strengthened. The extra heating by C shell burning tends to prevent the contraction of outer layers and decrease the {\sl compactness parameter} at $M_r$ = 2.5 M$_\odot$. This effect leads to the formation of smaller mass cores of Si and Fe and steeper density and pressure gradients at the O burning shell in the presupernova models. If the pressure gradient there is steeper, the model is more likely to explode to form a NS rather than a BH. We describe the pressure gradient against $M_r$ with $V/U$ and the density drop with $1/U$, where $U$ and $V$ are non-dimensional variables to describe the stellar structure. We estimate the critical values of $V/U$ and $1/U$ at the O-burning shell above which the model is more likely to explode. We conclude that the smaller $^{12}$C($\alpha, \gamma$)$^{16}$O reaction rate makes the mass range of $M ({\rm ZAMS})$ that forms a NS larger.
comment: 46 pages, 50 figures
♻ ☆ On the Average Ultraviolet Emission Line Spectra of High-Redshift Galaxies: Hot and Cold, Carbon-poor, Nitrogen-modest, and Oozing Ionizing Photons
We determine the spectroscopic properties of ~1000 ostensibly star-forming galaxies at redshifts (z=4-10) using prism spectroscopy from JWST/NIRSpec. With rest-wavelength coverage between Lya and [S II] in the optical, we stack spectra as a function of nebular conditions, and compare UV spectral properties with stellar age. This reveals UV lines of N III], N IV], C III], C IV, He II, and O III] in the average high-z galaxy. All UV lines are more intense in younger starbursts. We measure electron temperatures from the collisionally excited [O III] line ratios, finding Te=18000-22000 K for the O++ regions. We also detect a significant nebular Balmer Jump from which we estimate only Te=8000-13000 K. Accounting for typical temperature offsets between zones bearing doubly and singly ionized oxygen, these two temperatures remain discrepant by around 40%. We use the [O III] temperatures to estimate abundances of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen. We find that log(C/O) is consistently ~-1, with no evolution of C/O with metallicity or stellar age. The average spectra are mildly enhanced in Nitrogen, with higher N/O than low-z starbursts, but are less enhanced than samples of high-z galaxies with visible UV N III] and N IV]. Whatever processes produce the N-enhancement in the individual galaxies must also be ongoing, at lower levels, in the median galaxy in the early Universe. The strongest starbursts are a source of significant ionizing emission: ionizing photon production efficiencies reach 10^25.7 Hz/erg, and show multiple signatures of high Lyman continuum escape, including Mg II escape fractions nearing 100%, significant deficits in [S II] emission, high degrees of ionization, and blue UV colors.
comment: In press at the ApJ. Minor modifications. Figure 9 replaced; bugs corrected in table 8
♻ ☆ CSST Large Scale Structure Analysis Pipeline: III. Emission-line Redshift Measurement for Slitless Spectra
The China Space Station Telescope (CSST) is a forthcoming space-based optical telescope designed to co-orbit with the Chinese Space Station. With a planned slitless spectroscopic survey spanning a broad wavelength range of $255-1000$nm and an average spectral resolution exceeding 200, the CSST holds significant potential for cosmic large-scale structure analysis. In this study, we focus on redshift determinations from slitless spectra through emission line analysis within the CSST framework. Our tailored redshift measurement process involves identifying emission lines in one-dimensional slitless spectra, aligning observed wavelengths with their rest-frame counterparts from prominent galaxy emissions, and calculating wavelength shifts to determine redshifts accurately. To validate our redshift measurement algorithm, we leverage simulated spectra generated by the CSST emulator for slitless spectroscopy. The outcomes demonstrate a remarkable redshift completeness exceeding 95 per cent for emission line galaxies (ELGs), alongside a purity surpassing 85 per cent. The redshift uncertainty remains impressively below than $\sim 0.001$. Notably, when concentrating on galaxies with more than three matched emission lines, the completeness of ELGs and the purity of measurable galaxies can reach 98 per cent and 97 per cent, respectively. Furthermore, we explore the influence of parameters like magnitude, spectral signal-to-noise ratio, and redshift on redshift completeness and purity. The discussion also delves into redshift degeneracies stemming from emission-line matching confusion. Our developed redshift measurement process will be applied to extensive simulated datasets and forthcoming CSST slitless spectroscopic observations for further cosmological and extragalactic analyses.
♻ ☆ NeutralUniverseMachine: How Filaments and Dark Matter Halo Influence the Galaxy Cold Gas Content
Aims. We aim to investigate the influence of the distance to filaments and dark-matter haloes on galaxy cold-gas content in the empirical model NeutralUniverseMachine (NUM) and the hydrodynamical simulation IllustrisTNG. Methods. We used DisPerSE to identify cosmic web structures and calculate the distance of galaxies to filaments for both observations and models. We show the results of the HI and H2 mass functions, HI- and H2-halo-mass relations, HI- and H2-stellar-mass relations for galaxies in the NUM model and IllustrisTNG with different distances to filaments and compare them with observational measurements. We also show the evolution of HI and H2 mass densities at different distances to filament bins. Results. We find that how filaments affect the HI gas is generally less significant compared to the halo environment. There is a weak trend in the observations at z=0 that low-mass haloes lying closer to the filaments tend to have reduced HI masses. However, this trend reverses for massive haloes with log(Mvir/Msun) > 12.5. This behaviour is accurately reproduced in the NUM model due to the dependence of HI gas on the halo formation time, but it does not appear in IllustrisTNG. The influence of filaments on the HI gas becomes slightly weaker at higher redshifts and is only significant for galaxies that reside in massive haloes in the NUM model. Filaments have almost no impact on the H2-stellar-mass relation in both models, confirming that H2 is primarily determined by the galaxy stellar mass and star formation rate.
comment: Accepted by A&A, 10 pages, 7 figures
Bow Shock and Local Bubble Plasma Unveiled by the Scintillating Millisecond Pulsar J0437$-$4715
The ionized interstellar medium contains au-scale (and below) structures that scatter radio waves from pulsars, resulting in scintillation. Power spectral analysis of scintillation often shows parabolic arcs, with curvatures that encode the locations and kinematics of the pulsar, Earth, and interstellar plasma. Here we report the discovery of 25 distinct plasma structures in the direction of the brilliant millisecond pulsar, PSR J0437-4715, in observations obtained with the MeerKAT radio telescope. Four arcs reveal structures within 5000 au of the pulsar, from a series of shocks induced as the pulsar and its wind interact with the ambient interstellar medium. The measured radial distance and velocity of the main shock allows us to solve the shock geometry and space velocity of the pulsar in three dimensions, while the velocity of another structure unexpectedly indicates a back flow from the direction of the shock or pulsar-wind tail. The remaining 21 arcs represent a surprising abundance of structures sustained by turbulence within the Local Bubble -- a region of the interstellar medium thought to be depleted of gas by a series of supernova explosions about 14 Myr ago. The Local Bubble is cool enough in areas for sub-au density fluctuations to arise from turbulence.
comment: 48 pages, 10 figures, 1 table, submitted to Nature Astronomy
♻ ☆ Molecular gas and dust properties in $z>7$ quasar hosts
Observational campaigns hunting the elusive reservoirs of cold gas in the host galaxies of quasars at the epoch of reionization (EoR) are crucial for studying the formation and evolution of the first massive systems at early epochs. We present new Northern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) observations tracing CO(6--5) and CO(7--6) emission lines as well as the underlying continuum in five of the eight quasars at redshift $z>7$ known to date, thus completing the survey of the cold molecular gas reservoir in the host galaxies of the first quasars. Combining NOEMA observations with archival Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) data, we modeled the far-infrared spectral energy distribution with a modified blackbody function to measure dust properties and star formation rates. We used CO and [CII] lines to derive molecular gas masses, which we compared with results from semi-analytic models and observations of galaxies at different epochs. No statistically significant detection of CO emission lines was reported for the five quasars in this sample, resulting in a relatively low amount of cold molecular gas in the host when compared with galaxies at later epochs. Nonetheless, gas-to-dust ratios are consistent with the local value, suggesting that the scaling relation between dust and cold gas holds up to $z>7$. Quasars at the EoR show star formation efficiencies that are among the highest observed so far and comparable with those observed in luminous quasars at Cosmic Noon and those predicted for the brightest ($L_{bol}>3\times10^{46}$ erg s$^-1$) quasar objects drawn from the semi-analytic model GAEA. Quasar host galaxies at the EoR are undergoing an intense phase of star formation, which suggests a strong coupling between the luminous phase of the quasar and the rapid growth of the host.
comment: 16 pages, 4 figures, 3 Appendix. Published on A&A
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 13
☆ Testing and Combining Transient Spectral Classification Tools on 4MOST-like Blended Spectra
With the 4-meter Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope (4MOST) expected to provide an influx of transient spectra when it begins observations in early 2026 we consider the potential for real-time classification of these spectra. We investigate three extant spectroscopic transient classifiers: the Deep Automated Supernova and Host classifier (DASH), Next Generation SuperFit (NGSF) and SuperNova IDentification (SNID), with a focus on comparing the efficiency and purity of the transient samples they produce. We discuss our method for simulating realistic, 4MOST-like, host-galaxy contaminated spectra and determining quality cuts for each classifier used to ensure pure SN Ia samples while maintaining efficient classification in other transient classes. We investigate the classifiers individually and in combinations. We find that a combination of DASH and NGSF can produce a SN Ia sample with a purity of 99.9% while successfully classifying 70% of SNe Ia. However, it struggles to classify non-SN Ia transients. We investigate photometric cuts to transient magnitude and transient flux fraction, finding that both can be used to improve transient classification efficiencies by 7--25% depending on the transient subclass. Finally, we present an example classification plan for live classification and the predicted purities and efficiencies across five transient classes: Ia, Ibc, II, superluminous and non-supernova transients.
comment: Submitted to MNRAS
☆ Formation of Jet-driven Forced Reconnection Region and Associated Plasma Blobs in a Prominence Segment
We use data from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) to study the most likely formation of a forced reconnection region and associated plasma blobs, triggered by jet-like structures in a prominence segment. Around 05:44 UT on December 16$^{th}$, 2017, hot jet-like structures lifted from a nearby active region and fell obliquely on one side of the prominence segment with velocities of $\approx$45--65 km s$^{-1}$. These eruptions compressed the boundaries of the prominence and flux rope, forming an elongated reconnection region with inflow velocities of 47--52 km s$^{-1}$ and 36--49 km s$^{-1}$ in the projected plane. A thin, elongated reconnection region was formed, with multiple magnetic plasma blobs propagating bidirectionally at velocities of 91--178 km s$^{-1}$. These dense blobs, associated with ongoing reconnection, may also be linked to the onset of Kelvin-Helmholtz (K-H) instability. The blobs are attributed to plasmoids, moving at slower speeds (91--178 km s$^{-1}$) due to the high density in the prominence segment. The dimensionless reconnection rate varied from 0.57--0.28, 0.53--0.26, and 0.41--0.20, indicating reconnection rate enhancement and supporting the forced reconnection scenario. After reconnection, the prominence plasma heated to 6 MK, releasing significant thermal energy ($\approx$5.4$\times$10$^{27}$ erg), which drained cool prominence plasma and heated it to coronal temperatures. The ubiquity of jets and outflows in the solar atmosphere makes the aforementioned of reconnection and possible co-existence of K-H instability potentially important for the magnetic energy release and heating in the solar atmosphere.
comment: 10 Figures and Accepted for publications in ApJ
☆ Ringworlds and Dyson spheres can be stable
In his 1856 Adams Prize essay, James Clark Maxwell demonstrated that Saturn's rings cannot be comprised of a uniform rigid body. This is a consequence of the two-body gravitational interaction between a ring and planet resulting in instability. Similarly, it is also known that a so-called Dyson sphere encompassing a single star would be unstable due to Newton's shell theorem. A surprising finding is reported here that both a ring and a sphere (shell) can be stable in the restricted three-body problem. First, if two primary masses are considered in orbit about their common centre of mass, a large, uniform, infinitesimal ring enclosing the smaller of the masses can in principle be stable under certain conditions. Similarly, a Dyson sphere can, be stable, if the sphere encloses the smaller of the two primary masses, again under certain conditions. These findings extend Maxwell's results on the dynamics of rings and have an interesting bearing on so-called Ringworlds and Dyson spheres from fiction. Moreover, the existence of passively stable orbits for such large-scale structures may have implications for so-called techno-signatures in search for extra-terrestrial intelligence studies.
comment: 19 pages, 16 figures, 1 table, published in MNRAS
☆ A Python Toolkit for Plotting Double Star Observations with 1:1 Aspect Ratio
Accurate visualization of double star astrometric data is essential for effective analysis and interpretation. This article presents a Python toolkit designed for astronomers who need to plot measurements from diverse sources -- historical, Gaia DR3, and the Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) network -- while maintaining a 1:1 aspect ratio to avoid visually distorting the data. The toolkit is composed of three scripts: one that handles polar coordinates (P.A., separation), one for Cartesian (X, Y) coordinates, and another with the option to include predicted theoretical points. This paper describes the purpose, functionality, and usage of these scripts, including example figures, installation guides, and licensing information. This toolkit has been used by the author and collaborators in published and submitted research on double star systems, demonstrating its versatility for both professional and student-driven investigations.
comment: 7 pages, 1 figure
☆ Introduction to magnetic star-planet interactions
The interaction between planets and their host stars is governed by the forces of gravity, radiation, and magnetic fields. For planets orbiting their stars at distances of approximately 10 stellar radii or less, these effects are significantly intensified. Such interactions can be investigated through a combination of photometric, spectroscopic, and spectropolarimetric studies spanning wavelengths from X-rays to radio frequencies. When a hot planet resides within the star's sub-Alfv\'enic radius, magnetic star-planet interactions (SPI) become possible, often observable as stellar activity enhancements influenced by the planet's orbital motion rather than stellar rotation alone. Such interactions offer a unique perspective on the atmospheric erosion and magnetospheric characteristics of close-in exoplanets.The behavior and impacts of these magnetic interactions are highly sensitive to the magnetic fields of both the planet and its host star. This interplay can influence the magnetic activity of both bodies and has implications for the planet's irradiation levels, orbital migration, and the star's rotational dynamics. By employing phase-resolved observational methods on an expanding sample of hot Jupiter (HJ) systems, researchers can now extend these studies to other compact star-planet systems, including smaller planets in the habitable zones of M dwarfs. Efforts to comprehend magnetic SPI have led to extensive advancements in theoretical research and computational modeling. These efforts include investigations into the space weather environments of close-in giant exoplanets. Utilizing hydrodynamical (HD) and magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) simulations, researchers aim to provide both qualitative and quantitative descriptions of SPI. In this chapter, we first review notable SPI detections before summarizing the current understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms driving SPI.
comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, to be published as a chapter in 'Space Environments and their Impact on Exoplanets', editor O. Cohen
☆ White Dwarf Variability
There are a few different mechanisms that can cause white dwarf stars to vary in brightness, providing opportunities to probe the physics, structures, and formation of these compact stellar remnants. The observational characteristics of the three most common types of white dwarf variability are summarized: stellar pulsations, rotation, and ellipsoidal variations from tidal distortion in binary systems. Stellar pulsations are emphasized as the most complex type of variability, which also has the greatest potential to reveal the conditions of white dwarf interiors.
comment: To be included as a chapter in the forthcoming Encyclopedia of Astrophysics from Elsevier (eds. Jeff Andrews, Ilya Mandel)
☆ Inconsistent metallicity spreads in first generation stars of globular clusters from high resolution spectroscopy and HST photometry
An open issue about multiple stellar populations in globular clusters (GCs) is the possible existence of metallicity spreads in first generation (FG) stars. Recent estimates based on HST pseudo-colours map (PCM) derived unlikely large spreads in [Fe/H] from spreads in the colour col=m_{F275W}-m_{F814W}. The inferred metallicity spreads for many GCs are comparable or even larger than those observed in dwarf galaxies. This result is clearly unexpected and at odds with the birth time of stars in dwarf galaxies, spanning several billion years, as opposed to very short formation times of the stellar component in GCs (a few million years). The contradiction is corroborated by the comparison of the widths of red giant branches in both classes of objects. Moreover, the so called spreads in FG stars estimated from the PCMs are always larger than the intrinsic metallicity spreads derived from spectroscopy. We used 30 pairs of FG stars with similar parameters in 12 GCs to highlight that a constant displacement in Delta col corresponds to variable differences in [Fe/H] up to 0.2 dex, depending on the GC. Providing for the first time quantitative measurements of the extension in Delta col of the sequences of FG and SG stars, we found no relation between metallicity spreads previously derived and extension of FG stars. We found that the length of the FG region correlates with the average global metallicity of GCs, and not with the observed metallicity spreads. The extension of FG stars also correlates with the extension of SG stars, and the global mass of the GCs. Our findings seriously challenge the scenario claiming more inhomogeneous mixing among FG stars, invalidating previous speculations in the literature.
comment: 18 pages, 17 figures, plus an Appendix with 5 pages and 5 figures, accepted for publication on Astronomy and Astrophysics
☆ Calibrating chemical mixing induced by internal gravity waves based on hydrodynamical simulations; The chemical evolution of OB-type stars
Internal gravity waves (IGWs) have been shown to contribute to the transport of chemical elements in stars with a convective core and radiative envelope. Recent 2D hydrodynamical simulations of convection in intermediate-mass stars have provided estimates of the chemical mixing efficiency of such waves. The chemical diffusion coefficient from IGW mixing is described by a constant A times the squared wave velocity. The value of A, however, remains unconstrained by such simulations. This work aims at investigating what values A can take in order to reproduce the observed nitrogen surface abundances of the most nitrogen-enriched massive stars. Furthermore, we discuss the prevalence of IGW mixing compared to rotational mixing. We provide an implementation of these mixing profiles predicted from hydrodynamical simulations in the one-dimensional stellar evolution code MESA. We compute evolution tracks for stars between 3 and 30Msun with this new implementation for IGW mixing and study the evolution for the surface abundances of isotopes involved in the CNO cycle, particularly the N14 isotope. We show that this 1D framework predicting the chemical diffusion coefficient from IGW mixing yields consistent morphologies of the mixing profile in comparison with hydrodynamical simulations. We find that the value of A must increase with mass in order to reproduce the most nitrogen-enriched stars. Assuming these calibrated values for A, mixing by IGWs is a potential mechanism to reproduce well-mixed stars without needing rapid rotation. We have provided observational limits on the efficiency of IGW mixing for future theoretical studies. Future asteroseismic modelling efforts taking IGW mixing into account will be able to place additional constraints on the convective core mass, as our models predict that the convective core should be significantly more massive if IGW mixing is indeed efficient.
comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. 12 pages. Full abstract in PDF
♻ ☆ Investigating Solar Wind Outflows from Open-Closed Magnetic Field Structures Using Coordinated Solar Orbiter and Hinode Observations
ESA/NASA's Solar Orbiter (SO) allows us to study the solar corona at closer distances and from different perspectives, which helps us to gain significant insights into the origins of the solar wind. In this work, we present the analysis of solar wind outflows from two locations: a narrow open-field corridor and a small, mid-latitude coronal hole. These outflows were observed off-limb by the Metis coronagraph onboard SO and on-disk by the Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) onboard Hinode. Magnetic field extrapolations suggest that the upflow regions seen in EIS were the sources of the outflowing solar wind observed with Metis. We find that the plasma associated with the narrow open-field corridor has higher electron densities and lower outflow velocities compared to the coronal hole plasma in the middle corona, even though the plasma properties of the two source regions in the low corona are found to be relatively similar. The speed of solar wind from the open-field corridor also shows no correlation with the magnetic field expansion factor, unlike the coronal hole. These pronounced differences at higher altitudes may arise from the dynamic nature of the low-middle corona, in which reconnection can readily occur and may play an important role in driving solar wind variability.
comment: 35 pages, 9 figures, 1 movie, Accepted for publication in Solar Physics
♻ ☆ Triple Evolution Pathways to Black Hole Low-Mass X-ray Binaries: Insights from V404 Cygni
A recent discovery shows that V404 Cygni, a prototypical black hole low-mass X-ray binary (BH-LMXB) is a hierarchical triple: the BH and donor star are orbited by a $1.2$ M$_{\odot}$ tertiary at a distance of at least $3500$ au. Motivated by this system, we evolve a grid of $\sim50,000$ triple star systems, spanning a broad range of initial orbits. Our calculations employ {\tt MESA} stellar evolution models, using {\tt POSYDON}, and self-consistently track the effects of eccentric Kozai-Lidov (EKL) oscillations, mass loss, tides, and BH natal kicks. In our simulations, the progenitors of V404 Cygni-like systems have initial outer separations of $1000 - 10000$ au and inner separations of $\sim100$ au, such that they avoid Roche lobe overflow most of the time. Later on, EKL oscillations drive the inner binary to high eccentricities until tides shrink the orbit and mass transfer begins. Notably, such systems only form in simulations with very weak black hole natal kicks ($\lesssim 5\,{\rm km\,s^{-1}}$) because stronger kicks unbind the tertiaries. Our simulations also predict a population of BH-LMXB triples that form via the classical common-envelope channel, when the BH progenitor does overflow its Roche lobe. The formation rate for this channel is also higher in triples than in isolated binaries because early EKL oscillations cause inner binaries with a wider range of initial separations to enter and survive a common envelope. Our calculations demonstrate that at least some stellar BHs form with extremely weak kicks, and that triple evolution is a significant formation channel for BH-LMXBs.
comment: Accepted to ApJ
♻ ☆ The Impact of $^{12}$C($α, γ$)$^{16}$O Reaction on the Presupernova Evolution and Supernova Explodability of Massive Stars
Among the uncertainties of stellar evolution theory, we investigate how the $^{12}$C($\alpha, \gamma$)$^{16}$O reaction rate affects the evolution of massive stars for the initial masses of $M ({\rm ZAMS})=$ 13 - 40 M$_\odot$ and the solar metallicity. We show that the {\sl explodability} of these stars, i.e., which of a neutron star (NS) or a black hole (BH) is formed, is sensitive to the strength of convective shell burning of C and O, and thus the mass fractions of C ($X$(C)) and O in the shell. For the small $^{12}$C($\alpha, \gamma$)$^{16}$O reaction rate that yields larger $X$(C), $X$(C) is further enhanced by mixing of C from the overlying layer and then C shell burning is strengthened. The extra heating by C shell burning tends to prevent the contraction of outer layers and decrease the {\sl compactness parameter} at $M_r$ = 2.5 M$_\odot$. This effect leads to the formation of smaller mass cores of Si and Fe and steeper density and pressure gradients at the O burning shell in the presupernova models. If the pressure gradient there is steeper, the model is more likely to explode to form a NS rather than a BH. We describe the pressure gradient against $M_r$ with $V/U$ and the density drop with $1/U$, where $U$ and $V$ are non-dimensional variables to describe the stellar structure. We estimate the critical values of $V/U$ and $1/U$ at the O-burning shell above which the model is more likely to explode. We conclude that the smaller $^{12}$C($\alpha, \gamma$)$^{16}$O reaction rate makes the mass range of $M ({\rm ZAMS})$ that forms a NS larger.
comment: 46 pages, 50 figures
♻ ☆ Constraining first-order phase transition inside neutron stars with application of Bayesian techniques on PSR J0437-4715 NICER data
Understanding the existence of exotic matter phases and phase transitions within the core of neutron stars is crucial to advancing our knowledge of cold-dense matter physics. Recent multi-messenger observations, including gravitational waves from neutron star mergers and precise X-ray data from NASA's Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) mission, have significantly constrained the neutron star equation of state (EOS). This study investigates the effects of phase transitions in neutron stars, focusing on NICER's latest observation of PSR J0437-4715. We employ Bayesian inference techniques to evaluate the presence of first-order phase transitions using a piecewise polytropic EOS model. Our analysis incorporates data from multiple NICER sources, to refine constraints on key phase transition parameters, including critical density and transition depth. We find that including data from PSR J0437-4715 improves the evidence of phase transitions and tightens the EOS constraints, especially at higher densities. However, Bayes factor analysis only indicates a slight preference for models without phase transitions and current observational precision is insufficient to draw definitive conclusions. In particular, this polytropic model identifies the critical phase transition mass of neutron stars as being close to 1.4 solar masses, which coincides with the approximate mass range of PSR J0437-4715. This work emphasizes the importance of precise measurements of PSR J0437-4715 for deepening our understanding of neutron star interiors and exploring potential new physics at extreme densities.
comment: Submitted to ApJ
Bow Shock and Local Bubble Plasma Unveiled by the Scintillating Millisecond Pulsar J0437$-$4715
The ionized interstellar medium contains au-scale (and below) structures that scatter radio waves from pulsars, resulting in scintillation. Power spectral analysis of scintillation often shows parabolic arcs, with curvatures that encode the locations and kinematics of the pulsar, Earth, and interstellar plasma. Here we report the discovery of 25 distinct plasma structures in the direction of the brilliant millisecond pulsar, PSR J0437-4715, in observations obtained with the MeerKAT radio telescope. Four arcs reveal structures within 5000 au of the pulsar, from a series of shocks induced as the pulsar and its wind interact with the ambient interstellar medium. The measured radial distance and velocity of the main shock allows us to solve the shock geometry and space velocity of the pulsar in three dimensions, while the velocity of another structure unexpectedly indicates a back flow from the direction of the shock or pulsar-wind tail. The remaining 21 arcs represent a surprising abundance of structures sustained by turbulence within the Local Bubble -- a region of the interstellar medium thought to be depleted of gas by a series of supernova explosions about 14 Myr ago. The Local Bubble is cool enough in areas for sub-au density fluctuations to arise from turbulence.
comment: 48 pages, 10 figures, 1 table, submitted to Nature Astronomy
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena 40
☆ Sampling the full hierarchical population posterior distribution in gravitational-wave astronomy
We present a full sampling of the hierarchical population posterior distribution of merging black holes using current gravitational-wave data. We directly tackle the the most relevant intrinsic parameter space made of the binary parameters (masses, spin magnitudes, spin directions, redshift) of all the events entering the GWTC-3 LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA catalog, as well as the hyperparameters of the underlying population of sources. This results in a parameter space of about 500 dimensions, in contrast with current investigations where the targeted dimensionality is drastically reduced by marginalizing over all single-event parameters. In particular, we have direct access to (i) population parameters, (ii) population-informed single-event parameters, and (iii) correlations between these two sets of parameters. Our implementation relies on modern probabilistic programming languages and Hamiltonian Monte Carlo, with a continuous interpolation of single-event posterior probabilities. Sampling the full hierarchical problem is feasible, as demonstrated here, and advantageous as it removes some (but not all) of the Monte Carlo integrations that enter the likelihood together with the related variances.
comment: 9+1 pages, 4+1 figures
☆ Insights from leptohadronic modelling of the brightest blazar flare
The blazar 3C 454.3 experienced a major flare in November 2010 making it the brightest $\gamma$-ray source in the sky of the Fermi-LAT. We obtain seven daily consecutive spectral-energy distributions (SEDs) of the flare in the infra-red, optical, ultra-violet, X-ray and $\gamma$-ray bands with publicly available data. We simulate the physical conditions in the blazar and show that the observed SEDs are well reproduced in the framework of a "standing feature" where the position of the emitting region is almost stationary, located beyond the outer radius of the broad-line region and into which fresh blobs of relativistically moving magnetized plasma are continuously injected. Meanwhile, a model with a single "moving blob" does not describe the data well. We obtain a robust upper limit to the amount of high-energy protons in the jet of 3C 454.3 from the electromagnetic SED. We construct a neutrino light curve of 3C 454.3 and estimate the expected neutrino yield at energies $\geq 100$ TeV for 3C 454.3 to be up to $6 \times 10^{-3}$ $\nu_{\mu}$ per year. Finally, we extrapolate our model findings to the light curves of all Fermi-LAT flat-spectrum radio quasars. We find that next-generation neutrino telescopes are expected to detect approximately one multimessenger ($\gamma + \nu_{\mu}$) flare per year from bright blazars with neutrino peak energy in the hundreds TeV -- hundreds PeV energy range and show that the electromagnetic flare peak can precede the neutrino arrival by months to years.
comment: submitted to MNRAS; 19 pages (12 figures, 3 tables) + appendices
☆ Bondi-like Accretion Flow Dynamics: The Role of Gravitational Potential
The formation of massive black holes and their coevolution with host galaxies are pivotal areas of modern astrophysics. Spherical accretion onto a central point mass serves as a foundational frame- work in cosmological simulations, semianalytical models, and observational studies. This work extends the classical spherical accretion model by incorporating the gravitational potential of host galaxies, including contributions from stellar components and dark matter halos. Numerical solutions spanning parsec-scale to event-horizon-scale regimes reveal that the flow structure is highly sensitive to the mass and size of the dark matter halo. Adding low angular momentum to the accreting gas demonstrates that such flows resemble spherical Bondi accretion, with mass accretion rates converging towards the Bondi rate. We find that the low angular momentum flow resembles the spherical Bondi flow and its mass accretion rate approaches the Bondi accretion rate. Due to the presence of dark matter, the mass accretion rate is increased by a factor of more than ~ %100 in comparison to analogous hydrodynamic solutions. These findings underscore the critical role of stellar and dark matter gravitational poten- tials in shaping the dynamics and accretion rates of quasi-spherical flows, providing new insights into astrophysical accretion processes.
comment: 12 pages, 8 figures
☆ Using Infrared Dust Echoes to Identify Bright Quasi-periodic Eruption Sources
Quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs) are recurring soft X-ray outbursts from galactic nuclei and represent an intriguing new class of transients. Currently, 10 QPE sources are reported in the literature, and a major challenge lies in identifying more because they are (apparently) intrinsically and exclusively X-ray bright. Here we highlight the unusual infrared (IR) echo of the tidal disruption event (TDE) -- and subsequent QPE source -- AT2019qiz, which rose continuously and approximately linearly with time over roughly 1000 days (between 2019 and 2024). We argue that this continuous long rise alongside the relatively high inferred IR temperature (800-1200 K) cannot be generated by the TDE itself, including the late-time/remnant TDE disk, but that the reprocessing of the light from the QPEs by a shell of dust can reproduce the observations. This model predicts 1) IR QPEs at the 0.1 percent level that are potentially detectable with the James Webb Space Telescope, and 2) that if the QPEs cease in AT2019qiz, the IR light curve should decline steadily and linearly over the same 1000-day timescale. We identify another TDE with similar IR behavior, AT2020ysg, which could thus harbor QPEs. Our findings and inferences constitute a novel method for identifying ``bright'' QPEs (with peak bolometric luminosities $\gtrsim$10$^{44}$ erg/sec), i.e., that the follow-up of optically selected TDEs with wide-field infrared surveys can indirectly reveal the presence of QPEs. This approach could be particularly effective with the upcoming Roman telescope, which could detect dozens of QPE candidates for high-cadence X-ray follow-up.
comment: Submitted to ApJ Letters
☆ General relativistic quasi-spherical accretion in a dark matter halo
Context. The Bondi spherical accretion solution has been used to model accretion onto compact objects in a variety of situations, from interpretation of observations to subgrid models in cosmological simulations. Aims. We aim to investigate how the presence of dark matter (DM) alters the dynamics and physical properties of accretion onto supermassive black holes on scales ranging from ~ 10 pc to the event horizon. Methods. In particular, we investigate Bondi-like accretion flows with zero and low specific angular momentum around supermassive black holes surrounded by dark-matter halos by performing 1D and 2.5D general relativistic hydrodynamics (GRHD) simulations using the black hole accretion code (BHAC). Results. We find notable differences in the dynamics and structure of spherical accretion flows in the presence of DM. The most significant effects include increases in density, temperature, and pressure, as well as variations in radial velocity both inside and outside the regions containing DM or even the production of outflow. Conclusions. This investigation provides valuable insights into the role of cosmological effects, particularly DM, in shaping the behavior of accretion flows and black holes (BHs). Our simulations may be directly applicable to model systems with a large black hole-to-halo mass ratio, which are expected to be found at very high redshifts.
comment: 12 pages, 7 figures,
☆ KM3NeT Constraint on Lorentz-Violating Superluminal Neutrino Velocity
Lorentz invariance is a fundamental symmetry of spacetime and foundational to modern physics. One of its most important consequences is the constancy of the speed of light. This invariance, together with the geometry of spacetime, implies that no particle can move faster than the speed of light. In this article, we present the most stringent neutrino-based test of this prediction, using the highest energy neutrino ever detected to date, KM3-230213A. The arrival of this event, with an energy of $220^{+570}_{-110}\,\text{PeV}$, sets a constraint on $\delta \equiv c_\nu^2-1 < 4\times10^{-22}$.
☆ Exploring lensing signatures through spectrotemporal correlations: implications for black hole parameter estimation
Extreme gravitational lensing and relativistic frequency shifts, combined together, imply that radiation emitted from a black hole's vicinity can echo at different frequencies and times, leading to spectrotemporal correlations in observed signals. If such correlations are uncovered by future observations, they could provide a probe of the spacetime geometry in the strong-field region near black holes. Here, motivated by these prospects, we numerically compute the two-point correlation function of specific flux fluctuations in a simple model of line emission by a hotspot in an equatorial circular orbit. We make use of the Adaptive Analytical Ray Tracing (AART) code to generate the light curves we then correlate. Our results for the correlation maps show a clear decomposition into direct emission-dominated, and lensing-dominated contributions. The computation transcends past analytical approximations, studying the main contribution to the correlation function, which is not deep in the universal regime. We compute correlation maps for many combinations of black hole mass, spin, inclination, hotspot width, and orbital radius, and study their dependence on these parameters. The correlation maps are then used to train convolutional neural networks which can be used to estimate source parameters, achieving promisingly low evaluation errors within the model. Our results could be relevant for future X-ray spectroscopic missions, offering insights into black hole parameter inference.
comment: 10 figures, Comments are welcome
☆ Constraining first-order phase transition inside neutron stars with application of Bayesian techniques on PSR J0437-4715 NICER data
Understanding the existence of exotic matter phases and phase transitions within the core of neutron stars is crucial to advancing our knowledge of cold-dense matter physics. Recent multimessenger observations, including gravitational waves from neutron star mergers and precise X-ray data from NASA's Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) mission, have significantly constrained the neutron star equation of state (EOS). This study investigates the effects of phase transitions in neutron stars, focusing on NICER's latest observation of PSR J0437$-$4715. We employ Bayesian inference techniques to evaluate the presence of first-order phase transitions using a piecewise polytropic EOS model. Our analysis incorporates data from multiple NICER sources, to refine constraints on key phase transition parameters, including critical density and transition depth. We find that including data from PSR J0437$-$4715 improves the evidence of phase transitions and tightens the EOS constraints, especially at higher densities. However, Bayes factor analysis only indicates a slight preference for models without phase transitions and current observational precision is insufficient to draw definitive conclusions. In particular, this polytropic model identifies the critical phase transition mass of neutron stars as being close to 1.4 solar masses, concincide with the rough mass range of PSR J0437$-$4715. This work emphasizes the importance of precise measurements of PSR J0437$-$4715 for deepening our understanding of neutron star interiors and exploring potential new physics at extreme densities.
comment: Submitted to ApJ
☆ Exploring the Most Extreme Gamma-Ray Blazars Using Broadband Spectral Energy Distributions
Extreme high-synchrotron peaked blazars (EHSPs) are rare high-energy sources characterised by synchrotron peaks beyond 10$^{17}$ Hz in their spectral energy distributions (SEDs). Their extreme properties challenge conventional blazar emission models and provide a unique opportunity to test the limits of particle acceleration and emission mechanisms in relativistic jets. However, the number of identified EHSPs is still small, limiting comprehensive studies of their population and characteristics. This study aims to identify new EHSP candidates and characterise their emission properties. A sample of 124 $\gamma$-ray blazars is analysed, selected for their high synchrotron peak frequencies and $\gamma$-ray emission properties, with a focus on sources showing low variability and good broadband data coverage. Their SEDs are constructed using archival multi-wavelength data from the SSDC SED Builder service, supplemented with recent Swift-UVOT, Swift-XRT, and Fermi-LAT observations. The SEDs are modelled with a one-zone synchrotron/synchrotron-self-Compton framework, classifying sources by synchrotron peak frequency. We identify 66 new EHSP candidates, significantly expanding the known population. Their synchrotron peak frequencies are statistically higher than in previous studies, and they exhibit low Compton dominance, consistent with environments lacking strong external photon fields. A clear correlation between synchrotron peak frequency and the magnetic-to-kinetic energy density ratio is found, with the most extreme EHSPs nearing equipartition. Our analysis suggests that 9 high-synchrotron peaked/EHSPs could be observed by the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) at $>5\sigma$ (20 at $>3\sigma$) in 20-hour exposures, highlighting their potential to improve studies of extreme jet physics and cosmology.
☆ Ultrahigh energy cosmic rays and neutrino flux models
In this review we motivate ultrahigh energy neutrino searches and their connection to ultrahigh energy cosmic rays. We give an overview of neutrino production mechanisms and their potential sources. Several model-independent benchmarks of the ultrahigh energy neutrino flux are discussed. Finally, a brief discussion of approaches for model-dependent neutrino flux predictions are given, highlighting a few examples from the literature.
comment: Review for the collection "Radio detection of ultra-high energy neutrino and cosmic rays'' from the International Radio Neutrino & Cosmic Ray Astronomy Workshop, Aligarh Muslim University, India
☆ SFTs: a scalable data-analysis framework for long-duration gravitational-wave signals
We introduce a framework based on Short-time Fourier Transforms (SFTs) to analyze long-duration gravitational wave signals from compact binaries. Targeted systems include binary neutron stars observed by third-generation ground-based detectors and massive black-hole binaries observed by the LISA space mission. In short, ours is an extremely fast, scalable, and parallelizable implementation of the gravitational-wave inner product, a core operation of gravitational-wave matched filtering. By operating on disjoint data segments, SFTs allow for efficient handling of noise non-stationarities, data gaps, and detector-induced signal modulations. We present a pilot application to early warning problems in both ground- and space-based next-generation detectors. Overall, SFTs reduce the computing cost of evaluating an inner product by three to five orders of magnitude, depending on the specific application, with respect to a standard approach. We release public tools to operate using the SFT framework, including a vectorized and hardware-accelerated re-implementation of a time-domain waveform. The inner product is the key building block of all gravitational-wave data treatments; by speeding up this low-level element so massively, SFTs provide an extremely promising solution for current and future gravitational-wave data-analysis problem
comment: 13 pages, 5 figures
☆ New Potential Ultra-compact X-ray Binaries for Space-based Gravitational Wave Detectors From Low-Mass Main-Sequence Companion Channel
We investigate the formation and evolution of Ultra-Compact X-ray Binaries (UCXBs) using the COMPAS binary evolution code, starting from the Zero Age Main Sequence (ZAMS). Focusing on the low-mass MS companion channel, we simulate gravitational wave (GW) signals from UCXBs with LEGWORK and evaluate their detectability by space-based observatories such as Taiji and TianQin. By incorporating signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) calculations with a threshold of SNR > 5, we provide a realistic framework to assess the detectability of the GW source. Our analysis suggests that the Milky Way currently hosts 7-32 observable UCXBs from the MS companion channel. Taiji or LISA alone could detect 1-6 sources over an 8-year observation period, while TianQin, due to its high-frequency sensitivity, contributes to detecting systems with extremely short orbital periods and can also detect 1-4 sources. Comparison with sensitivity curves validates UCXBs as detectable GW sources, particularly at greater Galactic distances. This study improves our understanding of the evolution of UCXBs and their role as GW sources. By integrating population synthesis, SNR-based analyses, and observational data, we establish UCXBs as significant targets for GW astronomy, paving the way for future missions and theoretical studies of compact binary systems.
☆ A Search for Low-frequency Radio Pulses from Long Gamma-ray Bursts with the Murchison Widefield Array
It has been proposed that coherent radio emission could be emitted during or shortly following a gamma-ray burst (GRB). Here we present a low-frequency ($170-200$ MHz) search for radio pulses associated with long-duration GRBs using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA). The MWA, with its rapid-response system, is capable of performing GRB follow-up observations within approximately $30$ seconds. Our single pulse search, with temporal and spectral resolutions of $100\ \mu$s and $10$ kHz, covers dispersion measures up to $5000$ pc cm$^{-3}$. Two single pulse candidates are identified with significance greater than $6\sigma$, surviving a friends-of-friends analysis. We rule out random fluctuations as their origin at a confidence level of $97\%$ ($2.2\sigma$). We caution that radio frequency interference from digital TV (DTV) is most likely the origin of these pulses since the DTV frequency bands almost cover the entire observing frequency band. If they are astrophysical signals, we estimate the peak flux densities for our pulse candidates of $3.6\pm0.6$ Jy and $10.5\pm1.5$ Jy, with corresponding fluences of $431\pm74$ Jy ms and $211\pm37$ Jy ms, respectively. Based on these observations and the assumption of a magnetar origin for the pulse, we constrain the radio emission efficiency as $\epsilon_{\rm{r}}\sim10^{-3}$ for both candidates, which is consistent with pulsar observations. Our results highlight the promising potential of new-generation radio telescopes like the MWA to probe the central engines of GRBs.
comment: 19 Pages, 6 figures, 5 tables. Accepted for publication in ApJ
☆ Signature of strange star as the central engine of GRB 240529A
GRB 240529A is a long-duration gamma-ray burst (GRB) whose light curve of prompt emission is composed of a triple-episode structure, separated by quiescent gaps of tens to hundreds of seconds. More interestingly, its X-ray light curve of afterglow exhibits two-plateau emissions, namely, an internal plateau emission that is smoothly connected with a $\sim t^{-0.1}$ segment and followed by a $\sim t^{-2}$ power-law decay. The three episodes in the prompt emission, together with two plateau emissions in X-ray, are unique in the Swift era. They are very difficult to explain with the standard internal/external shock model by invoking a black hole central engine. However, it could be consistent with the prediction of a supramassive magnetar as the central engine, the physical process of phase transition from magnetar to strange star, as well as the cooling and spin-down of the strange star. In this paper, we propose that the first- and second-episode emissions in the prompt $\gamma-$ray of GRB 240529A are from the jet emission of a massive star collapsing into a supramassive magnetar and the re-activity of central engine, respectively. Then, the third-episode emission of prompt is attributed to the phase transition from a magnetar to a strange star. Finally, the first- and second-plateau emissions of the X-ray afterglow are powered by the cooling and spin-down of the strange star, respectively. The observational data of each component of GRB 240529A are roughly coincident with the estimations of the above physical picture.
comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
☆ The nature of gravitational wave events with host environment escape velocities
We propose a novel method to probe the parameters and origin channels of gravitational wave events using the escape velocities of their host environments. This method could lead to more convergent posterior distributions offering additional insights into the physical properties, formation, and evolution of the sources. It also enables testing general relativity and improves source localization, which the latter is instrumental in multi-messenger astronomy. The method provides more accurate parameter estimation for events that represent previous mergers in the hierarchical triple merger scenario and is valuable for the search for such mergers with third-generation ground-based detectors. To demonstrate this approach, we take six recently identified events in LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA data, considered as potential previous mergers in hierarchical triple mergers, as examples. The use of escape velocities results in posterior spin distributions that are concentrated near zero, aligning with the expected birth spins of first-generation black holes formed from the collapse of stars. The uncertainty in the posterior primary mass distribution is significantly reduced comparing with the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA distributions, especially for events originating from globular clusters. We rule out the possibility that GW190512, GW170729, and GW190708 originates from globular clusters as previous mergers in the hierarchical triple merger scenario.
comment: comments are welcome
☆ The blazar PKS 0605-085 as the origin of the KM3-230213A ultra high energy neutrino event
The KM3Net Collaboration has recently reported on the observation of a remarkable event KM3-230213A that could have been produced by an ultra high energy cosmic neutrino. The origin of this event is still unclear. In particular, the cosmogenic neutrino scenario is not favoured due to the non-observation of a similar event by the IceCube detector, and most galactic scenarios are disfavoured as well. We show that the blazar PKS 0605-085 is a viable source of the KM3-230213A event. In particular, even though this blazar is located at 2.4$^{\circ}$ from the KM3-230213A event, the association between the blazar and the event is not unlikely due to a sizable direction systematic uncertainty of $\approx 1.5^{\circ}$ reported by the KM3Net Collaboration. Furthermore, we show that the observation of a $\approx$72 PeV neutrino from PKS 0605-085 is entirely possible given that a $\approx$7.5 PeV neutrino could have been observed from another blazar TXS 0506+056. Finally, we consider $\gamma$-ray constraints on the number of observable neutrino events and show that for the case of the external photon field production mechanism these constraints could be relaxed due to the often-neglected effect of the isotropisation of the hadronically-produced electrons in the magnetic field of the blob. We encourage further multi-wavelength observations of the blazar PKS 0605-085.
comment: 4 pages
☆ The impact of wind accretion in Evolving Symbiotic Systems
The Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton (BHL) accretion scheme applied to binary systems has long struggled to produce reliable mass accretion efficiencies when the stellar wind velocity of the donor star is smaller than the orbital velocity of the accretor. This limitation is significant in symbiotic systems where such conditions exist. Recently, our group introduced a geometric correction to the standard implementation of the BHL model that demonstrates improved agreement with numerical simulations. The present work investigates the impact of this new implementation on the evolution of symbiotic systems. We model systems where 0.7 and 1 M$_\odot$ white dwarfs accrete material from Solar-like stars with initial masses of 1, 2, and 3 M$_\odot$. The primary star is evolved using the MESA stellar evolution code, while the orbital dynamics of the system are calculated using REBOUND. The analysis focuses on the red giant branch and the thermally-pulsating asymptotic giant branch phases. We compare three scenarios: no accretion, standard BHL accretion, and the improved wind accretion. Our results show that the choice of accretion prescription critically influences the evolution of symbiotic systems. Simulations using the modified model did not reach the Chandrasekhar limit, suggesting that type Ia supernova progenitors require accretors originating from ultra-massive WDs. In contrast, the standard BHL model predicts WD growth to this limit in compact systems. This discrepancy suggests that population synthesis studies adopting the traditional BHL approach may yield inaccurate results. The revised model successfully reproduces the accretion properties of observed symbiotic systems and predicts transitions between different accretion regimes driven by donor mass-loss variability. These results emphasize the need for updated wind accretion models to accurately describe the evolution of symbiotic binaries.
comment: 16 pages; 14 figures; 3 Tables; Submitted to MNRAS (comments are welcome)
☆ The nature of an imaginary quasi-periodic oscillation in the soft-to-hard transition of MAXI J1820+070
A recent study shows that if the power spectra (PS) of accreting compact objects consist of a combination of Lorentzian functions that are coherent in different energy bands but incoherent with each other, the same is true for the Real and Imaginary parts of the cross spectrum (CS). Using this idea, we discovered imaginary quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in NICER observations of the black hole candidate MAXI J1820+070. The imaginary QPOs appear as narrow features with a small Real and large Imaginary part in the CS but are not significantly detected in the PS when they overlap in frequency with other variability components. The coherence function drops and the phase lags increase abruptly at the frequency of the imaginary QPO. We show that the multi-Lorentzian model that fits the PS and CS of the source in two energy bands correctly reproduces the lags and the coherence, and that the narrow drop of the coherence is caused by the interaction of the imaginary QPO with other variability components. The imaginary QPO appears only in the decay of the outburst, during the transition from the high-soft to the low-hard state of MAXI J1820+070, and its frequency decreases from approximately 5 Hz to around 1 Hz as the source spectrum hardens. We also analysed the earlier observations of the transition, where no narrow features were seen, and we identified a QPO in the PS that appears to evolve into the imaginary QPO as the source hardens. As for the type-B and C QPOs in this source, the rms spectrum of the imaginary QPO increases with energy. The lags of the imaginary QPO are similar to those of the type-B and C QPOs above 2 keV but differ from the lags of those other QPOs below that energy. While the properties of this imaginary QPO resemble those of type-C QPOs, we cannot rule out that it is a new type of QPO.
comment: Accepted for publication in A&A; 18 pages, 9 figures and 2 tables
☆ ULX collimation by outflows in moderately magnetized neutron stars
We perform radiative magnetohydrodynamics simulations in general relativity (GRRMHD) of super-Eddington disk accretion onto neutron stars endowed with a magnetic dipole corresponding to surface strengths not exceeding 100 GigaGauss. Accretion is found to power strong outflows which collimate the emergent radiation of the accretion columns, leading to apparent radiative luminosities of $\sim 100$ Eddington, when the true luminosity is a few Eddington units. Surprisingly, the collimation cone/angle widens with increasing magnetic field. Thus, in our simulations the apparent luminosity of the neutron star is substantially larger for the weaker magnetic fields ($10^{10}\,$G) than for the stronger ones ($10^{11}\,$G). We conclude that a super-Eddington accreting neutron star with the dipole magnetic field $10^{10}\,$G is the most likely source of ultraluminous X-rays.
comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, Accepted in APJ
Improved constraints on the Faraday rotation towards eight fast radio bursts using dense grids of polarized radio galaxies
We present 2-4 GHz observations of polarized radio galaxies towards eight fast radio bursts (FRBs), producing grids of Faraday rotation measure (RM) sources with sky densities of 9-28 polarized sources per square degree. Using a Bayesian interpolation framework, we constrain Galactic RM fluctuations below ~ 1 degree squared angular scales around the FRB positions. Despite the positions of all eight FRBs far from the Galactic plane, we constrain previously unresolved small-scale Galactic RM structures around six of the eight FRBs. In two of these fields, we find potential changes in the sign of the Galactic RM that are not captured by previous, sparsely sampled RM grid observations. Our Galactic RM estimate towards the FRBs differs between a few rad m^-2 up to ~ 40 rad m^-2 from the all-sky Galactic RM map of Hutschenreuter et al. (2022). Extrapolating our results to the known population of polarized FRB sources, we may be incorrectly interpreting the host galaxy RM for ~ 30% of the FRB source population with current RM grid observations. Measuring small-scale Galactic RM variations is crucial for identifying FRBs in low density and weakly magnetized environments, which in turn could serve as potent probes of cosmic magnetism. This framework of reconstructing continuous Galactic RM structure from RM grid observations can be readily applied to FRBs that fall in the sky coverage of upcoming large-sky radio polarization surveys of radio galaxies, such as the Very Large Array Sky Survey (VLASS) and the Polarization Sky Survey of the Universe's Magnetism (POSSUM).
comment: 25 pages, 8 figures, accepted to ApJ
☆ Lower bound on the radii of circular orbits in the extremal Kerr black-hole spacetime
It is often stated in the physics literature that maximally-spinning Kerr black-hole spacetimes are characterized by near-horizon co-rotating circular geodesics of radius $r_{\text{circular}}$ with the property $r_{\text{circular}}\to r^+_{\text{H}}$, where $r_{\text{H}}$ is the horizon radius of the extremal black hole. Based on the famous Thorne hoop conjecture, in the present compact paper we provide evidence for the existence of a non-trivial lower bound ${{r_{\text{circular}}-r_{\text{H}}}\over{r_{\text{H}}}}\gtrsim (\mu/M)^{1/2}$ on the radii of circular orbits in the extremal Kerr black-hole spacetime, where $\mu/M$ is the dimensionless mass ratio which characterizes the composed black-hole-orbiting-particle system.
comment: 6 pages
☆ Systematic biases from the exclusion of higher harmonics in parameter estimation on LISA binaries
The remarkable sensitivity achieved by the planned Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will allow us to observe gravitational-wave signals from the mergers of massive black hole binaries (MBHBs) with signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the hundreds, or even thousands. At such high SNR, our ability to precisely infer the parameters of an MBHB from the detected signal will be limited by the accuracy of the waveform templates we use. In this paper, we explore the systematic biases that arise in parameter estimation if we use waveform templates that do not model radiation in higher-order multipoles. This is an important consideration for the large fraction of high-mass events expected to be observed with LISA. We examine how the biases change for MBHB events with different total masses, mass ratios, and inclination angles. We find that systematic biases due to insufficient mode content are severe for events with total redshifted mass $\gtrsim10^6\,M_\odot$. We then compare several methods of predicting such systematic biases without performing a full Bayesian parameter estimation. In particular, we show that through direct likelihood optimization it is possible to predict systematic biases with remarkable computational efficiency and accuracy. Finally, we devise a method to construct approximate waveforms including angular multipoles with $\ell\geq5$ to better understand how many additional modes (beyond the ones available in current approximants) might be required to perform unbiased parameter estimation on the MBHB signals detected by LISA.
comment: 23 pages, 20 figures, 1 table
☆ Searching For Superheavy Decaying Particles With Ultra-High-Energy Neutrino Observatories
If there exist unstable but long-lived relics of the early universe, their decays could produce detectable fluxes of gamma rays and neutrinos. In this paper, we point out that the decays of superheavy particles, $m_{\chi} \gtrsim 10^{10} \, \text{GeV}$,would produce an enhanced flux of ultra-high-energy neutrinos through the processes of muon and pion pair production in the resulting electromagnetic cascades. These processes transfer energy from electromagnetic decay products into neutrinos, relaxing the constraints that can be derived from gamma-ray observations, and increasing the sensitivity of high-energy neutrino telescopes to superheavy particle decays. Taking this into account, we derive new constraints on long-lived superheavy relics from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, and from the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope. We find that IceCube-Gen2, and other next generation neutrino telescopes, will provide unprecedented sensitivity to the decays of superheavy dark matter particles and other long-lived relics.
comment: 14 pages, 10 figures
☆ A shocking outcome: Jet dynamics and polarimetric signatures of the multi-band flare in blazar OJ 248
The connection between $\gamma$-ray flares and blazars is a topic of active research, with few sources exhibiting distinct enough such outbursts to be able to conclusively connect them to features in their jet morphology. Here we present an investigation of the sole $\gamma$-ray flare of the blazar OJ 248 thus far, in association with its jet structure, as revealed by very long baseline interferometry (VLBI). We find that throughout the course of the $\gamma$-ray flare, the fractional linear polarisation increases in the jet of OJ 248, and the VLBI electric vector position angles (EVPAs) turn perpendicular to the bulk jet flow. We interpret this behaviour as a moving shock, travelling through a recollimation shock and upscattering photons via the inverse Compton scattering process, producing a $\gamma$-ray flare; we discuss possible mechanisms. Our hypothesised shock-shock interaction scenario is a viable mechanism to induce such EVPA rotations in both optical and radio bands.
comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in A&A
♻ ☆ Maximal Jet Energy of Gamma-Ray Bursts through the Blandford-Znajek Mechanism
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are among the most energetic events in the universe, driven by relativistic jets launched from black holes (BHs) formed during the collapse of massive stars or after the merger of two neutron stars (NSs). The jet power depends on the BH spin and the magnetic flux accreted onto it. In the standard thin disk model, jet power is limited by insufficient magnetic flux, even when the spin approaches maximum possible value. In contrast, the magnetically arrested disk (MAD) state limits jet energy by extracting significant angular momentum, braking BH rotation. We propose a unified model incorporating both standard thin disk and MAD states, identifying a universal curve for jet power per accretion rate as a function of the magnetic flux ratio, $\Delta_\mathrm{eq} = (\Phi_\mathrm{BH}/\Phi_\mathrm{MAD})_\mathrm{eq}$, at spin equilibrium. For long GRBs (lGRBs), the model predicts a maximum jet energy of $\sim 1.5\%$ of the accretion energy, occurring at $\Delta_\mathrm{eq} \sim 0.4$ where the BH equilibrium spin is $a \sim 0.5$. Both long and short GRBs are unlikely to be produced by a MAD: for short GRBs (sGRBs), this requires an accreted mass orders of magnitude smaller than that available, while for lGRBs, the narrow progenitor mass distribution challenges the ability to produce the observed broad distribution of jet energies. This framework provides a consistent explanation for both standard and luminous GRBs, emphasizing the critical role of magnetic flux. Both long and short GRBs require magnetic flux distributions that peak around $10^{27}\,\mathrm{G\,cm}^2$.
comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, published in ApJL
♻ ☆ Luminosity predictions for the first three ionisation stages of W, Pt and Au to probe potential sources of emission in kilonova
A large number of R-matrix calculations of electron impact excitation for heavy elements (Z > 70) have been performed in recent years for applications in fusion and astrophysics research. With the expanding interest in heavy ions due to kilonova (KN) events such as AT2017gfo and AT2023vfi, this new data can be utilised for the diagnosis and study of observed KN spectra. In this work recently computed electron-impact excitation effective collision strengths are used, for the first three ionisation stages of tungsten (W, Z = 74), platinum (Pt, Z = 78) and gold (Au, Z = 79), to construct basic collisional radiative models tailored for the late stage nebular phases of KN. Line luminosities are calculated at a range of electron temperatures and densities and the strengths of these lines for a representative ion mass are compared. For the case of W III, these optically thin intensities are additionally used to constrain the mass of this ion in both AT2017gfo and AT2023vfi. Comparing with theoretical predictions of nucleosynthesis yields from neutron-star merger simulations, broad agreement with the inferred ion masses of W is found. Furthermore, we highlight the value of W measurements by showing that the abundance of other groups of elements and outflow properties are constrained by exploiting theoretically motivated correlations between the abundance of W and that of lanthanides or third r-process peak elements. Based on simple estimates, we also show that constraints on the distribution of tungsten in the ejecta may be accessible through the line shape, which may also yield information on the neutron-star merger remnant evolution.
comment: Accepted Manuscript
♻ ☆ Prospects for Observing Astrophysical Transients with GeV Neutrinos
Although Cherenkov detectors of high-energy neutrinos in ice and water are often optimized to detect TeV-PeV neutrinos, they may also be sensitive to transient neutrino sources in the 1-100~GeV energy range. A wide variety of transient sources have been predicted to emit GeV neutrinos. In light of the upcoming IceCube-Upgrade, which will extend the IceCube detector's sensitivity down to a few GeV, as well as improve its angular resolution, we survey a variety of transient source models and compare their predicted neutrino fluences to detector sensitivities, in particular those of IceCube-DeepCore and the IceCube Upgrade. We consider the ranges of neutrino fluence from transients powered by non-relativistic shocks, such as novae, supernovae, fast blue optical transients, and tidal disruption events. We also consider fast radio bursts and relativistic outflows of high- and low-luminosity gamma-ray bursts. Our study sheds light on the prospects of observing GeV transients with existing and upcoming neutrino facilities.
♻ ☆ Investigating the CREDIT history of supernova remnants as cosmic-ray sources
Supernova remnants (SNRs) have long been suspected to be the primary sources of Galactic cosmic rays. Over the past decades, great strides have been made in the modelling of particle acceleration, magnetic field amplification, and escape from SNRs. Yet, while many SNRs have been observed in non-thermal emission in radio, X-rays, and gamma-rays, there is no evidence for any individual object contributing to the locally observed flux. Here, we propose a particular spectral signature from individual remnants that is due to the energy-dependent escape from SNRs. For young and nearby sources, we predict fluxes enhanced by tens of percent in narrow rigidity intervals; given the percent-level flux uncertainties of contemporary cosmic-ray data, such features should be readily detectable. We model the spatial and temporal distribution of sources and the resulting distribution of fluxes with a Monte Carlo approach. The decision tree that we have trained on simulated data is able to discriminate with very high significance between the null hypothesis of a smooth distribution of sources and the scenario with a stochastic distribution of individual sources. We suggest that this cosmic-ray energy-dependent injection time (CREDIT) scenario be considered in experimental searches to identify individual SNRs as cosmic-ray sources.
comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, 1 table
♻ ☆ On the mechanism of black hole energy reduction in the Blandford-Znajek process
The Blandford-Znajek (BZ) process is steady electromagnetic energy release from rotating black holes (BHs) along magnetic field lines threading them and widely believed to drive relativistic jets. This process is successfully demonstrated in general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations with the coordinate system regular on the event horizon, in which the outward Poynting flux on the horizon is considered to reduce BH energy. Meanwhile, alternative pictures for the BH energy reduction that invoke infall of negative energy objects were also discussed, although all of the proposed definitions of the negative energy and/or its infall velocity were ambiguous. We revisit the mechanism of BH energy reduction in the BZ process under the ideal MHD condition by utilizing the coordinate system singular on the horizon, in which the falling membrane of past accreted matter should exist above the horizon. We find that the Poynting flux is produced at the boundary between the falling membrane and the magnetically-dominated inflow, and the front of the inflow creates the negative electromagnetic energy, which reduces the rotational energy of spacetime. We also clarify that the poloidal electric current does not form a closed circuit within the magnetically-dominated flow. Previous interpretations of the BZ process and possibilities of violation of ideal MHD condition and BH charging are also discussed.
comment: 17 pages, 4 figures; accepted for publication in PTEP
♻ ☆ Constraining the Secluded and Catalyzed Annihilation Dark Matter with Fermi-LAT and Planck Data
We propose a dark matter (DM) model with a complex scalar charged under a hidden gauge symmetry, denoted as $U(1)_D$. The scalar field is the DM candidate while the $U(1)_D$ gauge field $A'$ plays the role of a mediator, which connects the dark sector to the standard model (SM) sector via a tiny kinetic mixing. We find that both the secluded and catalyzed annihilation scenarios can be realized in this model. The phenomenology of DM, including relic density, indirect detection (Fermi-LAT), and CMB (Planck) constraints, is discussed. We also extend our discussion to DM with other spins, including Dirac fermion and vector boson. Our analysis is carried out in two models, denoted as $U(1)_D \times U(1)_Y$ and $U(1)_D \times U(1)_{L_\mu-L_\tau}$, with the former corresponding to $A'$ kinetically mixing with the $U(1)_Y$ gauge field $B$ and the latter corresponding to $A'$ mixing with the $U(1)_{L_\mu-L_\tau}$ gauge field $Z'$. We find that, in previous studies, the indirect detection limits were overly restrictive because they only considered the simplified $2\mathrm{DM} \to 2\mathrm{SM}$ annihilation channel. In contrast, by performing a complete calculation of the gamma-ray and CMB constraints from the process $2\mathrm{DM} \to 2A' \to 4\mathrm{SM}$ in the models we consider, we observe weaker constraints in both the $U(1)_D \times U(1)_Y$ and $U(1)_D \times U(1)_{L_\mu-L_\tau}$ models, with the $U(1)_D \times U(1)_{L_\mu-L_\tau}$ model being subject to the weakest constraints overall since it involves less hadronic decay processes.
♻ ☆ Investigating the effect of hadronic models on IACT images
The predictions of hadronic interaction models for cosmic-ray induced air showers contain inherent uncertainties due to limitations of available accelerator data. This leads to differences in shower simulations using each of those models. Many studies have been carried out to track those differences by investigating the shower development or the particle content. In this work, we propose a new approach to search for discrepancies and similarities between the models, via the IACT images resulting from the observations of hadronic air showers. We use simulations of H.E.S.S. as a show-case scenario and, by investigating variables of the camera images, we find potential indicators to highlight differences between models. Number of pixels, Hillas image size, and density showed the largest difference between the models. We then further explore the (in)compatibility of the models by combining all the variables and using Boosted Decision Trees. For protons, a significant difference in the classifier output is found for EPOS-LHC when compared to both QGSJET-II04 and Sybill 2.3d. For helium and nitrogen, QGSJET-II04 is shown to be the outlier case. No significant differences are found for silicon and iron. The distribution of (in)compatibility between the models in the phase space of reconstructed shower parameters shows that a targeted search can be fruitful, with showers with reconstructed energies of a few TeV and reconstructed core closer to the large telescope presenting the largest power of separation. An investigation of the distribution of first interaction parameters has shown that EPOS-LHC and QGSJET-II04 result in significantly different distributions of multiplicity and height of first interaction for protons and elasticity and fraction of energy carried by neutral pions for helium and nitrogen.
♻ ☆ Observing Supernova Neutrino Light Curves with Super-Kamiokande. V. Distance Estimation with Neutrinos
Neutrinos are pivotal signals in multi-messenger observations of supernovae (SNe). Recent advancements in the analysis method of supernova (SN) neutrinos, especially in quantitative analysis, have significantly broadened scientific possibilities. This study demonstrates the feasibility of estimating distances to SNe using neutrinos. This estimation utilizes the direct relationship between the radius of a neutron star (NS) and the distance to the SN, which is analogous to main-sequence fitting. The radius of an NS is determined with an approximate uncertainty of 10% through observations such as X-rays and gravitational waves. By integrating this information, the distance to the SN can be estimated with an uncertainty of within 15% at a 95% confidence level. It has been established that neutrinos can pinpoint the direction of SNe, and when combined with distance estimates, three-dimensional localization becomes achievable. This capability is vital for follow-up observations using multi-messenger approaches. Moreover, more precise distance determinations to SNe through follow-up observations, such as optical observations, allow for accurate measurements of NS radii. This data, via the NS mass-radius relationship, could provide various insights into nuclear physics.
comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, matched to published version
♻ ☆ First Searches for Dark Matter with the KM3NeT Neutrino Telescopes
Indirect dark matter detection methods are used to observe the products of dark matter annihilations or decays originating from astrophysical objects where large amounts of dark matter are thought to accumulate. With neutrino telescopes, an excess of neutrinos is searched for in nearby dark matter reservoirs, such as the Sun and the Galactic Centre, which could potentially produce a sizeable flux of Standard Model particles. The KM3NeT infrastructure, currently under construction, comprises the ARCA and ORCA undersea \v{C}erenkov neutrino detectors located at two different sites in the Mediterranean Sea, offshore of Italy and France, respectively. The two detector configurations are optimised for the detection of neutrinos of different energies, enabling the search for dark matter particles with masses ranging from a few GeV/c$^2$ to hundreds of TeV/c$^2$. In this work, searches for dark matter annihilations in the Galactic Centre and the Sun with data samples taken with the first configurations of both detectors are presented. No significant excess over the expected background was found in either of the two analyses. Limits on the velocity-averaged self-annihilation cross section of dark matter particles are computed for five different primary annihilation channels in the Galactic Centre. For the Sun, limits on the spin-dependent and spin-independent scattering cross sections of dark matter with nucleons are given for three annihilation channels.
♻ ☆ GeV emission from a compact binary merger
An energetic $\rm \gamma$-ray burst (GRB), GRB 211211A, was observed on 2021 December 11 by the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. Despite its long duration, typically associated with bursts produced by the collapse of massive stars, the discovery of an optical-infrared kilonova and a quasi-periodic oscillation during a gamma-ray precursor points to a compact object binary merger origin. The complete understanding of this nearby ($\sim$ 1 billion light-years) burst will significantly impact our knowledge of GRB progenitors and the physical processes that lead to electromagnetic emission in compact binary mergers. Here, we report the discovery of a significant ($\rm >5 \sigma$) transient-like emission in the high-energy $\rm \gamma$-rays (HE; E$>0.1$ GeV) observed by Fermi/LAT starting at $10^3$ s after the burst. After an initial phase with a roughly constant flux ($\rm \sim 5\times 10^{-10}\ erg\ s^{-1}\ cm^{-2}$) lasting $\sim 2\times 10^4$ s, the flux started decreasing and soon went undetected. The multi-wavelength afterglow emission observed at such late times is usually in good agreement with synchrotron emission from a relativistic shock wave that arises as the GRB jet decelerates in the interstellar medium. However, our detailed modelling of a rich dataset comprising public and dedicated multi-wavelength observations demonstrates that GeV emission from GRB 211211A is in excess with respect to the expectation of this scenario. We explore the possibility that the GeV excess is inverse Compton emission due to the interaction of a long-lived, low-power jet with an external source of photons. We discover that the kilonova emission can provide the necessary seed photons for GeV emission in binary neutron star mergers.
♻ ☆ Extract cleaned Swift/UVOT UV grism spectra with uvotpy package
The ultraviolet/optical telescope (UVOT) onboard the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is capable of imaging with 7 lenticular filters and of taking slitless spectra with 2 grisms. Both image and grism data have been widely used to study gamma-ray bursts, supernovae and other ultraviolet/optical transients, and proved UVOT is a powerful instrument in time-domain astronomy. However, the second order contamination, for blue sources, strongly limits the red end of ultraviolet (UV) grism spectra. This, in turn, reduces the valid wavelength range to only about 33% of the total. However, to explore the broadband spectral energy distribution of GRBs at the early stage, a larger valid wavelength range is required. Hence based on the uvotpy package, we propose a method to remove the second order contamination from UV grism spectra (nominal mode) up to about 4000\AA, i.e., about 70% of the full wavelength range. The 1-sigma systematic uncertainty of this method is about 11.2%. In addition, if a source is red enough, the red end of the valid range could reach about 5000\AA. The source code is available on GitHub.
comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables. Accepted by the ApJS. Updated the DOI & acknowledgments in V2
♻ ☆ Experimental and Numerical Studies of the Collapse of Dense Clouds Induced by Herbig-Haro Stellar Jets
This study investigates the influence of Herbig-Haro jets on initiating star formation in dense environments. When molecular clouds are nearing gravitational instability, the impact of a protostellar jet could provide the impetus needed to catalyse star formation. A high-energy-density experiment was carried out at the LULI2000 laser facility, where a supersonic jet generated by a nanosecond laser was used to compress a foam or plastic ball, mimicking the interaction of a Herbig-Haro jet with a molecular cloud. Simulations using the 3D radiation hydrodynamics code TROLL provided comprehensive data for analysing ball compression and calculating jet characteristics. After applying scaling laws, similarities between stellar and experimental jets were explored. Diagnostic simulations, including density gradient, emission and X-ray radiographies, showed strong agreement with experimental data. The results of the experiment, supported by simulations, demonstrated that the impact of a protostellar jet on a molecular cloud could reduce the Bonnor-Ebert mass by approximately 9%, thereby initiating collapse.
comment: Accepted by the Astrophysical Journal
♻ ☆ Radiative cooling changes the dynamics of magnetically arrested disks
We studied magnetically arrested disks (MAD) around rotating black holes (BH), under the influence of radiative cooling. We introduce a critical value of the mass accretion rate $\dot M_{\rm crit}$ for which the cooling by the synchrotron process efficiently radiates the thermal energy of the disk. We find $\dot M_{\rm crit} \approx 10^{-5.5} \dot M_{\rm Edd}$, where $\dot M_{\rm Edd}$ is the Eddington mass accretion rate. The normalization constant depends on the saturated magnetic flux and on the ratio of electron to proton temperatures, but not on the BH mass. We verify our analytical estimate using a suite of general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations for a range of black hole spin parameters $a \in \{ -0.94, -0.5, 0, 0.5, 0.94 \}$ and mass accretion rates ranging from $10^{-7}\dot M_{\rm Edd}$ to $10^{-4}\dot M_{\rm Edd}$. We numerically observe that the MAD parameter and the jet efficiency vary by a factor of $\approx 2$ as the mass accretion rate increases above $\dot M_{\rm crit}$, which confirms our analytical result. We further detail how the forces satisfying the quasi-equilibrium of the disk change, with the magnetic contribution increasing as the thermal contribution decreases.
comment: Accepted for publication into ApJL
♻ ☆ PSR J1231-1411 revisited: Pulse Profile Analysis of X-ray Observation
One of the primary goals of Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER)-like X-ray missions is to impose stringent constraints on the neutron star equation of state by precisely measuring their masses and radii. NICER has recently expanded the dataset of inferred mass-radius relations for neutron stars, including four rotation-powered millisecond pulsars PSR J0030+0451, PSR J0740+6620, PSR J0437-4715, and PSR J1231-1411. In this work, the mass-radius relation and X-ray emitting region properties of PSR J1231-1411 are inferred with an independent pulse profile modeling based on the spherical star Schwarzschild-spacetime and Doppler approximation. With one single-temperature elongated hot spot and one single-temperature crescent hot spot, the inferred gravitational mass is $M = 1.12 \pm 0.07 M_{\odot}$ and the inferred equatorial radius is $R_{eq} = 9.91_{-0.86}^{+0.88}$ km (68% credible intervals). It provides an alternative geometry configuration of the X-ray emitting region for PSR J1231-1411 to sufficiently explain the observation data of NICER and XMM-Newton. The inferred radius is smaller than that derived by \citet{salmi2024nicer} ($M = 1.04_{-0.03}^{+0.05} M_{\odot}$, $R_{eq} = 12.6 \pm 0.3$ km), and the inferred mass is slightly higher in this work. The inferred geometry configurations of the X-ray emitting region in both works are non-antipodal, which is not consistent with a centered dipole magnetic field and suggests a complex magnetic field structure.
♻ ☆ Primordial Black Holes from First-Order Phase Transition in the xSM
Supercooled first-order phase transition (FOPT) can lead to the formation of primordial black holes (PBHs). This scenario imposes stringent requirements on the profile of the effective potential. In this work, we use the singlet extended Standard Model (xSM) as a benchmark model to investigate this possibility at the electroweak scale. The PBHs formed during a supercooled FOPT have a narrow mass distribution around the mass of Earth. This distribution is closely tied to the temperature at which the PBHs form, corresponding to the FOPT at the electroweak scale. This scenario can be probed with microlensing experiments, space-based gravitational wave detectors, and collider experiments. Remarkably, the future space-based gravitational wave detector LISA will hold the potential to either confirm this PBH scenario in the xSM or completely rule it out for extremely small total dark matter fraction made of PBHs, down to $f_{\rm PBH}> 10^{-300}$. Interestingly, our findings suggest that PBHs within the xSM framework may align with observations of the six ultrashort timescale events reported by the OGLE microlensing experiment.
comment: 48 pages, 13 figures and 1 table. v2: matches published version
♻ ☆ Simulating the Galactic population of axion clouds around stellar-origin black holes: Gravitational wave signals in the 10-100 kHz band
Ultralight scalar fields can experience runaway `superradiant' amplification near spinning black holes, resulting in a macroscopic `axion cloud' which slowly dissipates via continuous monochromatic gravitational waves. For a particular range of boson masses, $\mathcal{O}(10^{-11}$ -- $10^{-10})$ eV, an axion cloud will radiate in the $10$ -- $100$ kHz band of the Levitated Sensor Detector (LSD). Using fiducial models of the mass, spin, and age distributions of stellar-origin black holes, we simulate the present-day Milky Way population of these hypothetical objects. As a first step towards assessing the LSD's sensitivity to the resultant ensemble of GW signals, we compute the corresponding signal-to-noise ratios which build up over a nominal integration time of $10^{7}$ s, assuming the projected sensitivity of the $1$-m LSD prototype currently under construction, as well as for future $10$-m and $100$-m concepts. For a $100$-m cryogenic instrument, hundreds of resolvable signals could be expected if the boson mass $\mu$ is around $3\times10^{-11}$ eV, and this number diminishes with increasing $\mu$ up to $\approx 5.5\times10^{-11}$ eV. The much larger population of unresolved sources will produce a confusion foreground which could be detectable by a $10$-m instrument if $\mu \in (3-4.5)\times10^{-11}$ eV, or by a $100$-m instrument if $\mu \in (3-6)\times10^{-11}$ eV.
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics 15
☆ Sampling the full hierarchical population posterior distribution in gravitational-wave astronomy
We present a full sampling of the hierarchical population posterior distribution of merging black holes using current gravitational-wave data. We directly tackle the the most relevant intrinsic parameter space made of the binary parameters (masses, spin magnitudes, spin directions, redshift) of all the events entering the GWTC-3 LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA catalog, as well as the hyperparameters of the underlying population of sources. This results in a parameter space of about 500 dimensions, in contrast with current investigations where the targeted dimensionality is drastically reduced by marginalizing over all single-event parameters. In particular, we have direct access to (i) population parameters, (ii) population-informed single-event parameters, and (iii) correlations between these two sets of parameters. Our implementation relies on modern probabilistic programming languages and Hamiltonian Monte Carlo, with a continuous interpolation of single-event posterior probabilities. Sampling the full hierarchical problem is feasible, as demonstrated here, and advantageous as it removes some (but not all) of the Monte Carlo integrations that enter the likelihood together with the related variances.
comment: 9+1 pages, 4+1 figures
☆ Exploring lensing signatures through spectrotemporal correlations: implications for black hole parameter estimation
Extreme gravitational lensing and relativistic frequency shifts, combined together, imply that radiation emitted from a black hole's vicinity can echo at different frequencies and times, leading to spectrotemporal correlations in observed signals. If such correlations are uncovered by future observations, they could provide a probe of the spacetime geometry in the strong-field region near black holes. Here, motivated by these prospects, we numerically compute the two-point correlation function of specific flux fluctuations in a simple model of line emission by a hotspot in an equatorial circular orbit. We make use of the Adaptive Analytical Ray Tracing (AART) code to generate the light curves we then correlate. Our results for the correlation maps show a clear decomposition into direct emission-dominated, and lensing-dominated contributions. The computation transcends past analytical approximations, studying the main contribution to the correlation function, which is not deep in the universal regime. We compute correlation maps for many combinations of black hole mass, spin, inclination, hotspot width, and orbital radius, and study their dependence on these parameters. The correlation maps are then used to train convolutional neural networks which can be used to estimate source parameters, achieving promisingly low evaluation errors within the model. Our results could be relevant for future X-ray spectroscopic missions, offering insights into black hole parameter inference.
comment: 10 figures, Comments are welcome
☆ Determination of Hubble constant from Megamaser Cosmology Project using Profile Likelihood
The Megamaser Cosmology Project inferred a value for the Hubble constant given by $H_0=73.9 \pm 3.0 $ km/sec/Mpc. This value was obtained using Bayesian inference by marginalizing over six nuisance parameters, corresponding to the velocities of the megamaser galaxy systems. We obtain an independent estimate of the Hubble constant with the same data using frequentist inference. For this purpose, we use profile likelihood to dispense with the aforementioned nuisance parameters. The frequentist estimate of the Hubble constant is given by $H_0=73.5^{+3.0}_{-2.9}$ km/sec/Mpc and agrees with the Bayesian estimate to within $0.2\sigma$, and both approaches also produce consistent confidence/credible intervals. Therefore, this analysis provides a proof of principle application of profile likelihood in dealing with nuisance parameters in Cosmology, which is complementary to Bayesian analysis.
comment: 7 pages, 2 figures
☆ The Ultraviolet Type Ia Supernova CubeSat (UVIa): Science Motivation & Mission Concept
The Ultraviolet (UV) Type Ia Supernova CubeSat (UVIa) is a CubeSat/SmallSat mission concept that stands to test critical space-borne UV technology for future missions like the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) while elucidating long-standing questions about the explosion mechanisms of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). UVIa will observe whether any SNe Ia emit excess UV light shortly after explosion to test progenitor/explosion models and provide follow-up over many days to characterize their UV and optical flux variations over time, assembling a comprehensive multi-band UV and optical low-redshift anchor sample for upcoming high-redshift SNe Ia surveys (e.g., Euclid, Vera Rubin Observatory, Nancy Roman Space Telescope). UVIa's mission profile requires it to perform rapid and frequent visits to newly discovered SNe Ia, simultaneously observing each SNe Ia in two UV bands (FUV: 1500-1800A and NUV: 1800-2400A) and one optical band (u-band: 3000-4200A). In this study, we describe the UVIa mission concept science motivation, mission design, and key technology development.
comment: submitted to JATIS under the call for papers "Ultraviolet Science & Instrumentation: On the Way to Habitable Worlds Observatory and Beyond"
☆ Searching for Low-Mass Exoplanets Amid Stellar Variability with a Fixed Effects Linear Model of Line-by-Line Shape Changes
The radial velocity (RV) method, also known as Doppler spectroscopy, is a powerful technique for exoplanet discovery and characterization. In recent years, progress has been made thanks to the improvements in the quality of spectra from new extreme precision RV spectrometers. However, detecting the RV signals of Earth-like exoplanets remains challenging, as the spectroscopic signatures of low-mass planets can be obscured or confused with intrinsic stellar variability. Changes in the shapes of spectral lines across time can provide valuable information for disentangling stellar activity from true Doppler shifts caused by low-mass exoplanets. In this work, we present a fixed effects linear model to estimate RV signals that controls for changes in line shapes by aggregating information from hundreds of spectral lines. Our methodology incorporates a wild-bootstrap approach for modeling uncertainty and cross-validation to control for overfitting. We evaluate the model's ability to remove stellar activity using solar observations from the NEID spectrograph, as the sun's true center-of-mass motion is precisely known. Including line shape-change covariates reduces the RV root-mean-square errors by approximately 70% (from 1.919 m s$^{-1}$ to 0.575 m s$^{-1}$) relative to using only the line-by-line Doppler shifts. The magnitude of the residuals is significantly less than that from traditional CCF-based RV estimators and comparable to other state-of-the-art methods for mitigating stellar variability.
comment: Submitted to AAS Journals. 20 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables
☆ SFTs: a scalable data-analysis framework for long-duration gravitational-wave signals
We introduce a framework based on Short-time Fourier Transforms (SFTs) to analyze long-duration gravitational wave signals from compact binaries. Targeted systems include binary neutron stars observed by third-generation ground-based detectors and massive black-hole binaries observed by the LISA space mission. In short, ours is an extremely fast, scalable, and parallelizable implementation of the gravitational-wave inner product, a core operation of gravitational-wave matched filtering. By operating on disjoint data segments, SFTs allow for efficient handling of noise non-stationarities, data gaps, and detector-induced signal modulations. We present a pilot application to early warning problems in both ground- and space-based next-generation detectors. Overall, SFTs reduce the computing cost of evaluating an inner product by three to five orders of magnitude, depending on the specific application, with respect to a standard approach. We release public tools to operate using the SFT framework, including a vectorized and hardware-accelerated re-implementation of a time-domain waveform. The inner product is the key building block of all gravitational-wave data treatments; by speeding up this low-level element so massively, SFTs provide an extremely promising solution for current and future gravitational-wave data-analysis problem
comment: 13 pages, 5 figures
☆ EBOP MAVEN: A machine learning model for predicting eclipsing binary light curve fitting parameters
Detached eclipsing binary stars (dEBs) are a key source of data on fundamental stellar parameters. While there is a vast source of candidate systems in the light curve databases of survey missions such as Kepler and TESS, published catalogues of well-characterised systems fall short of reflecting this abundance. We seek to improve the efficiency of efforts to process these data with the development of a machine learning model to inspect dEB light curves and predict the input parameters for subsequent formal analysis by the jktebop code.
comment: 4 pages, 1 figure. Contribution to the conference "Binary and multiple stars in the era of big surveys," Litomysl, CZ, September 2024. Accepted for publication in Contributions of the Astronomical Observatory Skalnate Pleso
☆ Connecting Earth and Moon via the L1 Lagrangian point
The renewed global interest in lunar exploration requires new orbital strategies to ensure flight safety which can benefit extended lunar missions and service a plethora of planned instruments in the lunar orbit and surface. We investigate here the equivalent fuel consumption cost to transfer from (to) a given orbit and enter (leave) at any point of an invariant manifold associated with a Lyapunov orbit around the Earth-Moon $L_1$ Lagrangian point using bi-impulsive maneuvers. Whereas solving this type of transfer is generally computationally expensive, we simulate here tens of millions of transfers orbits, for different times of flight, Jacobi constants and spatial location on the manifold. We are able to reduce computational cost by taking advantage of the efficient procedure given by the Theory of Functional Connections for solving boundary value problems, represented with special constraints created to the purposes of this work. We develop here the methodology for constructing these transfers, and apply it to find a low-cost transfer from an orbit around the Earth to a stable manifold and another low-cost transfer from an unstable manifold to an orbit around the Moon. In the end, we obtain an innovative Earth-to-Moon transfer that involves a gravity assist maneuver with the Moon and allows a long stationed stage at the Lyapunov orbit around $L_1$ which can be used for designing multi-purpose missions for extended periods of time with low fuel costs. This is paramount to optimize new exploration concepts.
☆ Effect of Numerically Controlled Oscillator Bit Width in Phase Meters
Projects aiming to detect gravitational waves (GWs) in space in the millihertz range will utilize interferometers to measure the separations between free-falling test masses. The phasemeter measures the phase changes of the interference signals caused by the test masses' relative movements. The measurement sensitivity of the phasemeter is one of the key factors in the detection. In this work, we reviewed the core metrology of the phasemeter and evaluated the ultra-low noise performance of the phasemeter with analog signals. Frequency readout noise related to the bit width of the numerically controlled oscillator (NCO) inside the phasemeter is identified as one of the main noise sources of phase measurement theoretically and experimentally. After increasing the NCO bit widths, the single-channel phase noise of the phasemeter reached 2.0 {\mu}rad/Hz^{1/2} at 6 mHz, and the differential phase noise reached 0.4 {\mu}rad/Hz^{1/2} at 6 mHz. The phase noise performances remained consistent within the carrier frequency range of 4.9 MHz to 25.1 MHz.
comment: 8 pages, 10 figures
☆ Progress of the TianQin project
TianQin is a future space-based gravitational wave observatory targeting the frequency window of $10^{-4}$ Hz $\sim 1$ Hz. A large variety of gravitational wave sources are expected in this frequency band, including the merger of massive black hole binaries, the inspiral of extreme/intermediate mass ratio systems, stellar-mass black hole binaries, Galactic compact binaries, and so on. TianQin will consist of three Earth orbiting satellites on nearly identical orbits with orbital radii of about $10^5$ km. The satellites will form a normal triangle constellation whose plane is nearly perpendicular to the ecliptic plane. The TianQin project has been progressing smoothly following the ``0123" technology roadmap. In step ``0", the TianQin laser ranging station has been constructed and it has successfully ranged to all the five retro-reflectors on the Moon. In step ``1", the drag-free control technology has been tested and demonstrated using the TianQin-1 satellite. In step ``2", the inter-satellite laser interferometry technology will be tested using the pair of TianQin-2 satellites. The TianQin-2 mission has been officially approved and the satellites will be launched around 2026. In step ``3", i.e., the TianQin-3 mission, three identical satellites will be launched around 2035 to form the space-based gravitational wave detector, TianQin, and to start gravitational wave detection in space.
comment: 45 pages, 3 figures
☆ A comprehensive survey of the GEO-belt using simultaneous four-colour observations with STING
Colour light curves of resident space objects (RSOs) encapsulate distinctive features that can offer insights into an object's structure and design, making them an invaluable tool for classification and characterisation. We present the results of the first large systematic colour survey of the GEO belt in which we obtain full-night multi-colour light curves for 112 active geostationary objects between April and May 2023. Colour light curve maps were created to compare and contrast the colours between different satellites and bus configurations. We find that satellites with BSS-702 and STAR-2 buses can be effectively distinguished from the colour measurements on these maps, but comparing the average colour of individual satellites within given solar equatorial phase angle ranges shows that it is difficult to distinguish between bus configurations based on colour alone. We also find tentative evidence to suggest that there is a relationship between colour and time spent on orbit for the Eurostar-3000 class satellites, which is unseen behaviour within other bus configuration classes. The satellites in our sample exhibit `redder' colours than the Sun, which is in agreement with previous findings. We found common light curve features such as symmetrical colour changes as well as unique regions of short timescale glinting which are `bluer' than other regimes within the colour light curves. If these features are indeed seasonal, this would be a powerful characterisation tool. We are able to detect and resolve features in the light curve of the LDPE-3A satellite related to manoeuvres being performed. Finally, we measured the solar panel offsets of 54 satellites in our sample and found variation in the type of colour response. The majority of which did not exhibit any colour change across the solar panel glints compared to them shifting towards 'redder' or 'bluer' colours.
comment: 24 pages, 27 figures. Accepted for publication in Advances in Space Research (ASR)
♻ ☆ Innovative Web Tool for Remote Data Acquisition and Analysis: Customized for SKA Low frequency Beamforming Test Bed LPDA Array at Gauribidanur Radio Observatory
With the evolution of radio astronomy, related education and training, the demand for scalable, efficient, and remote systems in data acquisition, storage, and analysis has significantly increased. Addressing this need, we have developed a web interface for a log-periodic dipole antenna (LPDA) array integral to the SKA Test activities at the Gauribidanur Radio Observatory (77.428 E, 13.603 N). This interface, employing Python-based technologies such as Streamlit and PyVISA, along with SCPI commands, offers a seamless and user-friendly experience. Our solution introduces a unique data acquisition approach, employing SCPI through Python to communicate with the setup's Data Acquisition System (DAS). The web interface, accessible remotely via a secure WLAN network or VPN, facilitates user-initiated observations and comprehensive logging and offers advanced features like manual RFI masking, transit plotting, and fringe plot analysis. Additionally, it acts as a data hub, allowing for the remote downloading of observational data. These capabilities significantly enhance the user's ability to conduct detailed post-observation data analysis. The effectiveness of this interface is further demonstrated through a successful solar transit observation, validating its utility and accuracy in real-world astronomical applications. The applications of this web tool are expandable and can be tailored according to the Observatory's Goals and Instrumentation as well as for the growing radio astronomy instrumentation and observing facilities coming up at various educational institutions.
comment: 12 pages, 20 figures, accepted for publication in the Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy(JoAA)
♻ ☆ Extract cleaned Swift/UVOT UV grism spectra with uvotpy package
The ultraviolet/optical telescope (UVOT) onboard the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is capable of imaging with 7 lenticular filters and of taking slitless spectra with 2 grisms. Both image and grism data have been widely used to study gamma-ray bursts, supernovae and other ultraviolet/optical transients, and proved UVOT is a powerful instrument in time-domain astronomy. However, the second order contamination, for blue sources, strongly limits the red end of ultraviolet (UV) grism spectra. This, in turn, reduces the valid wavelength range to only about 33% of the total. However, to explore the broadband spectral energy distribution of GRBs at the early stage, a larger valid wavelength range is required. Hence based on the uvotpy package, we propose a method to remove the second order contamination from UV grism spectra (nominal mode) up to about 4000\AA, i.e., about 70% of the full wavelength range. The 1-sigma systematic uncertainty of this method is about 11.2%. In addition, if a source is red enough, the red end of the valid range could reach about 5000\AA. The source code is available on GitHub.
comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables. Accepted by the ApJS. Updated the DOI & acknowledgments in V2
♻ ☆ Commissioning of the 2.6 m tall two-phase xenon time projection chamber of Xenoscope
Xenoscope is a demonstrator for a next-generation xenon-based observatory for astroparticle physics, as proposed by the XLZD (XENON-LUX-ZEPLIN-DARWIN) collaboration. It houses a 2.6 m tall, two-phase xenon time projection chamber (TPC), in a cryostat filled with $\sim$ 360 kg of liquid xenon. The main goals of the facility are to demonstrate electron drift in liquid xenon over this distance, to measure the electron cloud transversal and longitudinal diffusion, as well as the optical properties of the medium. In this work, we describe in detail the construction and commissioning of the TPC and report on the observation of light and charge signals with cosmic muons.
Beam Measurements of Full Stokes Parameters for the FAST L-band 19-beam Receiver
The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) has been fully operational since 11 January 2020. We present a comprehensive analysis of the beam structure for each of the 19 feed horns on FAST's L-band receiver across the Stokes I, Q, U, and V parameters. Using an on-the-fly mapping pattern, we conducted simultaneous sky mapping using all 19 beams directed towards polarization calibrators J1407+2827 and J0854+2006 from 2020 to 2022. Electromagnetic simulations were also performed to model the telescope's beam patterns in all Stokes parameters. Our findings reveal a symmetrical Gaussian pattern in the Stokes I parameter of the central beam without strong sidelobes, while the off-center beams exhibit significant asymmetrical shapes that can be fitted using a combination of log-normal and Gaussian distributions. The inner beams have higher relative beam efficiencies and smaller beam sizes compared to those of the outer beams. The sidelobes of the inner beams contribute approximately 2% of the total flux in the main lobe, increasing to 5% for outer beams, with a peak at 6.8%. In Stokes U, a distinct four-lobed cloverleaf beam squash structure is observed, with similar intensity levels in both inner and outer beams. In Stokes V, a two-lobed beam squint structure is observed in the central beam, along with a secondary eight-lobed structure. The highest squint peak in Stokes V is about 0.3% of the Stokes I in the outer beams. These results align closely with the simulations, providing valuable insights for the design of radio multi-beam observations.
comment: 25 pages, 20 figures. Accepted for publication in AJ
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 35
☆ Sampling the full hierarchical population posterior distribution in gravitational-wave astronomy
We present a full sampling of the hierarchical population posterior distribution of merging black holes using current gravitational-wave data. We directly tackle the the most relevant intrinsic parameter space made of the binary parameters (masses, spin magnitudes, spin directions, redshift) of all the events entering the GWTC-3 LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA catalog, as well as the hyperparameters of the underlying population of sources. This results in a parameter space of about 500 dimensions, in contrast with current investigations where the targeted dimensionality is drastically reduced by marginalizing over all single-event parameters. In particular, we have direct access to (i) population parameters, (ii) population-informed single-event parameters, and (iii) correlations between these two sets of parameters. Our implementation relies on modern probabilistic programming languages and Hamiltonian Monte Carlo, with a continuous interpolation of single-event posterior probabilities. Sampling the full hierarchical problem is feasible, as demonstrated here, and advantageous as it removes some (but not all) of the Monte Carlo integrations that enter the likelihood together with the related variances.
comment: 9+1 pages, 4+1 figures
☆ pylevin: efficient numerical integration of integrals containing up to three Bessel functions
Integrals involving highly oscillatory Bessel functions are notoriously challenging to compute using conventional integration techniques. While several methods are available, they predominantly cater to integrals with at most a single Bessel function, resulting in specialised yet highly optimised solutions. Here we present pylevin, a Python package to efficiently compute integrals containing up to three Bessel functions of arbitrary order and arguments. The implementation makes use of Levin's method and allows for accurate and fast integration of these highly oscillatory integrals. In benchmarking pylevin against existing software for single Bessel function integrals, we find its speed comparable, usually within a factor of two, to specialised packages such as FFTLog. Furthermore, when dealing with integrals containing two or three Bessel functions, pylevin delivers performance up to four orders of magnitude faster than standard adaptive quadrature methods, while also exhibiting better stability for large Bessel function arguments. pylevin is available from source via github or directly from PyPi.
comment: 10 pages, 3 Figures, abridged version to be submitted to JOSS, comments welcome, code available via https://github.com/rreischke/levin_bessel and https://pypi.org/project/pylevin/
☆ The role of the counterterms in the conservation of superhorizon curvature perturbations at one loop
Recently, several papers have claimed that superhorizon curvature perturbations are not conserved at the one-loop level in single-field inflation models if there is a transient ultra-slow-roll period. In this work, we point out that the contributions from the counterterms were overlooked in the recent papers. We show that the counterterm contributions play a crucial role in canceling the one-loop power spectrum of superhorizon curvature perturbations in the comoving gauge.
comment: 7 pages
☆ Insights from leptohadronic modelling of the brightest blazar flare
The blazar 3C 454.3 experienced a major flare in November 2010 making it the brightest $\gamma$-ray source in the sky of the Fermi-LAT. We obtain seven daily consecutive spectral-energy distributions (SEDs) of the flare in the infra-red, optical, ultra-violet, X-ray and $\gamma$-ray bands with publicly available data. We simulate the physical conditions in the blazar and show that the observed SEDs are well reproduced in the framework of a "standing feature" where the position of the emitting region is almost stationary, located beyond the outer radius of the broad-line region and into which fresh blobs of relativistically moving magnetized plasma are continuously injected. Meanwhile, a model with a single "moving blob" does not describe the data well. We obtain a robust upper limit to the amount of high-energy protons in the jet of 3C 454.3 from the electromagnetic SED. We construct a neutrino light curve of 3C 454.3 and estimate the expected neutrino yield at energies $\geq 100$ TeV for 3C 454.3 to be up to $6 \times 10^{-3}$ $\nu_{\mu}$ per year. Finally, we extrapolate our model findings to the light curves of all Fermi-LAT flat-spectrum radio quasars. We find that next-generation neutrino telescopes are expected to detect approximately one multimessenger ($\gamma + \nu_{\mu}$) flare per year from bright blazars with neutrino peak energy in the hundreds TeV -- hundreds PeV energy range and show that the electromagnetic flare peak can precede the neutrino arrival by months to years.
comment: submitted to MNRAS; 19 pages (12 figures, 3 tables) + appendices
☆ 3D Vortices and rotating solitons in ultralight dark matter
We study the formation and the dynamics of vortex lines in rotating scalar dark matter halos, focusing on models with quartic repulsive self-interactions. In the nonrelativistic regime, vortex lines and their lattices arise from the Gross-Pitaevskii equation of motion, as for superfluids and Bose-Einstein condensates studied in laboratory experiments. Indeed, in such systems vorticity is supported by the singularities of the phase of the scalar field, which leads to a discrete set of quantized vortices amid a curl-free velocity background. In the continuum limit where the number of vortex lines becomes very large, we find that the equilibrium solution is a rotating soliton that obeys a solid-body rotation, with an oblate density profile aligned with the direction of the total spin. This configuration is dynamically stable provided the rotational energy is smaller than the self-interaction and gravitational energies. Using numerical simulations in the Thomas-Fermi regime, with stochastic initial conditions for a spherical halo with a specific averaged density profile and angular momentum, we find that a rotating soliton always emerges dynamically, within a few dynamical times, and that a network of vortex lines aligned with the total spin fills its oblate profile. These vertical vortex lines form a regular lattice in the equatorial plane, in agreement with the analytical predictions of uniform vortex density and solid-body rotation. These vortex lines might further extend between halos to form the backbone of spinning cosmic filaments.
comment: 24 pages
☆ Fuzzy dark matter fails to explain the dark matter cores
Ultrafaint dwarf galaxies (UFDs) are ideal for studying dark matter (DM) due to minimal baryonic effects. UFD observations suggest cored DM profiles. We find that the core radius -- stellar mass scaling predicted by fuzzy dark matter (FDM) is at $6.1\sigma$ tension with UFD observations. Combining observations from 27 UFDs, the required FDM mass $m_a = 3.2_{-0.6}^{+0.8}\times 10^{-21}\,{\rm eV}$ is also in conflict with existing Lyman-$\alpha$ bounds. Our results suggest that FDM cannot provide a consistent explanation for DM cores and imply $m_a > 2.2\times 10^{-21}\,{\rm eV}$ at to $2\sigma$ CL.
comment: 5 pages, 4 figures
☆ The sinusoidal valley: a recipe for high peaks in the scalar and induced tensor spectra
Adding a sine-type interaction to inflationary models with two fields can evoke a classical trajectory with many turns in field space. Under conditions we discuss, the enhancement of the spectrum of adiabatic fluctuations resulting from each turn adds up. A special range of scales away from the CMB-constrained region can then be enhanced by several orders of magnitude, allowing for interesting phenomenological possibilities, such as induced gravitational waves or primordial black holes. A localized version of this interaction can also be used as an add-on to conventional inflationary models, thus allowing the injection of the large peak in their power spectra. The intuition and the conclusions drawn from this simple model remain relevant for more complicated applications that usually include extra terms that obscure the simplicity of the mechanism.
comment: 25 pages, 13 figures
☆ Reionization and its sources
Reionization represents an important phase in the history of our Universe when ultraviolet radiation from the first luminous sources, primarily stars and accreting black holes, ionized the neutral hydrogen atoms in the intergalactic medium (IGM). This process follows the ``Dark Ages'', a period with no luminous sources, and is initiated by the formation of the first sources, marking the ``Cosmic Dawn''. Reionization proceeds through multiple stages: initially, ionized bubbles form around galaxies, then expand and overlap across the IGM, culminating in a fully ionized state, with neutral hydrogen remaining only in dense regions. Understanding reionization involves a diverse range of physical concepts, from large-scale structure formation and star formation to radiation propagation through the IGM. Observationally, reionization can be explored using the cosmic microwave background (CMB), Lyman-$\alpha$ absorption, high-redshift galaxy surveys, and emerging 21~cm experiments, which together offer invaluable insights into this transformative epoch.
comment: This is a pre-print of a chapter for the Encyclopedia of Astrophysics (edited by I. Mandel, section editor S. McGee) to be published by Elsevier as a Reference Module
☆ Determination of Hubble constant from Megamaser Cosmology Project using Profile Likelihood
The Megamaser Cosmology Project inferred a value for the Hubble constant given by $H_0=73.9 \pm 3.0 $ km/sec/Mpc. This value was obtained using Bayesian inference by marginalizing over six nuisance parameters, corresponding to the velocities of the megamaser galaxy systems. We obtain an independent estimate of the Hubble constant with the same data using frequentist inference. For this purpose, we use profile likelihood to dispense with the aforementioned nuisance parameters. The frequentist estimate of the Hubble constant is given by $H_0=73.5^{+3.0}_{-2.9}$ km/sec/Mpc and agrees with the Bayesian estimate to within $0.2\sigma$, and both approaches also produce consistent confidence/credible intervals. Therefore, this analysis provides a proof of principle application of profile likelihood in dealing with nuisance parameters in Cosmology, which is complementary to Bayesian analysis.
comment: 7 pages, 2 figures
☆ Non-particle dark matter
We provide a pedagogical introduction to non-particle dark matter, focused on primordial black holes (PBHs), black holes that may form in the early Universe from large overdensities. First, we outline the key properties of PBHs and how they meet the requirements to be a dark matter candidate. We then overview how PBHs can form, in particular from the collapse of large density perturbations generated by inflation (a proposed period of accelerated expansion in the early Universe). Next, we describe how PBHs can be probed by observations. Finally, we conclude with a summary focused on the key open questions in the field.
comment: 13 pages, 6 figures. This is a pre-print of a chapter for the Encyclopedia of Particle Physics (edited by C. Fischer, section editor V. Sanz) to be published by Elsevier as a Reference Module
☆ Issues in the Investigations of the Dark Matter Phenomenon in Galaxies: Parcere Personis, Dicere de Vitiis
It is always more evident that the kinematics of galaxies provide us with unique information on the Nature of the dark particles and on the properties of the galaxy Dark Matter (DM) halos. However, in investigating this topic, we have to be very careful about certain issues related to the assumptions that we take or to the practices that we follow. Here, we critically discuss such issues, that, today, result of fundamental importance, in that we have realized that the Nature of the DM will be not provided by The Theory but, has to be inferred by reverse engineering the observational scenario.
comment: 13 pages 5 Figures Comments welcome. In print on Universe
☆ Neural Network Reconstruction of Non-Gaussian Initial Conditions from Dark Matter Halos
We develop a machine learning approach to reconstructing the cosmological initial conditions from late-time dark matter halo number density fields in redshift space, with the goal of improving sensitivity to cosmological parameters, and in particular primordial non-Gaussianity. Using an U-Net architecture, our model achieves a cross-correlation accuracy of 44% for scales out to $k = 0.4 \text{ h}/\text{Mpc}$ between reconstructed and true initial conditions of Quijote 1 Gpc$^3$ simulation boxes with an average halo number density of $\bar{n} = 4\times 10^{-4}$ (h/Mpc)$^{3}$ in the tracer field at $z=0$ . We demonstrate that our reconstruction is likely to be optimal for this setup and that it is highly effective at reducing redshift-space distortions. Using a Fisher analysis, we show that reconstruction improves cosmological parameter constraints derived from the power spectrum and bispectrum. By combining the power spectrum monopole, quadrupole, and bispectrum monopole up to $k_{\rm{max}} = 0.52 \text{ h}/\text{Mpc}$, our joint analysis of pre- and post-reconstructed fields from the Quijote simulation suite finds improved marginalized errors on all cosmological parameters. In particular, reconstruction improves constraints on $f_{\rm{NL}}$ by factors of 1.33, 1.88, and 1.57 for local, equilateral, and orthogonal shapes. Our findings demonstrate the effectiveness of reconstruction in decoupling modes, mitigating redshift-space distortions and maximizing information on cosmology. The results provide important insights into the amount of cosmological information that can be extracted from small scales, and can potentially be used to complement standard analysis of observational data, upon further development.
comment: 29 pages, 12 figures
☆ Comparative Analysis of EMCEE, Gaussian Process, and Masked Autoregressive Flow in Constraining the Hubble Constant Using Cosmic Chronometers Dataset
The Hubble constant ($\mathrm{H}_0$) is essential for understanding the universe's evolution. Different methods, such as Affine Invariant Markov chain Monte Carlo Ensemble sampler (EMCEE), Gaussian Process (GP), and Masked Autoregressive Flow (MAF), are used to constrain $\mathrm{H}_0$ using $H(z)$ data. However, these methods produce varying $\mathrm{H}_0$ values when applied to the same dataset. To investigate these differences, we compare the methods based on their sensitivity to individual data points and their accuracy in constraining $\mathrm{H}_0$. We introduce Multiple Random Sampling Analysis (MRSA) to assess their sensitivity to individual data points. Our findings reveal that GP is more sensitive to individual data points than both MAF and EMCEE, with MAF being more sensitive than EMCEE. Sensitivity also depends on redshift: EMCEE and GP are more sensitive to $H(z)$ at higher redshifts, while MAF is more sensitive at lower redshifts. For accuracy assessment, we simulate $H_{\mathrm{sim}}(z_{\mathrm{sim}})$ datasets with a prior $\mathrm{H}_{\mathrm{0prior}}$. Comparing the constrained $\mathrm{H_{0sim}}$ values with $\mathrm{H}_{\mathrm{0prior}}$ shows that EMCEE is the most accurate, followed by MAF, with GP being the least accurate, regardless of the simulation method.
comment: 13 pages, 10 figures, 5 tables
☆ A solution to the Hubble tension with self-interacting ultralight dark matter
We show that oscillations of self-interacting ultralight dark matter with a characteristic energy scale $ \tilde{m} \simeq 1~eV $ naturally act as an extra radiation component just before the recombination era, decreasing the sound horizon radius of the photon-baryon fluid. This reduction leads to an increase in the present-day Hubble parameter, potentially resolving the Hubble tension without the need for exotic matter or energy. The required mass and quartic self-interaction coupling are consistent with current astronomical constraints, including the relic dark matter density. This model could also reduce the $S_8$ tension often associated with other early-time solutions.
☆ CSST Large Scale Structure Analysis Pipeline: III. Emission-line Redshift Measurement for Slitless Spectra
The China Space Station Telescope (CSST) is a forthcoming space-based optical telescope designed to co-orbit with the Chinese Space Station. With a planned slitless spectroscopic survey spanning a broad wavelength range of $255-1000$nm and an average spectral resolution exceeding 200, the CSST holds significant potential for cosmic large-scale structure analysis. In this study, we focus on redshift determinations from slitless spectra through emission line analysis within the CSST framework. Our tailored redshift measurement process involves identifying emission lines in one-dimensional slitless spectra, aligning observed wavelengths with their rest-frame counterparts from prominent galaxy emissions, and calculating wavelength shifts to determine redshifts accurately. To validate our redshift measurement algorithm, we leverage simulated spectra generated by the CSST emulator for slitless spectroscopy. The outcomes demonstrate a remarkable redshift completeness exceeding 95 per cent for emission line galaxies (ELGs), alongside a purity surpassing 85 per cent. The redshift uncertainty remains impressively below than $\sim 0.001$. Notably, when concentrating on galaxies with more than three matched emission lines, the completeness of ELGs and the purity of measurable galaxies can reach 98 per cent and 97 per cent, respectively. Furthermore, we explore the influence of parameters like magnitude, spectral signal-to-noise ratio, and redshift on redshift completeness and purity. The discussion also delves into redshift degeneracies stemming from emission-line matching confusion. Our developed redshift measurement process will be applied to extensive simulated datasets and forthcoming CSST slitless spectroscopic observations for further cosmological and extragalactic analyses.
☆ Constraining the Hubble Constant with a Simulated Full Covariance Matrix Using Neural Networks
The Hubble parameter, $H(z)$, plays a crucial role in understanding the expansion history of the universe and constraining the Hubble constant, $\mathrm{H}_0$. The Cosmic Chronometers (CC) method provides an independent approach to measuring $H(z)$, but existing studies either neglect off-diagonal elements in the covariance matrix or use an incomplete covariance matrix, limiting the accuracy of $\mathrm{H}_0$ constraints. To address this, we use a Fully Connected Neural Network (FCNN) to simulate the full $33 \times 33$ covariance matrix based on a previously proposed $15 \times 15$ covariance matrix. We find that two key hyperparameters, epochs and batch size, significantly affect the simulation and introduce two criteria for selecting optimal values. Using the simulated covariance matrix, we constrain $\mathrm{H}_0$ via two independent methods: EMCEE and Gaussian Process. Our results show that different hyperparameter selection criteria lead to variations in the chosen combinations but have little impact on the final constrained $\mathrm{H}_0$. However, different epochs and batch size settings do affect the results. Incorporating the simulated covariance matrix increases the uncertainty in $\mathrm{H}_0$ compared to using no covariance matrix or only the proposed $15 \times 15$ covariance matrix. The comparison between EMCEE and GP suggests that the constraint method itself also influences the final $\mathrm{H}_0$. These findings highlight the importance of properly modeling covariance in CC-based $\mathrm{H}_0$ constraints.
comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, and 2 tables
☆ Bubble wall velocity for first-order QCD phase transition
Although the QCD phase transition is a crossover in the standard model, nonstandard effects such as a large lepton asymmetry are known to make it first order, with possible applications to gravitational wave production. This process is sensitive to the speed of the bubble walls during the phase transition, which is difficult to compute from first principles. We take advantage of recent progress on wall speed determinations to provide a simple estimate which constrains the wall speed to be significantly lower than what has been used in previous literature. This in turn strongly suppresses the production of gravitational waves, to a level that is just out of reach of the most sensitive projected experiment for this signal, $\mu$Ares.
comment: 8 pages, 4 figures
☆ Filtered cogenesis of PBH dark matter and baryons
We propose a novel cogenesis of baryon and dark matter (DM) in the Universe by utilising a first-order phase transition (FOPT) in the dark sector containing an asymmetric Dirac fermion $\chi$. Due to the mass difference of $\chi$ across the bubble walls, it is energetically favourable for $\chi$ to get trapped in the false vacuum leading to the formation of Fermi-ball, which can self-collapse to form primordial black hole (PBH) if $\chi$ has a sufficiently large Yukawa interaction. While such PBH formed out of false vacuum collapse can give rise to the DM in the Universe, a tiny amount of asymmetric $\chi$ leaking into the true vacuum through the bubble walls can transfer the dark asymmetry into the visible sector via decay. The same mass difference of $\chi$ across the two minima which decides the amount of trapping or filtering of $\chi$, also allows $\chi$ decay into visible sector in the true minima while keeping it stable in the false vacuum. Our filtered cogenesis scenario can be probed via FOPT generated stochastic gravitational waves (GW) at near future detectors in addition to the well-known detection aspects of asteroid mass PBH constituting DM in the Universe.
comment: 31 pages, 10 captioned figures
☆ Searching For Superheavy Decaying Particles With Ultra-High-Energy Neutrino Observatories
If there exist unstable but long-lived relics of the early universe, their decays could produce detectable fluxes of gamma rays and neutrinos. In this paper, we point out that the decays of superheavy particles, $m_{\chi} \gtrsim 10^{10} \, \text{GeV}$,would produce an enhanced flux of ultra-high-energy neutrinos through the processes of muon and pion pair production in the resulting electromagnetic cascades. These processes transfer energy from electromagnetic decay products into neutrinos, relaxing the constraints that can be derived from gamma-ray observations, and increasing the sensitivity of high-energy neutrino telescopes to superheavy particle decays. Taking this into account, we derive new constraints on long-lived superheavy relics from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, and from the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope. We find that IceCube-Gen2, and other next generation neutrino telescopes, will provide unprecedented sensitivity to the decays of superheavy dark matter particles and other long-lived relics.
comment: 14 pages, 10 figures
☆ Particle production from inhomogeneities: general metric perturbations
We present universal formulas for particle production from gravitational inhomogeneities. In the massless limit the result is strikingly simple and completely determined by the two-point function of the energy-momentum tensor that is fixed up to a constant - the central charge - for conformally coupled scalars, massless fermions and gauge fields. This result can be applied to any conformally coupled theory, weakly or strongly interacting, unifying previous derivations for fields of different spin and for scalar and tensor perturbations. We derive the results using the Schwinger method of 1PI effective action and through Bogoliubov transformations that allows to compute exclusive information on the distribution of particles. We then apply these results to stochastic backgrounds of scalar and tensor perturbations that can be generated by various phenomena such us inflationary perturbations and first order phase transitions. Differently from particle production usually considered in cosmology this mechanism allows for the production of massless fields. In particular the abundance induced by inhomogeneities can easily reproduce the dark matter abundance if scalar perturbations produced from inflation are enhanced at short scales.
comment: 30 pages, 2 figures, 1 table
♻ ☆ Conservation of superhorizon curvature perturbations at one loop: Backreaction in the in-in formalism and Renormalization
We show that the superhorizon-limit curvature perturbations are conserved at one-loop level in single-field inflation models with a transient non-slow-roll period. We take the spatially-flat gauge, where the backreaction plays a crucial role for the conservation of superhorizon curvature perturbations unless the counter terms are tuned. We calculate the backreaction with the in-in formalism. In addition, we explicitly show the renormalization of the UV divergences with the counter terms.
comment: 23 pages, 2 figures, v2: references added, minor revision
♻ ☆ On a model of variable curvature that mimics the observed Universe acceleration
We present a new model based on General Relativity in where a subtle change of curvature at late times is able to produce the observed Universe acceleration and an oscillating behavior in the effective equation of state. This model aims to test the cosmological principle, by introducing a slight modification in the traditional FLRW metric, through a non-constant curvature parameter. This model is defined by a smooth step-like function with a slight transition between two curvature values, fulfilling the premise that the derivative of this curvature parameter is preserved as approximately zero, $\dot{\kappa}\approx0$. To test our model, we implemented a MCMC likelihood analysis using Cosmic Chronometers and Type Ia supernovae data in order to constrain the free parameters of the model and reconstruct $H(z)$, $q(z)$, $w_{eff}(z)$, also comparing the results with the $\Lambda$CDM model. The main result is that this model provides an alternative to the acceleration of the Universe without the need of a dark energy component. In particular, it gives an equivalent phase transition at $z \sim 0.5$, while obtaining the same fraction of matter density, similar to what is expected for the standard $\Lambda$CDM model. Remarkably, it also predicts a slight decelerated state at $z=0$ in agreement with diverse Dark Energy parameterizations. We conclude that the behavior of our proposed model points towards a new and intriguing way to investigate slight violations to the cosmological principle, in particular the case of inhomogenities during low phase transitions.
comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Physics of the Dark Universe journal
♻ ☆ Compressed 'CMB-lite' Likelihoods Using Automatic Differentiation
The compression of multi-frequency cosmic microwave background (CMB) power spectrum measurements into a series of foreground-marginalised CMB-only band powers allows for the construction of faster and more easily interpretable 'lite' likelihoods. However, obtaining the compressed data vector is computationally expensive and yields a covariance matrix with sampling noise. In this work, we present an implementation of the CMB-lite framework relying on automatic differentiation. The technique presented reduces the computational cost of the lite likelihood construction to one minimisation and one Hessian evaluation, which run on a personal computer in about a minute. We demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of this procedure by applying it to the differentiable SPT-3G 2018 TT/TE/EE likelihood from the candl library. We find good agreement between the marginalised posteriors of cosmological parameters yielded by the resulting lite likelihood and the reference multi-frequency version for all cosmological models tested; the best-fit values shift by $<0.1\,\sigma$, where $\sigma$ is the width of the multi-frequency posterior, and the inferred parameter error bars match to within $<10\%$. We publicly release the SPT-3G 2018 TT/TE/EE lite likelihood and a python notebook showing its construction at https://github.com/Lbalkenhol/candl .
comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, 1 table
♻ ☆ Interference in Fuzzy Dark Matter Filaments: Idealised Models and Statistics
Fuzzy (wave) dark matter (FDM), the dynamical model underlying an ultralight bosonic dark matter species, produces a rich set of non-gravitational signatures that distinguishes it markedly from the phenomenologically related warm (particle) dark matter (WDM) scenario. The emergence of extended interference fringes hosted by cosmic filaments is one such phenomenon reported by cosmological simulations, and a detailed understanding of such may strengthen existing limits on the boson mass but also break the degeneracy with WDM, and provide a unique fingerprint of interference in cosmology. In this paper, we provide initial steps towards this goal. In particular, we show in a bottom-up approach, how the presence of interference in an idealised filament population can lead to a non-suppressive feature in the matter power spectrum -- an observation supported by fully-cosmological FDM simulations. To this end, we build on a theoretically motivated and numerically observed steady-state approximation for filaments and express the equilibrium dynamics of such in an expansion of FDM eigenstates. We optimise the size of the expansion by incorporating classical phase-space information. Ellipsoidal collapse considerations are used to construct a fuzzy filament mass function which, together with the reconstructed FDM wave function, allow us to efficiently compute the one-filament power spectrum. We showcase our non-perturbative interference model for a selection of boson masses and confirm our approach is able to produce the matter power boost observed in fully-cosmological FDM simulations. More precisely, we find an excess in correlation between the spatial scale associated with the FDM ground state and the quantum pressure scale. We speculate about applications of this effect in data analysis.
comment: 15+5 pages, 12+1 figures, v2 submitted to A&A
♻ ☆ Constraining the Secluded and Catalyzed Annihilation Dark Matter with Fermi-LAT and Planck Data
We propose a dark matter (DM) model with a complex scalar charged under a hidden gauge symmetry, denoted as $U(1)_D$. The scalar field is the DM candidate while the $U(1)_D$ gauge field $A'$ plays the role of a mediator, which connects the dark sector to the standard model (SM) sector via a tiny kinetic mixing. We find that both the secluded and catalyzed annihilation scenarios can be realized in this model. The phenomenology of DM, including relic density, indirect detection (Fermi-LAT), and CMB (Planck) constraints, is discussed. We also extend our discussion to DM with other spins, including Dirac fermion and vector boson. Our analysis is carried out in two models, denoted as $U(1)_D \times U(1)_Y$ and $U(1)_D \times U(1)_{L_\mu-L_\tau}$, with the former corresponding to $A'$ kinetically mixing with the $U(1)_Y$ gauge field $B$ and the latter corresponding to $A'$ mixing with the $U(1)_{L_\mu-L_\tau}$ gauge field $Z'$. We find that, in previous studies, the indirect detection limits were overly restrictive because they only considered the simplified $2\mathrm{DM} \to 2\mathrm{SM}$ annihilation channel. In contrast, by performing a complete calculation of the gamma-ray and CMB constraints from the process $2\mathrm{DM} \to 2A' \to 4\mathrm{SM}$ in the models we consider, we observe weaker constraints in both the $U(1)_D \times U(1)_Y$ and $U(1)_D \times U(1)_{L_\mu-L_\tau}$ models, with the $U(1)_D \times U(1)_{L_\mu-L_\tau}$ model being subject to the weakest constraints overall since it involves less hadronic decay processes.
♻ ☆ Measuring the Mean Free Path of HI Ionizing Photons at $3.2\leq z\leq4.6$ with DESI Y1 Quasars
The mean free path of ionizing photons ($\lambda_\mathrm{mfp}^{912}$) in the intergalactic medium (IGM) is a crucial quantity in modelling the ionization state of IGM and the extragalactic ultraviolet background (EUVB), and is widely used in hydrodynamical simulations of galaxies and reionization. We construct the largest quasar spectrum dataset to date -- 12,595 $\mathrm{S/N}>3$ spectra -- using the Y1 observation of Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) to make the most precise model-independent measurement of the mean free path at $3.2\leq z\leq 4.6$. By stacking the spectra in 17 redshift bins and modelling the Lyman continuum profile, we get a redshift evolution $\lambda_\mathrm{mfp}^{912}\propto(1+z)^{-4.27}$ at $2\leq z\leq 5$, which is much shallower than previous estimate $\lambda_\mathrm{mfp}^{912}\propto(1+z)^{-5.4}$. We then explore the sources of systematic bias, including the choice of intrinsic quasar continuum, the consideration of Lyman series opacity and Lyman limit opacity evolution and the definition of $\lambda_\mathrm{mfp}^{912}$. Combining our results with estimates of $\lambda_\mathrm{mfp}^{912}$ at higher redshifts, we conclude at high confidence that the evolution in $\lambda_\mathrm{mfp}^{912}$ steepens at $z \approx 5$. We interpret this inflection as the transition from the end of HI reionization to a fully ionized plasma which characterizes the intergalactic medium of the past $\sim10$ billion years.
comment: 20 pages, 11 figures, accepted by ApJL. Comments are welcome!
♻ ☆ The Spectrum of Global Axion Strings SP
The post-inflationary Peccei-Quinn (PQ) symmetry breaking scenario provides a unique opportunity to pinpoint the QCD axion dark matter mass, which is a crucial input for laboratory experiments that are designed for probing specific mass ranges. Predicting their mass requires a precise knowledge of how axions are produced from the decay of topological defects in the early Universe that are inevitably formed. In this contribution, we present recent results on the analysis of the spectrum of axions radiated from global strings based on large scale numerical simulations of the cosmological evolution of the PQ field on a static lattice. We highlight several systematic effects that have been overlooked in previous works, such as the dependence on the initial conditions, contaminations due to oscillations in the spectrum, and discretisation effects; some of which could explain the discrepancy in the current literature. Taking these uncertainties into account and performing the extrapolation to cosmologically relevant string tensions, we find that the dark matter mass is predicted to be in the range of $95\,\mu\text{eV} \lesssim m_a \lesssim 450 \, \mu\text{eV}$, which will be probed by some of the next generation direct detection experiments.
comment: 11 pages, 7 figures. Version accepted for publication in PoS COSMICWISPers2024
♻ ☆ Spectrum of high-frequency gravitational waves from graviton bremsstrahlung by the decay of inflaton: case with polynomial potential
We study the generation of high-frequency gravitational waves (GWs) through graviton bremsstrahlung during the decay of inflaton in the post-inflationary universe, focusing on scenarios with a polynomial inflaton potential. Two main reheating channels are considered: decays into bosons (spin 0) and fermions (spin $\frac{1}{2}$). We compute the resulting GW spectra from three-body decays, where the inflaton decays into a pair of daughter particles and a graviton. We numerically compute the GW spectra for various polynomial exponents by employing two distinct approaches: one treating the inflaton as a collection of rest particles and the other treating it as a coherently oscillating classical field. In the former approach, only gravitons with energies below half the inflaton mass are produced, while the latter allows for the production of gravitons with arbitrarily high energies when the potential exponent is 4 or greater. This difference arises because the inflaton's oscillations are no longer described by a single harmonic mode but instead consist of infinitely many harmonic modes with different frequencies. As a result, the GW spectrum exhibits multiple peaks, with these peaks being less pronounced for higher powers of the potential. We also examine the dependence of the GW spectrum on the coupling constant between the inflaton and daughter particles. Our findings suggest that future GW detectors targeting GWs in the GHz band, such as resonant cavities, may have the capability to detect these signals, offering potential insights into the reheating phase of the early universe.
comment: 24 pages,8 figures
♻ ☆ Modern Bayesian Sampling Methods for Cosmological Inference: A Comparative Study
We present a comprehensive comparison of different Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling methods, evaluating their performance on both standard test problems and cosmological parameter estimation. Our analysis includes traditional Metropolis-Hastings MCMC, Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC), slice sampling, nested sampling as implemented in dynesty, and PolyChord. We examine samplers through multiple metrics including runtime, memory usage, effective sample size, and parameter accuracy, testing their scaling with dimension and response to different probability distributions. While all samplers perform well with simple Gaussian distributions, we find that HMC and nested sampling show advantages for more complex distributions typical of cosmological problems. Traditional MCMC and slice sampling become less efficient in higher dimensions, while nested methods maintain accuracy but at higher computational cost. In cosmological applications using BAO data, we observe similar patterns, with particular challenges arising from parameter degeneracies and poorly constrained parameters.
comment: 16 pages, Final published version,
♻ ☆ GA-NIFS: Multi-phase analysis of a star-forming galaxy at $z \sim 5.5$
In this study, we present a detailed multiphase analysis of HZ4, a main-sequence star-forming galaxy at z ~ 5.5, known for being a turbulent rotating disk and having a detection of a [CII] outflow in the ALMA observations. We exploit JWST/NIRSpec observations in the integral field spectroscopy mode with low- and high-spectral resolution that allow us for the first time to spatially resolve the rest-frame UV and optical emission of the galaxy to investigate the galaxy properties. In particular, the high-resolution dataset allows us to study the kinematics of the ionized gas phase, and the conditions of the interstellar medium, such as the excitation mechanism, dust attenuation, and metallicity. The lower-spectral resolution observations allow us to study the continuum emission and infer the stellar populations' ages and properties. Our findings suggest that HZ4 is a galaxy merger rather than a rotating disk as previously inferred from lower resolution [CII] data. The merger is associated with an extended broad, blueshifted emission, potentially indicative of an outflow originating from a region of intense star formation and extending up to 4 kpc. In light of these new observations we reanalyzed the ALMA data to compare the multiphase gas properties. If we interpret the broad components seen in [CII] and [OIII]$\lambda$5007\.A as outflows, the neutral and ionized components are co-spatial, the mass loading factor of the ionized phase is significantly lower than that of the neutral phase, aligning with trends observed in multi-phase systems at lower redshifts. Nonetheless, additional observations and larger statistical samples are essential to determine the role of mergers and outflows in the early Universe and to clarify the origin of the broad emission components observed in this system.
comment: 23 pages, 20 figures, accepted in A&A
♻ ☆ Gravitational radiation from binary systems in Unimodular gravity
Unimodular gravity (UG) is classically considered identical to General Relativity (GR). However, due to restricted diffeomorphism symmetry, the Bianchi identites do not lead to the conservation of energy-momentum tensor. Thus, the conservation of energy-momentum tensor needs to be separately assumed in order to reconcile with GR. Relaxing this assumption, one finds that the conservation violation can lead to differences with GR, which can be subsequently examined in astrophysical and cosmological scenarios. To this end, we examine the predictions of UG in the context of binary systems emitting gravitational radiation. Primarily, we show how the field equations involve a diffusion function which quantifies the measure of non-conservation. Due to this violation, the dispersion relation is modified. Incorporating these changes, we provide an expression for the energy loss by the binaries, which reduces to Peters-Mathews result in the GR limit. Using binary pulsar data, we constrain the theory parameter $\zeta$ (which signifies non-conservation) by determining the rate of orbital decay. The strongest constrain on $\zeta$ comes out to be $\vert \zeta \vert \leq 5\times 10^{-4}$ which is better by an order of magnitude than an existing equivalent constraint coming from the tidal deformability of the neutron stars.
comment: 18 pages, Matched with published version
♻ ☆ Primordial Black Holes from First-Order Phase Transition in the xSM
Supercooled first-order phase transition (FOPT) can lead to the formation of primordial black holes (PBHs). This scenario imposes stringent requirements on the profile of the effective potential. In this work, we use the singlet extended Standard Model (xSM) as a benchmark model to investigate this possibility at the electroweak scale. The PBHs formed during a supercooled FOPT have a narrow mass distribution around the mass of Earth. This distribution is closely tied to the temperature at which the PBHs form, corresponding to the FOPT at the electroweak scale. This scenario can be probed with microlensing experiments, space-based gravitational wave detectors, and collider experiments. Remarkably, the future space-based gravitational wave detector LISA will hold the potential to either confirm this PBH scenario in the xSM or completely rule it out for extremely small total dark matter fraction made of PBHs, down to $f_{\rm PBH}> 10^{-300}$. Interestingly, our findings suggest that PBHs within the xSM framework may align with observations of the six ultrashort timescale events reported by the OGLE microlensing experiment.
comment: 48 pages, 13 figures and 1 table. v2: matches published version
♻ ☆ On the relation between cosmological redshift and fine structure constant variation
Almost a century ago, Hubble discovered the cosmological redshift of extragalactic objects. The Friedmann-Lema{\^\i}tre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) metric was presented as a solution of Einstein's field equations for a homogeneous and isotropic universe. The metric includes a time-dependent factor $a(t)$, intended to explain the cosmological redshift. By contrast, for the Eintein's static universe ($a=1$), no reasonable redshift explanation was found. In this work, the Cosmic Time Physics (CTP) theoretical framework is developed. CTP moves the explanation of cosmological redshift from general relativity to electromagnetism domain. We show that the vacuum electric permittivity $\epsilon_0$ and the vacuum magnetic permeability $\mu_0$ can vary inversely one each other over cosmic time, maintaining the speed of light $c$ constant, while conducting the change on the vacuum impedance $Z_0$ and on the fine structure constant $\alpha$. This variation downscales the atomic energy levels with cosmic backtime, redshifting the wavelength and frequency exactly in the same manner they are observed, while maintaining the atomic quantification relations. Note that the increase on $\alpha$ with cosmic time has gone unnoticed experimentally so far since the search is performed on rest-frame (de-redshiftted signals), in spite of the manifestation of such variation is precisely the redshift. The application of CTP to general relativity drive to an angular-redshift relation $d_A(z)$ as a function of the age of the universe $t_0$ and its curvature $R_0$. As a first approximation, we show that CTP $d_A(z)$ is able to reproduce the LCDM $d_A(z)$ curve with $R_0=1800$ Mpc and $t_0=15.57$ Gly. Finally, the Friedmann equations without scale factor ($a=1$) are used to derive the requirements for the stability of CTP universe.
comment: There are deep changes due to a better understanding of the problem
♻ ☆ Strong gravitational lenses from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory
Like many areas of astrophysics and cosmology, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will be transformational for almost all the applications of strong lensing, thanks to the dramatic increase in the number of known strong lenses by two orders of magnitude or more and the readily available time-domain data for the lenses with transient sources. In this article, we provide an overview of the forecasted number of discovered lenses of different types and describe the primary science cases these large lens samples will enable. We provide an updated forecast on the joint constraint for the dark energy equation-of-state parameters, $w_0$ and $w_a$, from combining all strong lensing probes of dark energy. We update the previous forecast from the Rubin Observatory Dark Energy Science Collaboration's Science Review Document by adding two new crucial strong lensing samples: lensed Type Ia supernovae and single-deflector lenses with measured stellar kinematics. Finally, we describe the current and near-future activities and collaborative efforts within the strong lensing community in preparation for the arrival of the first real dataset from Rubin in early 2026.
comment: 13 pages, 2 figures. Invited review for the Royal Society meeting "Multi-messenger Gravitational Lensing", accepted by Philosophical Transactions A
♻ ☆ BICEP/Keck XVIII: Measurement of BICEP3 polarization angles and consequences for constraining cosmic birefringence and inflation
We use a custom-made calibrator to measure individual detectors' polarization angles of BICEP3, a small aperture telescope observing the cosmic microwave background (CMB) at 95GHz from the South Pole. We describe our calibration strategy and the statistical and systematic uncertainties associated with the measurement. We reach an unprecedented precision for such measurement on a CMB experiment, with a repeatability for each detector pair of $0.02\deg$. We show that the relative angles measured using this method are in excellent agreement with those extracted from CMB data. Because the absolute measurement is currently limited by a systematic uncertainty, we do not derive cosmic birefringence constraints from BICEP3 data in this work. Rather, we forecast the sensitivity of BICEP3 sky maps for such analysis. We investigate the relative contributions of instrument noise, lensing, and dust, as well as astrophysical and instrumental systematics. We also explore the constraining power of different angle estimators, depending on analysis choices. We establish that the BICEP3 2-year dataset (2017--2018) has an on-sky sensitivity to the cosmic birefringence angle of $\sigma = 0.078\deg$, which could be improved to $\sigma = 0.055\deg$ by adding all of the existing BICEP3 data (through 2023). Furthermore, we emphasize the possibility of using the BICEP3 sky patch as a polarization calibration source for CMB experiments, which with the present data could reach a precision of $0.035\deg$. Finally, in the context of inflation searches, we investigate the impact of detector-to-detector variations in polarization angles as they may bias the tensor-to-scalar ratio r. We show that while the effect is expected to remain subdominant to other sources of systematic uncertainty, it can be reliably calibrated using polarization angle measurements such as the ones we present in this paper.
comment: 29 Pages, 17 Figures, 6 Tables, as submitted to PRD. Visit bicepkeck.org for figure pdfs/pngs
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 12
☆ Searching for Low-Mass Exoplanets Amid Stellar Variability with a Fixed Effects Linear Model of Line-by-Line Shape Changes
The radial velocity (RV) method, also known as Doppler spectroscopy, is a powerful technique for exoplanet discovery and characterization. In recent years, progress has been made thanks to the improvements in the quality of spectra from new extreme precision RV spectrometers. However, detecting the RV signals of Earth-like exoplanets remains challenging, as the spectroscopic signatures of low-mass planets can be obscured or confused with intrinsic stellar variability. Changes in the shapes of spectral lines across time can provide valuable information for disentangling stellar activity from true Doppler shifts caused by low-mass exoplanets. In this work, we present a fixed effects linear model to estimate RV signals that controls for changes in line shapes by aggregating information from hundreds of spectral lines. Our methodology incorporates a wild-bootstrap approach for modeling uncertainty and cross-validation to control for overfitting. We evaluate the model's ability to remove stellar activity using solar observations from the NEID spectrograph, as the sun's true center-of-mass motion is precisely known. Including line shape-change covariates reduces the RV root-mean-square errors by approximately 70% (from 1.919 m s$^{-1}$ to 0.575 m s$^{-1}$) relative to using only the line-by-line Doppler shifts. The magnitude of the residuals is significantly less than that from traditional CCF-based RV estimators and comparable to other state-of-the-art methods for mitigating stellar variability.
comment: Submitted to AAS Journals. 20 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables
☆ Evidence for an accretion bridge in the DX Cha circumbinary system from VLTI/MATISSE observations
DX Cha (HD 104237) is a spectroscopic binary consisting of a Herbig A7.5Ve-A8Ve primary star and a K3-type companion. Here we report on new $3.55$ micrometer interferometric observations of this source with the Multi Aperture Mid-Infrared Spectroscopic Experiment (MATISSE) at the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI). To model the four MATISSE observations obtained between 2020 and 2023, we constructed a time-dependent interferometric model of the system, using the oimodeler software. The model consists of an asymmetric ring and two point sources on a Keplerian orbit. Our best-fit model consists of a circumbinary ring with a diameter of $0.86$ au ($8.1$ mas), featuring a strong azimuthal asymmetry. We found that the position angle of the asymmetry changes tens of degrees between the MATISSE epochs. The ring is relatively narrow, with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of $\sim$$0.13$ au ($1.23$ mas). The presence of circumstellar dust emission so close to the binary is unexpected, as previous hydrodynamic simulations predicted an inner disk cavity with a diameter of $\sim$$4$ au ($\sim$$37.5$ mas). Thus, we argue that the narrow envelope of material we detected is probably not a gravitationally stable circumbinary ring, but may be part of tidal accretion streamers channeling material from the inner edge of the disk toward the stars.
comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 11 pages, 5 figures, 5 tables
☆ Connecting Earth and Moon via the L1 Lagrangian point
The renewed global interest in lunar exploration requires new orbital strategies to ensure flight safety which can benefit extended lunar missions and service a plethora of planned instruments in the lunar orbit and surface. We investigate here the equivalent fuel consumption cost to transfer from (to) a given orbit and enter (leave) at any point of an invariant manifold associated with a Lyapunov orbit around the Earth-Moon $L_1$ Lagrangian point using bi-impulsive maneuvers. Whereas solving this type of transfer is generally computationally expensive, we simulate here tens of millions of transfers orbits, for different times of flight, Jacobi constants and spatial location on the manifold. We are able to reduce computational cost by taking advantage of the efficient procedure given by the Theory of Functional Connections for solving boundary value problems, represented with special constraints created to the purposes of this work. We develop here the methodology for constructing these transfers, and apply it to find a low-cost transfer from an orbit around the Earth to a stable manifold and another low-cost transfer from an unstable manifold to an orbit around the Moon. In the end, we obtain an innovative Earth-to-Moon transfer that involves a gravity assist maneuver with the Moon and allows a long stationed stage at the Lyapunov orbit around $L_1$ which can be used for designing multi-purpose missions for extended periods of time with low fuel costs. This is paramount to optimize new exploration concepts.
☆ A very young tau-Herculid meteor cluster observed during a 2022 shower outburst
To date only very few meteor clusters have been instrumentally recorded. This means that every new detection is an important contribution to the understanding of these phenomena, which are thought to be evidence of the meteoroid fragmentation in the Solar System. On 31 May 2022, at 6:48:55 UT, a cluster consisting of 52 meteors was detected within 8.5 seconds during a predicted outburst of the tau-Herculid meteor shower. The aim of this paper is to reconstruct the atmospheric trajectories of the meteors and use the collected information to deduce the origin of the cluster. The meteors were recorded by two video cameras during an airborne campaign. Due to only the single station observation, their trajectories were estimated under the assumption that they belonged to the meteor shower. The mutual positions of the fragments, together with their photometric masses, was used to model the processes leading to the formation of the cluster. The physical properties of the cluster meteors are very similar to the properties of the tau-Herculids. This finding confirms the assumption of the shower membership used for the computation of atmospheric trajectories. This was the third cluster that we have studied in detail, but the first one where we do not see the mass separation of the particles. The cluster is probably less than 2.5 days old, which is too short for such a complete mass separation. Such an age would imply disintegration due to thermal stress. However, we cannot rule out an age of only a few hours, which would allow for other fragmentation mechanisms.
comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in A&A
☆ A comprehensive survey of the GEO-belt using simultaneous four-colour observations with STING
Colour light curves of resident space objects (RSOs) encapsulate distinctive features that can offer insights into an object's structure and design, making them an invaluable tool for classification and characterisation. We present the results of the first large systematic colour survey of the GEO belt in which we obtain full-night multi-colour light curves for 112 active geostationary objects between April and May 2023. Colour light curve maps were created to compare and contrast the colours between different satellites and bus configurations. We find that satellites with BSS-702 and STAR-2 buses can be effectively distinguished from the colour measurements on these maps, but comparing the average colour of individual satellites within given solar equatorial phase angle ranges shows that it is difficult to distinguish between bus configurations based on colour alone. We also find tentative evidence to suggest that there is a relationship between colour and time spent on orbit for the Eurostar-3000 class satellites, which is unseen behaviour within other bus configuration classes. The satellites in our sample exhibit `redder' colours than the Sun, which is in agreement with previous findings. We found common light curve features such as symmetrical colour changes as well as unique regions of short timescale glinting which are `bluer' than other regimes within the colour light curves. If these features are indeed seasonal, this would be a powerful characterisation tool. We are able to detect and resolve features in the light curve of the LDPE-3A satellite related to manoeuvres being performed. Finally, we measured the solar panel offsets of 54 satellites in our sample and found variation in the type of colour response. The majority of which did not exhibit any colour change across the solar panel glints compared to them shifting towards 'redder' or 'bluer' colours.
comment: 24 pages, 27 figures. Accepted for publication in Advances in Space Research (ASR)
☆ Large-scale clustering of inertial particles in a rotating, stratified and inhomogeneous turbulence
We develop a theory of various kinds of large-scale clustering of inertial particles in a rotating density stratified or inhomogeneous turbulent fluid flows. The large-scale particle clustering occurs in scales which are much larger than the integral scale of turbulence, and it is described in terms of the effective pumping velocity in a turbulent flux of particles. We show that for a fast rotating strongly anisotropic turbulence, the large-scale clustering occurs in the plane perpendicular to rotation axis in the direction of the fluid density stratification. We apply the theory of the large-scale particle clustering for explanation of the formation of planetesimals (progenitors of planets) in accretion protoplanetary discs. We determine the radial profiles of the radial and azimuthal components of the effective pumping velocity of particles which have two maxima corresponding to different regimes of the particle--fluid interactions: at the small radius it is the Stokes regime, while at the larger radius it is the Epstein regime. With the decrease the particle radius, the distance between the maxima increases. This implies that smaller-size particles are concentrated nearby the central body of the accretion disk, while larger-size particles are accumulated far from the central body. The dynamic time of the particle clustering is about $\tau_{\rm dyn} \sim 10^5$--$10^6$ years, while the turbulent diffusion time is about $10^7$ years, that is much larger than the characteristic formation time of large-scale particle clusters ($\sim \tau_{\rm dyn}$).
comment: 15 pages, revtex4-2
☆ Titanium chemistry of WASP-121 b with ESPRESSO in 4-UT mode
Transit spectroscopy usually relies on the integration of one or several transits to achieve the S/N necessary to resolve spectral features. Consequently, high-S/N observations of exoplanet atmospheres are essential for disentangling the complex chemistry and dynamics beyond global trends. In this study, we combined two partial 4-UT transits of the ultrahot Jupiter WASP-121 b, observed with the ESPRESSO at the VLT in order to revisit its titanium chemistry. Through cross-correlation analysis, we achieved detections of H I, Li I, Na I, K I, Mg I, Ca I, Ti I, V I, Cr I, Mn I, Fe I, Fe II, Co I, Ni I, Ba II, Sr I, and Sr II. Additionally, narrow-band spectroscopy allowed us to resolve strong single lines, resulting in significant detections of H$\alpha$, H$\beta$, H$\gamma$, Li I, Na I, K I, Mg I, Ca II, Sr I, Sr II, and Mn I. Our most notable finding is the high-significance detection of Ti I ($\sim$ 5$\sigma$ per spectrum, and $\sim$ 19$\sigma$ stacked in the planetary rest frame). Comparison with atmospheric models reveals that Ti I is indeed depleted compared to V I. We also resolve the planetary velocity traces of both Ti I and V I, with Ti I exhibiting a significant blueshift toward the end of the transit. This suggests that Ti I primarily originates from low-latitude regions within the super-rotating jet observed in WASP-121 b. Our observations suggest limited mixing between the equatorial jet and the mid-latitudes, in contrast with model predictions from GCMs. We also report the non-detection of TiO, which we attribute to inaccuracies in the line list that could hinder its detection, even if present. Thus, the final determination of the presence of TiO must await space-based observations. We conclude that the 4-UT mode of ESPRESSO is an excellent testbed for achieving high S/N on relatively faint targets, paving the way for future observations with the ELT.
comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, companion paper in Nature at DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08664-1
☆ Vertical structure of an exoplanet's atmospheric jet stream
Ultra-hot Jupiters, an extreme class of planets not found in our solar system, provide a unique window into atmospheric processes. The extreme temperature contrasts between their day- and night-sides pose a fundamental climate puzzle: how is energy distributed? To address this, we must observe the 3D structure of these atmospheres, particularly their vertical circulation patterns, which can serve as a testbed for advanced Global Circulation Models (GCM) [e.g. 1]. Here, we show a dramatic shift in atmospheric circulation in an ultra-hot Jupiter: a unilateral flow from the hot star-facing side to the cooler space-facing side of the planet sits below an equatorial super-rotational jet stream. By resolving the vertical structure of atmospheric dynamics, we move beyond integrated global snapshots of the atmosphere, enabling more accurate identification of flow patterns and allowing for a more nuanced comparison to models. Global circulation models based on first principles struggle to replicate the observed circulation pattern [3], underscoring a critical gap between theoretical understanding of atmospheric flows and observational evidence. This work serves as a testbed to develop more comprehensive models applicable beyond our Solar System as we prepare for the next generation of giant telescopes.
comment: Accepted for publication in Nature on 16th January 2025, published with DOI 10.1038/s41586-025-08664-1, 5 main figures, 12 main pages plus methods. This work has a companion paper on the same dataset: Prinoth et al. 2025, A&A, DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202452405
☆ The past, present and future of observations of externally irradiated disks
Recent years have seen a surge of interest in the community studying the effect of ultraviolet radiation environment, predominantly set by OB stars, on protoplanetary disc evolution and planet formation. This is important because a significant fraction of planetary systems, potentially including our own, formed in close proximity to OB stars. This is a rapidly developing field, with a broad range of observations across many regions recently obtained or recently scheduled. In this paper, stimulated by a series of workshops on the topic, we take stock of the current and upcoming observations. We discuss how the community can build on this recent success with future observations to make progress in answering the big questions of the field, with the broad goal of disentangling how external photoevaporation contributes to shaping the observed (exo)planet population. Both existing and future instruments offer numerous opportunities to make progress towards this goal.
comment: Submitted to the Open Journal of Astrophysics. Corresponding author Thomas Haworth
☆ A new convection scheme for GCMs of temperate sub-Neptunes
Atmospheric characterisation of temperate sub-Neptunes is the new frontier of exoplanetary science with recent JWST observations of possible Hycean world K2-18b. Accurate modelling of atmospheric processes is essential to interpreting high-precision spectroscopic data given the wide range of possible conditions in the sub-Neptune regime, including on potentially habitable planets. Notably, convection is an important process which can operate in different modes across sub-Neptune conditions. Convection can act very differently in atmospheres with a high condensible mass fraction (non-dilute atmospheres) or with a lighter background gas, e.g. water convection in a H$_2$-rich atmosphere, and can be much weaker or even shut down entirely in the latter case. We present a new mass-flux scheme which can capture these variations and simulate convection over a wide range of parameter space for use in 3D general circulation models (GCMs). We validate our scheme for two representative cases, a terrestrial-like atmosphere and a mini-Neptune atmosphere. In the terrestrial case, considering TRAPPIST-1e with an Earth-like atmosphere, the model performs near-identically to Earth-tuned models in an Earth-like convection case. In the mini-Neptune case, considering the bulk properties of K2-18b and assuming a deep H$_2$-rich atmosphere, we demonstrate the capability of the scheme to reproduce non-condensing convection. We find convection occurring at pressures greater than 0.3 bar and the dynamical structure shows high-latitude prograde jets. Our convection scheme will aid in the 3D climate modelling of a wide range of exoplanet atmospheres, and enable further exploration of temperate sub-Neptune atmospheres.
comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS
♻ ☆ Hot Rocks Survey I : A possible shallow eclipse for LHS 1478 b
M dwarf systems offer an opportunity to study terrestrial exoplanetary atmospheres due to their small size and cool temperatures. However, the extreme conditions imposed by these host stars raise question about whether their close-in rocky planets are able to retain any atmosphere at all. The Hot Rocks Survey aims to answer this question by targeting nine different M dwarf rocky planets. Of these, LHS 1478 b orbits an M3-type star, has an equilibrium temperature of T$_{eq}$ = 585 K and receives 21 times Earth's instellation. We observe two secondary eclipses using photometric imaging at 15$\mu$m using the Mid-Infrared Instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST MIRI) to measure thermal emission from the dayside of the planet. We compare these values to atmospheric models to evaluate potential heat transport and CO$_2$ absorption signatures. We find that a secondary eclipse depth of $138\pm 53$ppm at the expected time for a circular orbit is preferred over a null model at $2.8\sigma$, a moderate detection, though dynamical models do favour a non-eccentric orbit for this planet. The second observation results in a non-detection due to significantly larger unexplained systematics. Based on the first observation alone, we can reject the null hypothesis of the dark (zero Bond albedo) no atmosphere bare rock model with a confidence level of 3.3$\sigma$, though for $A_B=0.2$ the significance decreases to $2.1\sigma$. The tentative secondary eclipse depth is consistent with the majority of atmospheric scenarios we considered, spanning CO$_2$-rich atmospheres with surface pressures from 0.1 to 10 bar. However, we stress that the two observations from our program do not yield consistent results, and more observations are needed to verify our findings. The Hot Rocks Survey serves as a relevant primer for the Director's Discretionary Time (DDT) Rocky Worlds program.
comment: Accepted for publication in A&A
♻ ☆ A long spin period for a sub-Neptune-mass exoplanet
HIP 41378 f is a sub-Neptune exoplanet with an anomalously low density. Its long orbital period and deep transit make it an ideal candidate for detecting oblateness photometrically. We present a new cross-platform, GPU-enabled code greenlantern, suitable for computing transit light curves of oblate planets at arbitrary orientations. We then use Markov Chain Monte Carlo to fit K2 data of HIP 41378 f, specifically examining its transit for possible oblateness and obliquity. We find that the flattening of HIP 41378 f is $f \leq 0.889$ at the 95% confidence level, consistent with a rotation period of $P_\text{rot} \geq 15.3$ hr. In the future, high-precision data from JWST has the potential to tighten such a constraint and can differentiate between spherical and flattened planets.
comment: 18 pages, 13 figures, 3 tables. Accepted to ApJL. Code available at https://github.com/emprice/greenlantern
Astrophysics of Galaxies 31
☆ pylevin: efficient numerical integration of integrals containing up to three Bessel functions
Integrals involving highly oscillatory Bessel functions are notoriously challenging to compute using conventional integration techniques. While several methods are available, they predominantly cater to integrals with at most a single Bessel function, resulting in specialised yet highly optimised solutions. Here we present pylevin, a Python package to efficiently compute integrals containing up to three Bessel functions of arbitrary order and arguments. The implementation makes use of Levin's method and allows for accurate and fast integration of these highly oscillatory integrals. In benchmarking pylevin against existing software for single Bessel function integrals, we find its speed comparable, usually within a factor of two, to specialised packages such as FFTLog. Furthermore, when dealing with integrals containing two or three Bessel functions, pylevin delivers performance up to four orders of magnitude faster than standard adaptive quadrature methods, while also exhibiting better stability for large Bessel function arguments. pylevin is available from source via github or directly from PyPi.
comment: 10 pages, 3 Figures, abridged version to be submitted to JOSS, comments welcome, code available via https://github.com/rreischke/levin_bessel and https://pypi.org/project/pylevin/
☆ Insights from leptohadronic modelling of the brightest blazar flare
The blazar 3C 454.3 experienced a major flare in November 2010 making it the brightest $\gamma$-ray source in the sky of the Fermi-LAT. We obtain seven daily consecutive spectral-energy distributions (SEDs) of the flare in the infra-red, optical, ultra-violet, X-ray and $\gamma$-ray bands with publicly available data. We simulate the physical conditions in the blazar and show that the observed SEDs are well reproduced in the framework of a "standing feature" where the position of the emitting region is almost stationary, located beyond the outer radius of the broad-line region and into which fresh blobs of relativistically moving magnetized plasma are continuously injected. Meanwhile, a model with a single "moving blob" does not describe the data well. We obtain a robust upper limit to the amount of high-energy protons in the jet of 3C 454.3 from the electromagnetic SED. We construct a neutrino light curve of 3C 454.3 and estimate the expected neutrino yield at energies $\geq 100$ TeV for 3C 454.3 to be up to $6 \times 10^{-3}$ $\nu_{\mu}$ per year. Finally, we extrapolate our model findings to the light curves of all Fermi-LAT flat-spectrum radio quasars. We find that next-generation neutrino telescopes are expected to detect approximately one multimessenger ($\gamma + \nu_{\mu}$) flare per year from bright blazars with neutrino peak energy in the hundreds TeV -- hundreds PeV energy range and show that the electromagnetic flare peak can precede the neutrino arrival by months to years.
comment: submitted to MNRAS; 19 pages (12 figures, 3 tables) + appendices
☆ JADES: Average Nitrogen Enhancement in High-Redshift Broad-Line Active Galactic Nuclei
The unexpectedly high nitrogen-to-oxygen (N/O) ratios observed in high-redshift (z) galaxies have challenged our understanding of early star formation. Notably, many of these nitrogen-rich galaxies show signatures of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), suggesting a possible connection between black hole formation and nitrogen enrichment. To explore this connection, we analyse stacked spectra of z=4-7 broad-line and narrow-line AGNs using deep NIRSpec data from the JADES survey. We identify a significant Niii] quintuplet and a high electron density ($\sim10^{4}\,\mathrm{cm^{-3}}$) only in the broad-line AGN stack, indicating nitrogen-rich ($\log(\mathrm{N/C})\simeq0.5$, $\log(\mathrm{N/O})>-0.6$) and dense gas similar to the high-z nitrogen-rich galaxies. Our findings suggest that dense nuclear star formation may trap nitrogen-rich gas in proto-globular clusters, in line with the high N/O observed in local globular clusters; associated runaway stellar collisions could produce intermediate-mass black hole seeds, as predicted by some models and simulations, whose accretion results into AGN signatures. These findings support scenarios connecting the early black hole seeding and growth to merging processes within and between proto-globular clusters in primeval galaxies.
comment: Submitted to MNRAS Letter
☆ Reionization and its sources
Reionization represents an important phase in the history of our Universe when ultraviolet radiation from the first luminous sources, primarily stars and accreting black holes, ionized the neutral hydrogen atoms in the intergalactic medium (IGM). This process follows the ``Dark Ages'', a period with no luminous sources, and is initiated by the formation of the first sources, marking the ``Cosmic Dawn''. Reionization proceeds through multiple stages: initially, ionized bubbles form around galaxies, then expand and overlap across the IGM, culminating in a fully ionized state, with neutral hydrogen remaining only in dense regions. Understanding reionization involves a diverse range of physical concepts, from large-scale structure formation and star formation to radiation propagation through the IGM. Observationally, reionization can be explored using the cosmic microwave background (CMB), Lyman-$\alpha$ absorption, high-redshift galaxy surveys, and emerging 21~cm experiments, which together offer invaluable insights into this transformative epoch.
comment: This is a pre-print of a chapter for the Encyclopedia of Astrophysics (edited by I. Mandel, section editor S. McGee) to be published by Elsevier as a Reference Module
☆ Exploring the Most Extreme Gamma-Ray Blazars Using Broadband Spectral Energy Distributions
Extreme high-synchrotron peaked blazars (EHSPs) are rare high-energy sources characterised by synchrotron peaks beyond 10$^{17}$ Hz in their spectral energy distributions (SEDs). Their extreme properties challenge conventional blazar emission models and provide a unique opportunity to test the limits of particle acceleration and emission mechanisms in relativistic jets. However, the number of identified EHSPs is still small, limiting comprehensive studies of their population and characteristics. This study aims to identify new EHSP candidates and characterise their emission properties. A sample of 124 $\gamma$-ray blazars is analysed, selected for their high synchrotron peak frequencies and $\gamma$-ray emission properties, with a focus on sources showing low variability and good broadband data coverage. Their SEDs are constructed using archival multi-wavelength data from the SSDC SED Builder service, supplemented with recent Swift-UVOT, Swift-XRT, and Fermi-LAT observations. The SEDs are modelled with a one-zone synchrotron/synchrotron-self-Compton framework, classifying sources by synchrotron peak frequency. We identify 66 new EHSP candidates, significantly expanding the known population. Their synchrotron peak frequencies are statistically higher than in previous studies, and they exhibit low Compton dominance, consistent with environments lacking strong external photon fields. A clear correlation between synchrotron peak frequency and the magnetic-to-kinetic energy density ratio is found, with the most extreme EHSPs nearing equipartition. Our analysis suggests that 9 high-synchrotron peaked/EHSPs could be observed by the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) at $>5\sigma$ (20 at $>3\sigma$) in 20-hour exposures, highlighting their potential to improve studies of extreme jet physics and cosmology.
☆ Evidence for an accretion bridge in the DX Cha circumbinary system from VLTI/MATISSE observations
DX Cha (HD 104237) is a spectroscopic binary consisting of a Herbig A7.5Ve-A8Ve primary star and a K3-type companion. Here we report on new $3.55$ micrometer interferometric observations of this source with the Multi Aperture Mid-Infrared Spectroscopic Experiment (MATISSE) at the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI). To model the four MATISSE observations obtained between 2020 and 2023, we constructed a time-dependent interferometric model of the system, using the oimodeler software. The model consists of an asymmetric ring and two point sources on a Keplerian orbit. Our best-fit model consists of a circumbinary ring with a diameter of $0.86$ au ($8.1$ mas), featuring a strong azimuthal asymmetry. We found that the position angle of the asymmetry changes tens of degrees between the MATISSE epochs. The ring is relatively narrow, with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of $\sim$$0.13$ au ($1.23$ mas). The presence of circumstellar dust emission so close to the binary is unexpected, as previous hydrodynamic simulations predicted an inner disk cavity with a diameter of $\sim$$4$ au ($\sim$$37.5$ mas). Thus, we argue that the narrow envelope of material we detected is probably not a gravitationally stable circumbinary ring, but may be part of tidal accretion streamers channeling material from the inner edge of the disk toward the stars.
comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 11 pages, 5 figures, 5 tables
☆ A comprehensive Gaia view of ellipsoidal and rotational red giant binaries
The latest Gaia Focused Product Release (FPR) provided variability information for $\sim$1000 long-period red giant binaries, the largest sample to date of this binary type having both photometric and spectroscopic time series observations. We cross-matched the Gaia DR3 measurements with the catalogue of long-period red giant candidates from the Gaia FPR, having photometric and radial velocity variability information. Combined with the photo-geometric distances, the extinction, bolometric magnitude, luminosity, spectroscopic radius and mass were estimated. ELL variables are characterized to be low to intermediate-mass stars, with radii as large as the Roche lobe radius of the binary. Eccentricities tend to be lower for primary stars with smaller radii, as the expected result of tidal circularization. Combined with the orbital properties, estimates for the minimum mass of the companion agree with the scenario of a low-mass compact object as the secondary star. There are at least 14 ELL binaries with orbital periods and masses compatible with model predictions for Type Ia SN progenitors. For the rotational variables, their orbital periods, enhanced chromospheric activity, smaller radii and low mass point to a different type of binaries than the original ELL sample. The velocity dispersion is much higher in ELL than in rotational binaries, probably indicating older/younger dynamical ages. The enhanced [$\alpha$/Fe] abundances for some of the ELL binaries resemble the population of young $\alpha$-rich binaries in the thick disk. An episode of mass transfer in those systems may have produced the enhanced $\alpha$ abundances, and the enhanced [Ce/Fe] abundances reported in a few ELL binaries. Luminosities, radii and masses were derived for 243 ELL and 39 rotational binary candidates, the largest Galactic sample of these variables, having chemo-dynamical and physical parameterization.
comment: 19 pages, 20 figures, including 7 pages of Appendix. Abstract shortened for arXiv. Accepted for publication in A&A
☆ A population synthesis study of the Gaia 100 pc unresolved white dwarf-main sequence binary population
Binary stars consisting of a white dwarf and a main sequence star (WDMS) are valuable for studying key astrophysical questions. However, observational biases strongly affect the known population, particularly unresolved systems where the main sequence star outshines the white dwarf. This work aims to comprehensively simulate the population of unresolved WDMS binaries within 100 pc of the Sun and to compare the outcome with the currently most complete volume-limited sample available from Gaia data. We employ a population synthesis code, MRBIN, extensively developed by our group and based on Monte Carlo techniques, which uses a standard binary stellar evolutionary code adapted to cover a wide range of stars across all ages, masses, and metallicities. Selection criteria matching those of Gaia observations are applied to generate synthetic populations comparable to the observed WDMS sample. The synthetic data accurately populate the expected regions in the Gaia color-magnitude diagram. However, simulations predict a lower number of extremely low-mass white dwarfs, suggesting potential issues in observed mass derivations. Additionally, our analysis constrains the common envelope efficiency to 0.1-0.4, consistent with previous findings, and estimates a total completeness of about 25% for the observed sample, confirming the strong observational limitations for unresolved WDMS.
comment: 17 pages, 11 figures, 2 tables; accepted for publication in A&A
☆ The JCMT BISTRO Survey: Magnetic Fields Align with Orbital Structure in the Galactic Center
We present the magnetic field in the dense material of the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) of the Milky Way, traced in 850 $\mu$m polarized dust emission as part of the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) B-fields In STar-forming Region Observations (BISTRO) Survey. We observe a highly ordered magnetic field across the CMZ between Sgr B2 and Sgr C, which is strongly preferentially aligned with the orbital gas flows within the clouds of the CMZ. We find that the observed relative orientations are non-random at a $>$99% confidence level and are consistent with models in which the magnetic field vectors are aligned within 30$^{o}$ to the gas flows in 3D. The deviations from aligned magnetic fields are most prominent at positive Galactic longitudes, where the CMZ clouds are more massive, denser, and more actively forming stars. Our observed strongly preferentially parallel magnetic field morphology leads us to hypothesize that in the absence of star formation, the magnetic field in the CMZ is entrained in the orbital gas flows around Sgr A$^{*}$, while gravitational collapse and feedback in star-forming regions can locally reorder the field. This magnetic field behavior is similar to that observed in the CMZ of the nuclear starburst galaxy NGC 253. This suggests that despite its current low star formation rate, the CMZ of the Milky Way is analogous to those of more distant, actively star-forming, galaxies.
comment: Submitted to ApJL. 15 pages, 8 figures (4 in main text, 4 in appendices), 5 appendices
☆ CSST Large Scale Structure Analysis Pipeline: III. Emission-line Redshift Measurement for Slitless Spectra
The China Space Station Telescope (CSST) is a forthcoming space-based optical telescope designed to co-orbit with the Chinese Space Station. With a planned slitless spectroscopic survey spanning a broad wavelength range of $255-1000$nm and an average spectral resolution exceeding 200, the CSST holds significant potential for cosmic large-scale structure analysis. In this study, we focus on redshift determinations from slitless spectra through emission line analysis within the CSST framework. Our tailored redshift measurement process involves identifying emission lines in one-dimensional slitless spectra, aligning observed wavelengths with their rest-frame counterparts from prominent galaxy emissions, and calculating wavelength shifts to determine redshifts accurately. To validate our redshift measurement algorithm, we leverage simulated spectra generated by the CSST emulator for slitless spectroscopy. The outcomes demonstrate a remarkable redshift completeness exceeding 95 per cent for emission line galaxies (ELGs), alongside a purity surpassing 85 per cent. The redshift uncertainty remains impressively below than $\sim 0.001$. Notably, when concentrating on galaxies with more than three matched emission lines, the completeness of ELGs and the purity of measurable galaxies can reach 98 per cent and 97 per cent, respectively. Furthermore, we explore the influence of parameters like magnitude, spectral signal-to-noise ratio, and redshift on redshift completeness and purity. The discussion also delves into redshift degeneracies stemming from emission-line matching confusion. Our developed redshift measurement process will be applied to extensive simulated datasets and forthcoming CSST slitless spectroscopic observations for further cosmological and extragalactic analyses.
☆ New Red Supergiant Stars in the other side of our Galaxy
Red supergiant stars (RSGs) are massive stars in a late stage of evolution, crucial for understanding stellar life cycles and Galactic structure. However, RSGs on the far side of our Galaxy have been underexplored due to observational challenges. In this study, we introduce a novel method and present a new catalogue comprising 474 RSGs situated on the far side of the Milky Way, sourced from the OGLE-III catalogue of Variable Stars (OIII-CVS). The identification of these RSGs was made possible by analyzing the granulation parameters extracted from OGLE I-band time-series data and the stellar parameters from Gaia DR3. Additionally, we estimate the distances to these RSGs using an empirical relation between their characteristic amplitude, absolute magnitude, and intrinsic color, achieving a distance uncertainty of 13%. These newly identified RSGs are distributed at Galactocentric distances between 0 and 30kpc, and reside roughly 1 to 4kpc above and below the Galactic plane. This distribution provides new insights into the structure of the Milky Way, particularly at its outer boundaries. Our results reveal that the vertical distribution of these RSGs is consistent with the flare structure of the Galactic disk, confirming that the far side of the Milky Way exhibits a similar flaring pattern to the near side. This catalogue offers a valuable resource for future detailed studies of RSGs and contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the Galactic structure and stellar evolution.
comment: 7 pages, 8 figures
☆ The nature of gravitational wave events with host environment escape velocities
We propose a novel method to probe the parameters and origin channels of gravitational wave events using the escape velocities of their host environments. This method could lead to more convergent posterior distributions offering additional insights into the physical properties, formation, and evolution of the sources. It also enables testing general relativity and improves source localization, which the latter is instrumental in multi-messenger astronomy. The method provides more accurate parameter estimation for events that represent previous mergers in the hierarchical triple merger scenario and is valuable for the search for such mergers with third-generation ground-based detectors. To demonstrate this approach, we take six recently identified events in LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA data, considered as potential previous mergers in hierarchical triple mergers, as examples. The use of escape velocities results in posterior spin distributions that are concentrated near zero, aligning with the expected birth spins of first-generation black holes formed from the collapse of stars. The uncertainty in the posterior primary mass distribution is significantly reduced comparing with the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA distributions, especially for events originating from globular clusters. We rule out the possibility that GW190512, GW170729, and GW190708 originates from globular clusters as previous mergers in the hierarchical triple merger scenario.
comment: comments are welcome
Improved constraints on the Faraday rotation towards eight fast radio bursts using dense grids of polarized radio galaxies
We present 2-4 GHz observations of polarized radio galaxies towards eight fast radio bursts (FRBs), producing grids of Faraday rotation measure (RM) sources with sky densities of 9-28 polarized sources per square degree. Using a Bayesian interpolation framework, we constrain Galactic RM fluctuations below ~ 1 degree squared angular scales around the FRB positions. Despite the positions of all eight FRBs far from the Galactic plane, we constrain previously unresolved small-scale Galactic RM structures around six of the eight FRBs. In two of these fields, we find potential changes in the sign of the Galactic RM that are not captured by previous, sparsely sampled RM grid observations. Our Galactic RM estimate towards the FRBs differs between a few rad m^-2 up to ~ 40 rad m^-2 from the all-sky Galactic RM map of Hutschenreuter et al. (2022). Extrapolating our results to the known population of polarized FRB sources, we may be incorrectly interpreting the host galaxy RM for ~ 30% of the FRB source population with current RM grid observations. Measuring small-scale Galactic RM variations is crucial for identifying FRBs in low density and weakly magnetized environments, which in turn could serve as potent probes of cosmic magnetism. This framework of reconstructing continuous Galactic RM structure from RM grid observations can be readily applied to FRBs that fall in the sky coverage of upcoming large-sky radio polarization surveys of radio galaxies, such as the Very Large Array Sky Survey (VLASS) and the Polarization Sky Survey of the Universe's Magnetism (POSSUM).
comment: 25 pages, 8 figures, accepted to ApJ
☆ The life cycle of giant molecular clouds in simulated Milky Way-mass galaxies
In this work, we trace the complete life cycle of individual GMCs in high-resolution Milky Way-mass galaxy simulations to determine how different stellar feedback mechanisms and galactic-scale processes govern cloud lifetimes, mass evolution, and local star formation efficiency (SFE). We identify GMCs in simulated galaxies and track their evolution using cloud evolution trees. Via cloud evolution trees, we quantify the lifetimes and SFE of GMCs. We further apply our diagnostics on a suite of simulations with varying star formation and stellar feedback subgrid models and explore their impact together with galactic environments to the GMC life cycles. Our analysis reveals that GMCs undergo dynamic evolution, characterized by continuous gas accretion, gravitational collapse, and star formation, followed by disruption due to stellar feedback. The accretion process sustains the gas content throughout most of the GMC life cycles, resulting in a positive correlation between GMC lifetimes and their maximum masses. The GMC lifetimes range from a few to several tens of Myr, with two distinct dynamical modes: (1) GMCs near the galactic center experience strong tidal disturbances, prolonging their lifetimes when they remain marginally unbound; (2) those in the outer regions are less affected by tides, remain gravitationally bound, and evolve more rapidly. In all model variations, we observe that GMC-scale SFE correlates with the baryonic surface density of GMCs, consistent with previous studies of isolated GMCs. Additionally, we emphasize the critical role of galactic shear in regulating GMC-scale star formation and refine the correlation between local SFE and surface density by including its effects. These findings demonstrate how stellar feedback and galactic-scale dynamics jointly shape GMC-scale star formation in realistic galactic environments.
comment: 12 pages, 9 figures; submitted to A&A; abstract slightly abridged; comments welcome
☆ Evidence of Galactic Interaction in the Small Magellanic Cloud Probed by Gaia Selected Massive Star Candidates
We present identifications and kinematic analysis of 7,426 massive ($\mathrm{\geq}8M_{\odot}$) stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), using Gaia DR3 data. We used Gaia ($G_\mathrm{BP}-G_\mathrm{RP}$, $G$) color-magnitude diagram to select the population of massive stars, and parallax to omit foreground objects. The spatial distribution of the 7,426 massive star candidates is generally consistent with the spatial distribution of the interstellar medium, such as H$\alpha$ and H i emission. The identified massive stars show inhomogeneous distributions over the galaxy, showing several superstructures formed by massive stars with several hundred parsecs scale. The stellar superstructures defined by the surface density have opposite mean proper motions in the east and west, moving away from each other. Similarly, the mean line-of-sight velocities of the superstructures are larger to the southeast and smaller to the northwest. The different east-west properties of the superstructures' proper motion, line-of-sight velocity indicate that the SMC is being stretched by tidal forces and/or ram pressure from the Large Magellanic Cloud to the southeast, thereby rejecting the presence of galaxy rotation in the SMC.
comment: 36 pages, 17 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in ApJS
☆ The bulge globular cluster Terzan 6 as seen from multi-conjugate adaptive optics and HST
This work consists of the first detailed photometric study of Terzan 6, one of the least known globular clusters in the Galactic bulge. Through the analysis of high angular resolution and multi-wavelength data obtained from adaptive optics corrected and space observations, we built deep, optical and near-infrared color-magnitude diagrams reaching $\approx 4$ magnitudes below the main-sequence turnoff. Taking advantage of 4 different epochs of observations, we measured precise relative proper motions for a large sample of stars, from which cluster members have been solidly distinguished from Galactic field interlopers. A non-canonical reddening law (with $R_V=2.85$) and high-resolution differential reddening map, with color excess variations up to $\delta E(B-V) \approx 0.8 $ mag, have been derived in the direction of the system. According to these findings, new values of the extinction and distance modulus have been obtained: respectively, $E(B-V)=2.36\pm0.05$ and $(m-M)_0=14.46 \pm 0.10$ (corresponding to $d=7.8 \pm 0.3$ kpc). We also provide the first determinations of the cluster center and projected density profile from resolved star counts. The center is offset by more than $7$ arcsec to the east from the literature value, and the structural parameters obtained from the King model fitting to the density profile indicate that Terzan 6 is in an advanced stage of its dynamical evolution. We also determined the absolute age of the system, finding $t=13\pm 1 $ Gyr, in agreement with the old ages found for the globular clusters in the Galactic bulge. From the re-determination of the absolute magnitude of the red giant branch bump and the recent estimate of the cluster global metallicity, we find that Terzan 6 nicely matches the tight relation between these two parameters drawn by the Galactic globular cluster population.
comment: Accepted for publication in A&A
☆ Binarity at LOw Metallicity (BLOeM): Multiplicity of early B-type supergiants in the Small Magellanic Cloud
The blue supergiant (BSG) domain contains a large variety of stars whose past and future evolutionary paths are still highly uncertain. Since binary interaction plays a crucial role in the fate of massive stars, investigating the multiplicity among BSGs helps shed light on the fate of such objects. We aim to estimate the binary fraction of a large sample of BSGs in the Small Magellanic Cloud within the Binarity at LOw Metallicity (BLOeM) survey. In total, we selected 262 targets with spectral types B0-B3 and luminosity classes I-II. This work is based on spectroscopic data collected by the GIRAFFE instrument, mounted on the Very Large Telescope, which gathered nine epochs over three months. Our spectroscopic analysis for each target includes the individual and peak-to-peak radial velocity measurements, an investigation of the line profile variability, and a periodogram analysis to search for possible short- and long-period binaries. By applying a 20 km s$^{-1}$ threshold on the peak-to-peak radial velocities above which we would consider the star to be binary, the resulting observed spectroscopic binary fraction for our BSG sample is 23 $\pm$ 3$\%$. In addition, we derived reliable orbital periods for 41 spectroscopic binaries and potential binary candidates, among which there are 17 eclipsing binaries, including 20 SB1 and SB2 systems with periods of less than 10 days. We reported a significant drop in the binary fraction of BSGs with spectral types later than B2 and effective temperatures less than 18 kK, which could indicate the end of the main sequence phase in this temperature regime. We found no metallicity dependence in the binary fraction of BSGs, compared to existing spectroscopic surveys of the Galaxy and Large Magellanic Cloud.
comment: 18 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics
☆ A shocking outcome: Jet dynamics and polarimetric signatures of the multi-band flare in blazar OJ 248
The connection between $\gamma$-ray flares and blazars is a topic of active research, with few sources exhibiting distinct enough such outbursts to be able to conclusively connect them to features in their jet morphology. Here we present an investigation of the sole $\gamma$-ray flare of the blazar OJ 248 thus far, in association with its jet structure, as revealed by very long baseline interferometry (VLBI). We find that throughout the course of the $\gamma$-ray flare, the fractional linear polarisation increases in the jet of OJ 248, and the VLBI electric vector position angles (EVPAs) turn perpendicular to the bulk jet flow. We interpret this behaviour as a moving shock, travelling through a recollimation shock and upscattering photons via the inverse Compton scattering process, producing a $\gamma$-ray flare; we discuss possible mechanisms. Our hypothesised shock-shock interaction scenario is a viable mechanism to induce such EVPA rotations in both optical and radio bands.
comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in A&A
♻ ☆ Blowing star formation away in AGN Hosts (BAH) - II. Investigating the origin of the H2 emission excess in nearby galaxies with JWST MIRI
We use James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) medium-resolution spectrometer (MRS) observations of 3C 293 (UGC 8782), CGCG 012-070 and NGC 3884 to investigate the origin of the H$_2$ emission. These three nearby Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) hosts are known to present H$_2$ emission excess relative to star-forming galaxies, as traced by the H$_2$ S(3)/PAH$_{\rm 11.3\mu m}$ line ratio. We define the kinematically disturbed region (KDR) by the AGN and the virially dominated region (VDR) based on the H$_2$ line widths, using the $W{\rm 80}$ parameter. From the correlations between $W{\rm 80}$ and H$_2$ S(3)/PAH${\rm 11.3\mu m}$, as well as the higher H$2$ S(5)/H$2$ S(3) and [Fe II]${\rm 5.34 \mu m}$/PAH${\rm 11.3\mu m}$ ratios and flatter power-law temperature distributions observed in the KDR, we conclude that the H$_2$ emission in the KDR is primarily driven by shock-heated gas. For 3C 293, the KDR is co-spatial with the radio core, indicating that the origin of the shocks is the interaction of the radio jet with the interstellar medium, which is also responsible for the observed molecular and ionized gas outflows in this source. The other galaxies are weak radio sources; however, due to the lack of high-resolution radio images, we cannot rule out low-power jets as the origin of the shock-heated H$_2$. Our results indicate that the excess H$_2$ emission excess is associated to shock heating of the gas, generated by outflows or by the interaction of the radio jet with the ambient gas.
comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 16 pages, 5 figures
♻ ☆ Full disc [CII] mapping of nearby star-forming galaxies: SOFIA FIFI/LS observations of NGC 3627, NGC 4321, and NGC 6946
As a major cooling line of interstellar gas, the far-infrared 158 {\mu}m line from singly ionised carbon [CII] is an important tracer of various components of the interstellar medium in galaxies across all spatial and morphological scales. Yet, there is still not a strong constraint on the origins of [CII] emission. In this work, we derive the resolved [CII] star formation rate relation and aim to unravel the complexity of the origin of [CII]. We used the Field-Imaging Far-Infrared Line Spectrometer on board the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy to map [CII] in three nearby star-forming galaxies at sub-kiloparsec scales, namely, NGC 3627, NGC 4321, and NGC 6946, and we compared these [CII] observations to the galactic properties derived from complementary data from the literature. We find that the relationship between the [CII] fine structure line and star formation rate shows variations between the galaxies as well as between different environments within each galaxy. Our results show that the use of [CII] as a tracer for star formation is much more tangled than has previously been suggested within the extragalactic literature, which typically focuses on small regions of galaxies and/or uses large-aperture sampling of many different physical environments. As found within resolved observations of the Milky Way, the picture obtained from [CII] observations is complicated by its local interstellar medium conditions. Future studies will require a larger sample and additional observational tracers, obtained on spatial scales within galaxies, in order to accurately disentangle the origin of [CII] and calibrate its use as a star formation tracer.
comment: 17 pages, 10 figures
♻ ☆ Investigating the CREDIT history of supernova remnants as cosmic-ray sources
Supernova remnants (SNRs) have long been suspected to be the primary sources of Galactic cosmic rays. Over the past decades, great strides have been made in the modelling of particle acceleration, magnetic field amplification, and escape from SNRs. Yet, while many SNRs have been observed in non-thermal emission in radio, X-rays, and gamma-rays, there is no evidence for any individual object contributing to the locally observed flux. Here, we propose a particular spectral signature from individual remnants that is due to the energy-dependent escape from SNRs. For young and nearby sources, we predict fluxes enhanced by tens of percent in narrow rigidity intervals; given the percent-level flux uncertainties of contemporary cosmic-ray data, such features should be readily detectable. We model the spatial and temporal distribution of sources and the resulting distribution of fluxes with a Monte Carlo approach. The decision tree that we have trained on simulated data is able to discriminate with very high significance between the null hypothesis of a smooth distribution of sources and the scenario with a stochastic distribution of individual sources. We suggest that this cosmic-ray energy-dependent injection time (CREDIT) scenario be considered in experimental searches to identify individual SNRs as cosmic-ray sources.
comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, 1 table
♻ ☆ AGN -- host galaxy photometric decomposition using a fast, accurate and precise deep learning approach
Identifying active galactic nuclei (AGN) is extremely important for understanding galaxy evolution and its connection with the assembly of supermassive black holes (SMBH). With the advent of deep and high angular resolution imaging surveys such as those conducted with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), it is now possible to identify galaxies with a central point source out to the very early Universe. In this study, we develop a fast, accurate and precise method to identify galaxies which host AGNs and recover the intrinsic AGN contribution to the observed total light ($f_{AGN}$). We trained a deep learning (DL) based method Zoobot to estimate the fractional contribution of a central point source to the total light. Our training sample comprises realistic mock JWST images of simulated galaxies from the IllustrisTNG cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. We injected different amounts of the real JWST point spread function (PSF) models to represent galaxies with different levels of $f_{AGN}$. We analyse the performance of our method and compare it with results obtained from the traditional light profile fitting tool GALFIT. We find excellent performance of our DL method in recovering the injected AGN fraction $f_{AGN}$, both in terms of precision and accuracy. The mean difference between the predicted and true injected $f_{AGN}$ is -0.002 and the overall root mean square error (RMSE) is 0.013. The relative absolute error (RAE) is 0.076 and the outlier (defined as predictions with RAE >20%) fraction is 6.5%. In comparison, using GALFIT on the same dataset, we achieve a mean difference of -0.02, RMSE of 0.12, RAE of 0.19 and outlier fraction of 19%. We applied our trained DL model to real JWST observations and found that 33% of X-ray-selected AGN and 15% of MIR-selected AGN are also identified as AGN using a cut at $f_{\rm AGN} > 0.1$.
♻ ☆ Measuring the Mean Free Path of HI Ionizing Photons at $3.2\leq z\leq4.6$ with DESI Y1 Quasars
The mean free path of ionizing photons ($\lambda_\mathrm{mfp}^{912}$) in the intergalactic medium (IGM) is a crucial quantity in modelling the ionization state of IGM and the extragalactic ultraviolet background (EUVB), and is widely used in hydrodynamical simulations of galaxies and reionization. We construct the largest quasar spectrum dataset to date -- 12,595 $\mathrm{S/N}>3$ spectra -- using the Y1 observation of Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) to make the most precise model-independent measurement of the mean free path at $3.2\leq z\leq 4.6$. By stacking the spectra in 17 redshift bins and modelling the Lyman continuum profile, we get a redshift evolution $\lambda_\mathrm{mfp}^{912}\propto(1+z)^{-4.27}$ at $2\leq z\leq 5$, which is much shallower than previous estimate $\lambda_\mathrm{mfp}^{912}\propto(1+z)^{-5.4}$. We then explore the sources of systematic bias, including the choice of intrinsic quasar continuum, the consideration of Lyman series opacity and Lyman limit opacity evolution and the definition of $\lambda_\mathrm{mfp}^{912}$. Combining our results with estimates of $\lambda_\mathrm{mfp}^{912}$ at higher redshifts, we conclude at high confidence that the evolution in $\lambda_\mathrm{mfp}^{912}$ steepens at $z \approx 5$. We interpret this inflection as the transition from the end of HI reionization to a fully ionized plasma which characterizes the intergalactic medium of the past $\sim10$ billion years.
comment: 20 pages, 11 figures, accepted by ApJL. Comments are welcome!
♻ ☆ Black hole spectroscopy in environments: detectability prospects
The ringdown phase following a binary black hole coalescence is a powerful tool for measuring properties of the remnant black hole. Future gravitational wave detectors will increase the precision of these measurements and may be sensitive to the environment surrounding the black hole. This work examines how environments affect the ringdown from a binary coalescence. Our analysis shows that for astrophysical parameters and sensitivity of planned detectors, the ringdown signal is indistinguishable from its vacuum counterpart, suggesting that ringdown-only analyses can reliably extract the (redshifted) mass and spin of the remnant black hole. These conclusions include models with spectral instabilities, suggesting that these are not relevant from an observational viewpoint. Deviations from inspiral-only estimates could then enhance the characterisation of environmental effects present during the coalescence.
comment: To appear in Physical Review Letters. 5 pages, 3 figures
♻ ☆ GA-NIFS: Multi-phase analysis of a star-forming galaxy at $z \sim 5.5$
In this study, we present a detailed multiphase analysis of HZ4, a main-sequence star-forming galaxy at z ~ 5.5, known for being a turbulent rotating disk and having a detection of a [CII] outflow in the ALMA observations. We exploit JWST/NIRSpec observations in the integral field spectroscopy mode with low- and high-spectral resolution that allow us for the first time to spatially resolve the rest-frame UV and optical emission of the galaxy to investigate the galaxy properties. In particular, the high-resolution dataset allows us to study the kinematics of the ionized gas phase, and the conditions of the interstellar medium, such as the excitation mechanism, dust attenuation, and metallicity. The lower-spectral resolution observations allow us to study the continuum emission and infer the stellar populations' ages and properties. Our findings suggest that HZ4 is a galaxy merger rather than a rotating disk as previously inferred from lower resolution [CII] data. The merger is associated with an extended broad, blueshifted emission, potentially indicative of an outflow originating from a region of intense star formation and extending up to 4 kpc. In light of these new observations we reanalyzed the ALMA data to compare the multiphase gas properties. If we interpret the broad components seen in [CII] and [OIII]$\lambda$5007\.A as outflows, the neutral and ionized components are co-spatial, the mass loading factor of the ionized phase is significantly lower than that of the neutral phase, aligning with trends observed in multi-phase systems at lower redshifts. Nonetheless, additional observations and larger statistical samples are essential to determine the role of mergers and outflows in the early Universe and to clarify the origin of the broad emission components observed in this system.
comment: 23 pages, 20 figures, accepted in A&A
♻ ☆ Star Proper Motions Based on Two-epoch Observations from the SDSS and DESI Imaging Surveys
In this study, we present the construction of a new proper motion catalog utilizing the photometric data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) imaging surveys, with a median time baseline of about 13 years. To mitigate systematic errors, the DESI galaxy positions are employed to establish a reference frame and to correct the position-, magnitude-, and color-dependent discrepancies between SDSS and DESI imaging datasets. Spanning 12,589 square degrees, the catalog encompasses about 223.7 million non-Gaia objects down to $m_r \sim$ 23. Based on 734k quasars, the assessment of the global systematic errors in the DESI-SDSS proper motion catalog yields values of 0.06 mas yr$^{-1}$ for $\mu_{\alpha_{*}}$ and 0.12 mas yr$^{-1}$ for $\mu_{\delta}$. The catalog exhibits precision surpassing 3.4 mas yr$^{-1}$, albeit varying with position, color, and magnitude. An additional evaluation employing approximately 2,644 distant star samples yields an overall precision of approximately 2.5 and 2.9 mas yr$^{-1}$ for $\mu_{\alpha_{*}}$ and $\mu_{\delta}$, respectively. Further comparisons with proper motions from SDSS Stripe 82 reveal a strong consistency between the two datasets. As a practical application, we utilize fainter non-Gaia objects in our catalog to update the proper motions of 15 star clusters. The resulting proper motions for these clusters exhibit excellent consistency with those derived from Gaia data. Our proper motion measurements, characterized by a deeper limiting magnitude, stand as a valuable complement to the Gaia dataset.
comment: Accepted for publication in AJ
♻ ☆ Direct Evidence of a Major Merger in the Perseus Cluster
Although the Perseus cluster has often been regarded as an archetypical relaxed galaxy cluster, several lines of evidence including ancient, large-scale cold fronts, asymmetric plasma morphology, filamentary galaxy distribution, etc., provide a conflicting view of its dynamical state, suggesting that the cluster might have experienced a major merger. However, the absence of a clear merging companion identified to date hampers our understanding of the evolutionary track of the Perseus cluster consistent with these observational features. In this paper, through careful weak lensing analysis, we successfully identified the missing subcluster halo ($M_{200}=1.70^{+0.73}_{-0.59}\times10^{14}~M_{\odot}$) at the >5$\sigma$ level centered on NGC1264, which is located ~430 kpc west of the Perseus main cluster core. Moreover, a significant ($>3\sigma$) mass bridge, which is also traced by the cluster member galaxies, is detected between the Perseus main and sub clusters, which serves as direct evidence of gravitational interaction. With idealized numerical simulations, we demonstrate that a ~3:1 off-axis major merger can create the cold front observed ~700 kpc east of the main cluster core and also generate the observed mass bridge through multiple core crossings. This discovery resolves the long-standing puzzle of Perseus' dynamical state.
comment: accepted to nature astronomy for publication
Beam Measurements of Full Stokes Parameters for the FAST L-band 19-beam Receiver
The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) has been fully operational since 11 January 2020. We present a comprehensive analysis of the beam structure for each of the 19 feed horns on FAST's L-band receiver across the Stokes I, Q, U, and V parameters. Using an on-the-fly mapping pattern, we conducted simultaneous sky mapping using all 19 beams directed towards polarization calibrators J1407+2827 and J0854+2006 from 2020 to 2022. Electromagnetic simulations were also performed to model the telescope's beam patterns in all Stokes parameters. Our findings reveal a symmetrical Gaussian pattern in the Stokes I parameter of the central beam without strong sidelobes, while the off-center beams exhibit significant asymmetrical shapes that can be fitted using a combination of log-normal and Gaussian distributions. The inner beams have higher relative beam efficiencies and smaller beam sizes compared to those of the outer beams. The sidelobes of the inner beams contribute approximately 2% of the total flux in the main lobe, increasing to 5% for outer beams, with a peak at 6.8%. In Stokes U, a distinct four-lobed cloverleaf beam squash structure is observed, with similar intensity levels in both inner and outer beams. In Stokes V, a two-lobed beam squint structure is observed in the central beam, along with a secondary eight-lobed structure. The highest squint peak in Stokes V is about 0.3% of the Stokes I in the outer beams. These results align closely with the simulations, providing valuable insights for the design of radio multi-beam observations.
comment: 25 pages, 20 figures. Accepted for publication in AJ
♻ ☆ Strong gravitational lenses from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory
Like many areas of astrophysics and cosmology, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will be transformational for almost all the applications of strong lensing, thanks to the dramatic increase in the number of known strong lenses by two orders of magnitude or more and the readily available time-domain data for the lenses with transient sources. In this article, we provide an overview of the forecasted number of discovered lenses of different types and describe the primary science cases these large lens samples will enable. We provide an updated forecast on the joint constraint for the dark energy equation-of-state parameters, $w_0$ and $w_a$, from combining all strong lensing probes of dark energy. We update the previous forecast from the Rubin Observatory Dark Energy Science Collaboration's Science Review Document by adding two new crucial strong lensing samples: lensed Type Ia supernovae and single-deflector lenses with measured stellar kinematics. Finally, we describe the current and near-future activities and collaborative efforts within the strong lensing community in preparation for the arrival of the first real dataset from Rubin in early 2026.
comment: 13 pages, 2 figures. Invited review for the Royal Society meeting "Multi-messenger Gravitational Lensing", accepted by Philosophical Transactions A
♻ ☆ Signatures of simulated spiral arms on radial actions
Among the various implications of the spiral arms, it has been observed in the Milky Way disc that the distribution of radial actions from the Gaia Data Release 3 exhibits structures that may be related to the spiral arms. Our goal is to investigate the relationship between regions of low radial action identified in simulated discs and the location of the spiral arms, such as that suggested in Palicio et al. (2023) for the Galaxy. For a sample of 23 simulated spiral galaxies, we modelled the axisymmetric component of their gravitational potential to compute the radial action of their stellar particles using the Staeckel fudge. The spatial distribution of the radial action was then compared to the location of the spiral arms, identified as overdensities in the stellar surface density using a kernel density estimator. Our analysis reveals a strong correlation between the radial action distribution and the spiral arms in 18 of 23 simulated galaxies. However, notable discrepancies are observed in the remaining five, since they are profoundly out-of-equilibrium systems, such as galaxies influenced by external interactions or spiral arms still in the process of winding up. We have confirmed that, in general, there is a tendency of spatial correlation between spiral arms and stellar populations featuring low values of the radial action, as discussed in Palicio et al. (2023). However, discrepancies between features in the radial action distribution and the spiral structure can be interpreted as signatures of recent disturbances, a scenario applicable to the Milky Way. Furthermore, populations at least as old as 3 Gyr trace the spiral arms with no significant misalignment across age bins. A linear relation between the maximum value of the radial action of the spiral arms and the vertical scale-length is found, which is also satisfied by the Milky Way.
comment: Recommended for publication in A&A. New figures and appendices added
♻ ☆ Kinematics of the Milky way from the statistical analysis of the Gaia Data Release 3
The aim of the analysis of data from the Gaia Space Observatory is to obtain kinematic parameters of the collective motion of stars in a part of our galaxy. This research is based on a statistical analysis of the motion of {$55,038,539$} stars selected in different directions from the Sun up to a distance of 3--6 kpc. We developed statistical methods for the analysis working with input data represented by the full astrometric solution (five parameters). Using the proposed statistical methods, we obtained the local velocity of the Sun $\left( U_{\odot}% ,V_{\odot},W_{\odot}\right) =(9.58,16.25,7.33)\pm(0.05,0.04,0.02)_{stat}% \pm(0.7,0.9,0.1)_{syst}$ km/s and the rotation velocity of the galaxy at different radii. For the Sun's orbit radius, we obtained the velocity of the galaxy rotation$\ V_{c}\approx234\pm4$ km/s. Collective rotation slows down in the region under study linearly with distance from the disk plane: $\Delta V/\Delta Z\cong33.5~\mathrm{km\,s}^{-1}\mathrm{kpc}^{-1}$. We showed that the different kinematic characteristics and distributions, which depend on the position in the galaxy, can be well described in the studied 3D region by a simple Monte Carlo simulation model, representing an axisymmetric approximation of the galaxy kinematics. The optimal values of the six free parameters were tuned by comparison with the data.
comment: 21 pages, 19 figures, 3 tables
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 25
☆ Spindown of massive main sequence stars in the Milky Way
Context. We need to understand the spin evolution of massive stars to compute their internal rotationally induced mixing processes, isolate effects of close binary evolution, and predict the rotation rates of white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes. Aims. We discuss the spindown of massive main sequence stars imposed by stellar winds. Methods. We use detailed grids of single star evolutionary models to predict the distribution of the surface rotational velocities of core-hydrogen burning Galactic massive stars as function of their mass and evolutionary state. We then compare the spin properties of our synthetic populations with appropriately selected sub-samples of Galactic main sequence OB-type stars extracted from the IACOB survey. Results. We find that below $\sim 40 M_\odot$, observations and models agree in finding that the surface rotational velocities of Galactic massive stars remain relatively constant during their main sequence evolution. The more massive stars in the IACOB sample appear to spin down less than predicted, while our updated angular momentum loss prescription predicts an enhanced spindown. Furthermore, the observations show a population of fast rotators, with $v \sin I \gtrsim 200$ km/s persisting for all ages, which is not reproduced by our synthetic single star populations. Conclusions. We conclude that the wind-induced spindown of massive main sequence stars is yet to be fully understood, and that close binary evolution might significantly contribute to the fraction of rapid rotators in massive stars.
comment: 12 pages, 10 figures. Submitted to A&A
☆ FIP Bias Evolution in an Emerging Active Region as observed in SPICE Synoptic Observations
The FIP (First Ionization Potential) bias is one of the most relevant diagnostics for solar plasma composition. Previous studies have demonstrated that the FIP bias is a time-dependant quantity. In this study, we attempt to answer the following question: how does the FIP bias evolves over time, and what are its drivers and parameters? We investigate active region (AR) observations recorded by the Extreme Ultra-Violet (EUV) spectrometer SPICE (Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment) instrument on-board Solar Orbiter. These observations include a set of EUV lines from ions emitting at temperatures ranging from $\log \text{T}=4.2$ to $\log \text{T}=6.0$. We focus on the period of December 20th to 22nd 2022 and look at the evolution of different physical quantities (e.g. intensity, temperature and fractionation of elements) within the passing AR present in the field of view (FOV). We investigate the time dependence of the FIP bias, particularly on the behavior of intermediate-FIP elements, sulfur and carbon, in regions of interest. We focus on the Mg / Ne ratio, which is a proxy for higher temperatures and higher heights in the atmosphere, and has been widely investigated in previous studies, and two lower temperature / upper chromosphere ratios (S/N, S/O and C/O). We investigate the FIP bias evolution with time but also with temperature and height in the solar atmosphere, and compare the observations with the ponderomotive force model. We find good correlation between the model and results, encouraging an Alfv\'en-wave driven fractionation of the plasma.
☆ Multi-mode Pulsations in AGB Stars: Insights from 3D RHD CO5BOLD Simulations
Stars on the AGB can exhibit acoustic pulsation modes of different radial orders, along with non-radial modes. These pulsations are essential to the mass-loss process and influence the evolutionary pathways of AGB stars. P-L relations serve as a valuable diagnostic for understanding stellar evolution along the AGB. 3D RHD simulations provide a powerful tool for investigating pulsation phenomena driven by convective processes and their non-linear coupling with stellar oscillations. We investigate multi-mode pulsations in AGB stars using advanced 3D 'star-in-a-box' simulations with the CO5BOLD code. Signatures of these multi-mode pulsations were weak in our previous 3D models. Our focus is on identifying and characterising the various pulsation modes, examining their persistence and transitions, and comparing the results with 1D model predictions and observational data where applicable. We produced a new model grid comprising AGB stars with current masses of $0.7$, $0.8$, and $1\,\mathrm{M}_{\odot}$. Fourier analysis was applied to dynamic, time-dependent quantities to extract dominant pulsation modes and their corresponding periods. Additionally, wavelet transforms were employed to identify mode-switching behaviour over time. The models successfully reproduce the P-L sequences found in AGB stars. Mode-switching phenomena are found in both the models and wavelet analyses of observational data, allowing us to infer similarities in the underlying pulsation dynamics. These 3D simulations highlight the natural emergence of multi-mode pulsations, including both radial and non-radial modes, driven by the self-consistent interplay of convection and oscillations. Our findings underscore the value of 3D RHD models in capturing the non-linear behaviour of AGB pulsations, providing insights into mode switching, envelope structures, and potential links to episodic mass-loss events.
comment: 13 pages and 13 figures. Submitted to Astronomy and Astrophysics
☆ Constraining first-order phase transition inside neutron stars with application of Bayesian techniques on PSR J0437-4715 NICER data
Understanding the existence of exotic matter phases and phase transitions within the core of neutron stars is crucial to advancing our knowledge of cold-dense matter physics. Recent multimessenger observations, including gravitational waves from neutron star mergers and precise X-ray data from NASA's Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) mission, have significantly constrained the neutron star equation of state (EOS). This study investigates the effects of phase transitions in neutron stars, focusing on NICER's latest observation of PSR J0437$-$4715. We employ Bayesian inference techniques to evaluate the presence of first-order phase transitions using a piecewise polytropic EOS model. Our analysis incorporates data from multiple NICER sources, to refine constraints on key phase transition parameters, including critical density and transition depth. We find that including data from PSR J0437$-$4715 improves the evidence of phase transitions and tightens the EOS constraints, especially at higher densities. However, Bayes factor analysis only indicates a slight preference for models without phase transitions and current observational precision is insufficient to draw definitive conclusions. In particular, this polytropic model identifies the critical phase transition mass of neutron stars as being close to 1.4 solar masses, concincide with the rough mass range of PSR J0437$-$4715. This work emphasizes the importance of precise measurements of PSR J0437$-$4715 for deepening our understanding of neutron star interiors and exploring potential new physics at extreme densities.
comment: Submitted to ApJ
☆ Searching for Low-Mass Exoplanets Amid Stellar Variability with a Fixed Effects Linear Model of Line-by-Line Shape Changes
The radial velocity (RV) method, also known as Doppler spectroscopy, is a powerful technique for exoplanet discovery and characterization. In recent years, progress has been made thanks to the improvements in the quality of spectra from new extreme precision RV spectrometers. However, detecting the RV signals of Earth-like exoplanets remains challenging, as the spectroscopic signatures of low-mass planets can be obscured or confused with intrinsic stellar variability. Changes in the shapes of spectral lines across time can provide valuable information for disentangling stellar activity from true Doppler shifts caused by low-mass exoplanets. In this work, we present a fixed effects linear model to estimate RV signals that controls for changes in line shapes by aggregating information from hundreds of spectral lines. Our methodology incorporates a wild-bootstrap approach for modeling uncertainty and cross-validation to control for overfitting. We evaluate the model's ability to remove stellar activity using solar observations from the NEID spectrograph, as the sun's true center-of-mass motion is precisely known. Including line shape-change covariates reduces the RV root-mean-square errors by approximately 70% (from 1.919 m s$^{-1}$ to 0.575 m s$^{-1}$) relative to using only the line-by-line Doppler shifts. The magnitude of the residuals is significantly less than that from traditional CCF-based RV estimators and comparable to other state-of-the-art methods for mitigating stellar variability.
comment: Submitted to AAS Journals. 20 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables
☆ Magnetic Fields or Overstable Convective Modes in HR 7495: Exploring the Underlying Causes of the Spike in the 'Hump & Spike' Features
More than 200 A- and F-type stars observed with Kepler exhibit a distinctive 'hump & spike' feature in their Fourier spectra. The hump is commonly interpreted as unresolved Rossby modes, while the spike has been linked to rotational modulation. Two competing interpretations exist for the spike: magnetic phenomena, such as stellar spots, or Overstable Convective (OsC) modes resonantly exciting low-frequency g modes within the stellar envelope. We analysed photometric data from Kepler and TESS for HR 7495, the brightest 'hump & spike' star (V=5.06), covering 4.5 years and four seasons, respectively. Additionally, radial velocity measurements and spectropolarimetric data were used to investigate magnetic fields and surface features. Furthermore, we analysed model-based artificial light and radial velocity curves to examine the influence of OsC modes on the phase-folded light curves. The phase-folded light curves show that the spike characteristics of HR 7495 align more closely with rotational modulation by stellar spots than with OsC modes. No significant magnetic fields were detected, limiting the field's possible amplitude and geometry. This supports the hypothesis of a subsurface convective layer operating a dynamo, producing low-amplitude, complex magnetic fields. The variability patterns suggest multiple evolving spots. A comparison of contemporaneously observed light and RV data with modelled OsC modes reveals a 0.5 phase offset, strongly disfavouring pulsations as the cause of the spike. While the evolutionary stage of HR 7495 does not entirely preclude the possibility of OsC modes, the observational data overwhelmingly support the stellar spots hypothesis. Our analysis, combined with previous literature, suggests that if not all A- and F-type, at least the 'hump & spike' stars, harbour an undetected weak magnetic field, likely driven by a dynamo mechanism.
comment: 16 pages, 13 Figures; accepted in A&A; abstract shortened to meet arXiv requirements
☆ Mass loss along the red giant branch of the intermediate stellar populations in NGC6752 and NGC2808
The morphology of the Horizontal Branch (HB) in Globular Clusters (GC) is among the early evidences that they contain multiple populations of stars. Indeed, the location of each star along the HB depends both on its initial helium content (Y) and on the global average mass loss along the red giant branch ($\mu$). In most GCs, it is generally straightforward to analyse the first stellar population (standard Y), and the most extreme one (largest Y), while it is more tricky to look at the "intermediate" populations (mildly enhanced Y). In this work, we do this for the GCs NGC6752 and NGC2808; wherever possible the helium abundance for each stellar populations is constrained by using independent measurements present in the literature. We compare population synthesis models with photometric catalogues from the Hubble Space Telescope Treasury survey to derive the parameters of these HB stars. We find that the location of helium enriched stars on the HB is reproduced only by adopting a higher value of $\mu$ with respect to the first generation stars in all the analysed stellar populations. We also find that $\mu$ correlates with the helium enhancement of the populations. This holds for both clusters. This finding is naturally predicted by the model of ''pre-main sequence disc early loss'', previously suggested in the literature, and is consistent with the findings of multiple-populations formation models that foresee the formation of second generation stars in a cooling flow.
comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, 5 tables. Accepted for publication in A&A
☆ EBOP MAVEN: A machine learning model for predicting eclipsing binary light curve fitting parameters
Detached eclipsing binary stars (dEBs) are a key source of data on fundamental stellar parameters. While there is a vast source of candidate systems in the light curve databases of survey missions such as Kepler and TESS, published catalogues of well-characterised systems fall short of reflecting this abundance. We seek to improve the efficiency of efforts to process these data with the development of a machine learning model to inspect dEB light curves and predict the input parameters for subsequent formal analysis by the jktebop code.
comment: 4 pages, 1 figure. Contribution to the conference "Binary and multiple stars in the era of big surveys," Litomysl, CZ, September 2024. Accepted for publication in Contributions of the Astronomical Observatory Skalnate Pleso
☆ Evidence for an accretion bridge in the DX Cha circumbinary system from VLTI/MATISSE observations
DX Cha (HD 104237) is a spectroscopic binary consisting of a Herbig A7.5Ve-A8Ve primary star and a K3-type companion. Here we report on new $3.55$ micrometer interferometric observations of this source with the Multi Aperture Mid-Infrared Spectroscopic Experiment (MATISSE) at the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI). To model the four MATISSE observations obtained between 2020 and 2023, we constructed a time-dependent interferometric model of the system, using the oimodeler software. The model consists of an asymmetric ring and two point sources on a Keplerian orbit. Our best-fit model consists of a circumbinary ring with a diameter of $0.86$ au ($8.1$ mas), featuring a strong azimuthal asymmetry. We found that the position angle of the asymmetry changes tens of degrees between the MATISSE epochs. The ring is relatively narrow, with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of $\sim$$0.13$ au ($1.23$ mas). The presence of circumstellar dust emission so close to the binary is unexpected, as previous hydrodynamic simulations predicted an inner disk cavity with a diameter of $\sim$$4$ au ($\sim$$37.5$ mas). Thus, we argue that the narrow envelope of material we detected is probably not a gravitationally stable circumbinary ring, but may be part of tidal accretion streamers channeling material from the inner edge of the disk toward the stars.
comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 11 pages, 5 figures, 5 tables
☆ Density fluctuation in the solar corona and solar wind: A comparative analysis of radio-occultation observations and magnetohydrodynamic simulation
Recent in-situ observations and numerical models indicated various types of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves contributing to the solar wind acceleration. Among them is an MHD wave decomposition at distances closer than 50 $R_{\odot}$ using data taken by the first perihelion pass of Parker Solar Probe (PSP). However, the underlying physical processes responsible for the formation of the solar wind have not yet been observationally confirmed at distances closer than 10 $R_{\odot}$. We aim to infer the mode population of density fluctuations observed by radio occultation, which has all been attributed to slow magnetoacoustic waves. We compare the radio occultation observations conducted in 2016 using the JAXA's Venus orbiter Akatsuki with the MHD simulation. The time-frequency analysis was applied to the density fluctuations observed by the radio occultation and those reproduced in the MHD model. The time-spatial spectrum of the density fluctuation in the model exhibits two components that are considered to be fast and slow magnetoacoustic waves. The fast magnetoacoustic waves in the model tend to have periods shorter than the slow magnetoacoustic waves, and the superposition of these modes has a broadened spectrum extending in the range of approximately 20$-$1000 s, which resembles that of the observed waves. Based on this comparison, it is probable that the density oscillations observed by radio occultation include fast and slow magnetoacoustic waves, and that fast magnetoacoustic waves are predominant at short periods and slow magnetoacoustic waves are prevalent at long periods. This is qualitatively similar to the results of the mode decomposition obtained from the PSP's first perihelion at more distance regions.
☆ Mutual Validation of Datasets for Analyzing Tilt Angles in Solar Active Regions
The tilt angle of solar active regions (AR) is crucial for the Babcock-Leighton type dynamo models in the buildup of polar field. However, divergent results regarding properties of tilt angles were reported due to their wide scatter, caused by intrinsic solar mechanisms and measurement errors. Here, we mutually validate the magnetogram-based AR tilt angle dataset from Wang, Jiang, & Luo with the Debrecen Photoheliographic Data by identifying common data points where both datasets provide comparable tilt angles for the same AR/sunspot. The mutually validated datasets effectively reduce measurement errors, enabling a more accurate analysis of the intrinsic properties of tilt angles. Our mutually validated datasets reveal that the difference between white-light-based and magnetogram-based tilt angles has no significant difference. Also, the datasets show that an upward revision of average tilt angle ($\bar\alpha$) and a downward revision of the tilt scatter ($\sigma_\alpha$) compared to previous results are necessary, with typical values of about 7$^\circ$ and 16$^\circ$, respectively. The $\sigma_\alpha$ values demonstrate a strong correlation with AR flux and sunspot area, with the dependency functions re-evaluated using mutually validated datasets. Furthermore, both $\bar\alpha$ and the tilt coefficient for the weak cycle 24 are larger than those for cycle 23. This supports the tilt quenching mechanism, which posits an anti-correlation between the cycle-averaged tilt angle and cycle amplitude. Additionally, tilt angle from the mutually validated dataset has a weak non-monotonic relationship with magnetic flux and does not depend on the maximum magnetic field strength of ARs.
comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, 1 table. Submitted to APJ
☆ A comprehensive Gaia view of ellipsoidal and rotational red giant binaries
The latest Gaia Focused Product Release (FPR) provided variability information for $\sim$1000 long-period red giant binaries, the largest sample to date of this binary type having both photometric and spectroscopic time series observations. We cross-matched the Gaia DR3 measurements with the catalogue of long-period red giant candidates from the Gaia FPR, having photometric and radial velocity variability information. Combined with the photo-geometric distances, the extinction, bolometric magnitude, luminosity, spectroscopic radius and mass were estimated. ELL variables are characterized to be low to intermediate-mass stars, with radii as large as the Roche lobe radius of the binary. Eccentricities tend to be lower for primary stars with smaller radii, as the expected result of tidal circularization. Combined with the orbital properties, estimates for the minimum mass of the companion agree with the scenario of a low-mass compact object as the secondary star. There are at least 14 ELL binaries with orbital periods and masses compatible with model predictions for Type Ia SN progenitors. For the rotational variables, their orbital periods, enhanced chromospheric activity, smaller radii and low mass point to a different type of binaries than the original ELL sample. The velocity dispersion is much higher in ELL than in rotational binaries, probably indicating older/younger dynamical ages. The enhanced [$\alpha$/Fe] abundances for some of the ELL binaries resemble the population of young $\alpha$-rich binaries in the thick disk. An episode of mass transfer in those systems may have produced the enhanced $\alpha$ abundances, and the enhanced [Ce/Fe] abundances reported in a few ELL binaries. Luminosities, radii and masses were derived for 243 ELL and 39 rotational binary candidates, the largest Galactic sample of these variables, having chemo-dynamical and physical parameterization.
comment: 19 pages, 20 figures, including 7 pages of Appendix. Abstract shortened for arXiv. Accepted for publication in A&A
☆ Astrometric Measurements and Analysis of Double Star System BRT 376
Using new telescope images and archival data, we investigated the positions and motions of the stars in double star system 06160-0745 BRT 376. We found that the two stars share nearly identical parallaxes and exhibit a low relative proper motion, suggesting they move together through space. Furthermore, their combined 3D velocity is less than the calculated escape velocity, indicating they are gravitationally bound rather than just physically near each other. These findings point to 06160-0745 BRT 376 being a true binary system. Future observations will help refine our understanding of its orbital path and further illuminate the nature of stars in close, interacting pairs.
comment: 8 pages, 3 figures
☆ High-spatial-resolution simulations of Be star disks in binary systems: I. Structure and kinematics of coplanar disks
Binarity in massive stars has proven to be an important aspect in the their evolution. For Be stars, it might be the cause of their spin up, and thus part of the mechanism behind the formation of their viscous decretion disks. Detecting companions in systems with Be stars is challenging, making it difficult to obtain observational constraints on their binary fraction. We explore the effects of a binary companion in a system with a Be star, from disk formation to quasi steady-state using smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations of coplanar, circular binary systems. High spatial resolution is achieved by adopting particle splitting in the SPH code, as well as a more realistic description of the secondary star and the disk viscosity. The tidal forces considerably affect the Be disk, forming distinct regions in the system, with observational consequences that can be used to infer the presence of a otherwise undetectable companion. With the upgraded code, we can probe a region approximately 4 times larger than previously possible. We describe the configuration and kinematics of each part of the system, and provide a summary of their expected observational signals. Material that enters the Roche lobe of the companion is partially captured by it, forming a rotationally supported, disk-like structure. Material not accreted escapes and forms a circumbinary disk around the system. This is the first work to describe the region beyond the truncation region of the Be disk and its observational consequences with detail. We argue that observational features of previously unclear origin, such as the intermittent shell features and emission features of HR 2142 and HD 55606, originate in areas beyond the truncation region. This new understanding of the behavior of disks in Be binaries will allow not just for better interpretation of existing data, but also for the planning of future observations.
☆ A population synthesis study of the Gaia 100 pc unresolved white dwarf-main sequence binary population
Binary stars consisting of a white dwarf and a main sequence star (WDMS) are valuable for studying key astrophysical questions. However, observational biases strongly affect the known population, particularly unresolved systems where the main sequence star outshines the white dwarf. This work aims to comprehensively simulate the population of unresolved WDMS binaries within 100 pc of the Sun and to compare the outcome with the currently most complete volume-limited sample available from Gaia data. We employ a population synthesis code, MRBIN, extensively developed by our group and based on Monte Carlo techniques, which uses a standard binary stellar evolutionary code adapted to cover a wide range of stars across all ages, masses, and metallicities. Selection criteria matching those of Gaia observations are applied to generate synthetic populations comparable to the observed WDMS sample. The synthetic data accurately populate the expected regions in the Gaia color-magnitude diagram. However, simulations predict a lower number of extremely low-mass white dwarfs, suggesting potential issues in observed mass derivations. Additionally, our analysis constrains the common envelope efficiency to 0.1-0.4, consistent with previous findings, and estimates a total completeness of about 25% for the observed sample, confirming the strong observational limitations for unresolved WDMS.
comment: 17 pages, 11 figures, 2 tables; accepted for publication in A&A
☆ The nature of gravitational wave events with host environment escape velocities
We propose a novel method to probe the parameters and origin channels of gravitational wave events using the escape velocities of their host environments. This method could lead to more convergent posterior distributions offering additional insights into the physical properties, formation, and evolution of the sources. It also enables testing general relativity and improves source localization, which the latter is instrumental in multi-messenger astronomy. The method provides more accurate parameter estimation for events that represent previous mergers in the hierarchical triple merger scenario and is valuable for the search for such mergers with third-generation ground-based detectors. To demonstrate this approach, we take six recently identified events in LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA data, considered as potential previous mergers in hierarchical triple mergers, as examples. The use of escape velocities results in posterior spin distributions that are concentrated near zero, aligning with the expected birth spins of first-generation black holes formed from the collapse of stars. The uncertainty in the posterior primary mass distribution is significantly reduced comparing with the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA distributions, especially for events originating from globular clusters. We rule out the possibility that GW190512, GW170729, and GW190708 originates from globular clusters as previous mergers in the hierarchical triple merger scenario.
comment: comments are welcome
☆ The impact of wind accretion in Evolving Symbiotic Systems
The Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton (BHL) accretion scheme applied to binary systems has long struggled to produce reliable mass accretion efficiencies when the stellar wind velocity of the donor star is smaller than the orbital velocity of the accretor. This limitation is significant in symbiotic systems where such conditions exist. Recently, our group introduced a geometric correction to the standard implementation of the BHL model that demonstrates improved agreement with numerical simulations. The present work investigates the impact of this new implementation on the evolution of symbiotic systems. We model systems where 0.7 and 1 M$_\odot$ white dwarfs accrete material from Solar-like stars with initial masses of 1, 2, and 3 M$_\odot$. The primary star is evolved using the MESA stellar evolution code, while the orbital dynamics of the system are calculated using REBOUND. The analysis focuses on the red giant branch and the thermally-pulsating asymptotic giant branch phases. We compare three scenarios: no accretion, standard BHL accretion, and the improved wind accretion. Our results show that the choice of accretion prescription critically influences the evolution of symbiotic systems. Simulations using the modified model did not reach the Chandrasekhar limit, suggesting that type Ia supernova progenitors require accretors originating from ultra-massive WDs. In contrast, the standard BHL model predicts WD growth to this limit in compact systems. This discrepancy suggests that population synthesis studies adopting the traditional BHL approach may yield inaccurate results. The revised model successfully reproduces the accretion properties of observed symbiotic systems and predicts transitions between different accretion regimes driven by donor mass-loss variability. These results emphasize the need for updated wind accretion models to accurately describe the evolution of symbiotic binaries.
comment: 16 pages; 14 figures; 3 Tables; Submitted to MNRAS (comments are welcome)
☆ Large-scale clustering of inertial particles in a rotating, stratified and inhomogeneous turbulence
We develop a theory of various kinds of large-scale clustering of inertial particles in a rotating density stratified or inhomogeneous turbulent fluid flows. The large-scale particle clustering occurs in scales which are much larger than the integral scale of turbulence, and it is described in terms of the effective pumping velocity in a turbulent flux of particles. We show that for a fast rotating strongly anisotropic turbulence, the large-scale clustering occurs in the plane perpendicular to rotation axis in the direction of the fluid density stratification. We apply the theory of the large-scale particle clustering for explanation of the formation of planetesimals (progenitors of planets) in accretion protoplanetary discs. We determine the radial profiles of the radial and azimuthal components of the effective pumping velocity of particles which have two maxima corresponding to different regimes of the particle--fluid interactions: at the small radius it is the Stokes regime, while at the larger radius it is the Epstein regime. With the decrease the particle radius, the distance between the maxima increases. This implies that smaller-size particles are concentrated nearby the central body of the accretion disk, while larger-size particles are accumulated far from the central body. The dynamic time of the particle clustering is about $\tau_{\rm dyn} \sim 10^5$--$10^6$ years, while the turbulent diffusion time is about $10^7$ years, that is much larger than the characteristic formation time of large-scale particle clusters ($\sim \tau_{\rm dyn}$).
comment: 15 pages, revtex4-2
☆ The past, present and future of observations of externally irradiated disks
Recent years have seen a surge of interest in the community studying the effect of ultraviolet radiation environment, predominantly set by OB stars, on protoplanetary disc evolution and planet formation. This is important because a significant fraction of planetary systems, potentially including our own, formed in close proximity to OB stars. This is a rapidly developing field, with a broad range of observations across many regions recently obtained or recently scheduled. In this paper, stimulated by a series of workshops on the topic, we take stock of the current and upcoming observations. We discuss how the community can build on this recent success with future observations to make progress in answering the big questions of the field, with the broad goal of disentangling how external photoevaporation contributes to shaping the observed (exo)planet population. Both existing and future instruments offer numerous opportunities to make progress towards this goal.
comment: Submitted to the Open Journal of Astrophysics. Corresponding author Thomas Haworth
☆ The bulge globular cluster Terzan 6 as seen from multi-conjugate adaptive optics and HST
This work consists of the first detailed photometric study of Terzan 6, one of the least known globular clusters in the Galactic bulge. Through the analysis of high angular resolution and multi-wavelength data obtained from adaptive optics corrected and space observations, we built deep, optical and near-infrared color-magnitude diagrams reaching $\approx 4$ magnitudes below the main-sequence turnoff. Taking advantage of 4 different epochs of observations, we measured precise relative proper motions for a large sample of stars, from which cluster members have been solidly distinguished from Galactic field interlopers. A non-canonical reddening law (with $R_V=2.85$) and high-resolution differential reddening map, with color excess variations up to $\delta E(B-V) \approx 0.8 $ mag, have been derived in the direction of the system. According to these findings, new values of the extinction and distance modulus have been obtained: respectively, $E(B-V)=2.36\pm0.05$ and $(m-M)_0=14.46 \pm 0.10$ (corresponding to $d=7.8 \pm 0.3$ kpc). We also provide the first determinations of the cluster center and projected density profile from resolved star counts. The center is offset by more than $7$ arcsec to the east from the literature value, and the structural parameters obtained from the King model fitting to the density profile indicate that Terzan 6 is in an advanced stage of its dynamical evolution. We also determined the absolute age of the system, finding $t=13\pm 1 $ Gyr, in agreement with the old ages found for the globular clusters in the Galactic bulge. From the re-determination of the absolute magnitude of the red giant branch bump and the recent estimate of the cluster global metallicity, we find that Terzan 6 nicely matches the tight relation between these two parameters drawn by the Galactic globular cluster population.
comment: Accepted for publication in A&A
☆ Binarity at LOw Metallicity (BLOeM): Multiplicity of early B-type supergiants in the Small Magellanic Cloud
The blue supergiant (BSG) domain contains a large variety of stars whose past and future evolutionary paths are still highly uncertain. Since binary interaction plays a crucial role in the fate of massive stars, investigating the multiplicity among BSGs helps shed light on the fate of such objects. We aim to estimate the binary fraction of a large sample of BSGs in the Small Magellanic Cloud within the Binarity at LOw Metallicity (BLOeM) survey. In total, we selected 262 targets with spectral types B0-B3 and luminosity classes I-II. This work is based on spectroscopic data collected by the GIRAFFE instrument, mounted on the Very Large Telescope, which gathered nine epochs over three months. Our spectroscopic analysis for each target includes the individual and peak-to-peak radial velocity measurements, an investigation of the line profile variability, and a periodogram analysis to search for possible short- and long-period binaries. By applying a 20 km s$^{-1}$ threshold on the peak-to-peak radial velocities above which we would consider the star to be binary, the resulting observed spectroscopic binary fraction for our BSG sample is 23 $\pm$ 3$\%$. In addition, we derived reliable orbital periods for 41 spectroscopic binaries and potential binary candidates, among which there are 17 eclipsing binaries, including 20 SB1 and SB2 systems with periods of less than 10 days. We reported a significant drop in the binary fraction of BSGs with spectral types later than B2 and effective temperatures less than 18 kK, which could indicate the end of the main sequence phase in this temperature regime. We found no metallicity dependence in the binary fraction of BSGs, compared to existing spectroscopic surveys of the Galaxy and Large Magellanic Cloud.
comment: 18 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics
☆ What defines stationarity in space plasmas
Starting from the concept of entropy defect in thermodynamics, we construct the entropy formulation of space plasmas, and then use it to develop a measure of their stationarity. In particular, we show that statistics of this entropy results in two findings that improve our understanding of stationary and nonstationary systems: (i) variations of the Boltzmann-Gibbs (BG) entropy do not exceed twice the value of the thermodynamic kappa, the parameter that provides a measure of the entropy defect in both stationary and nonstationary states, while becomes the shape parameter that labels the kappa distributions in stationary states; and (ii) the ratio of the deviation of the BG entropy with kappa scales with the kappa deviation via a power-law, while the respective exponent provides a stationarity deviation index (SDI), which measures the natural tendency of the system to depart from stationarity. We confirm the validity of these findings in three different heliospheric plasma datasets observed from three missions: (1) A solar energetic particle event, recorded by the Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun instrument onboard Parker Solar Probe; (2) Near Earth solar wind protons recorded by the Solar Wind Experiment instrument onboard WIND; and (3) Plasma protons in the inner heliosphere, source of energetic neutral atoms recorded by IBEX. The full strength and capability of the entropic deviation ratio and SDI can now be used by the space physics community for analyzing and characterizing the stationarity of space plasmas, as well as other researchers for analyzing any other correlated systems.
♻ ☆ Detection asymmetry in solar energetic particle events
Context. Solar energetic particles (SEPs) are detected in interplanetary space in association with solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The magnetic connection between the observing spacecraft and the solar active region (AR) source of the event is a key parameter in determining whether SEPs are observed and the particle event's properties. Aims. We investigate whether an east-west asymmetry in the detection of SEP events is present in observations and discuss its possible link to corotation of magnetic flux tubes with the Sun. Methods. We used a published dataset of 239 CMEs recorded between 2006 and 2017 and having source regions both on the Sun's front and far sides as seen from Earth. We produced distributions of occurrence of in-situ SEP intensity enhancements associated with the CME events, versus \Delta\phi, the longitudinal separation between source active region and spacecraft magnetic footpoint based on the nominal Parker spiral. We focused on protons of energy >10 MeV measured by STEREO A, STEREO B and GOES at 1 au. We also considered occurrences of 71-112 keV electron events detected by MESSENGER between 0.31 and 0.47 au. Results. We find an east-west asymmetry with respect to the best magnetic connection (\Delta\phi=0) in the detection of >10 MeV proton events and of 71-112 keV electron events. For protons, observers for which the source AR is on the east side of the spacecraft footpoint and not well connected (-180<\Delta\phi<-40) are 93% more likely to detect an SEP event compared to observers with +40<\Delta\phi<+180. The asymmetry may be a signature of corotation of magnetic flux tubes with the Sun, since for events with \Delta\phi<0 corotation sweeps particle-filled flux tubes towards the observing spacecraft, while for \Delta\phi>0 it takes them away from it. Alternatively it may be related to asymmetric acceleration or propagation effects.
comment: A&A, in press
♻ ☆ Observing Supernova Neutrino Light Curves with Super-Kamiokande. V. Distance Estimation with Neutrinos
Neutrinos are pivotal signals in multi-messenger observations of supernovae (SNe). Recent advancements in the analysis method of supernova (SN) neutrinos, especially in quantitative analysis, have significantly broadened scientific possibilities. This study demonstrates the feasibility of estimating distances to SNe using neutrinos. This estimation utilizes the direct relationship between the radius of a neutron star (NS) and the distance to the SN, which is analogous to main-sequence fitting. The radius of an NS is determined with an approximate uncertainty of 10% through observations such as X-rays and gravitational waves. By integrating this information, the distance to the SN can be estimated with an uncertainty of within 15% at a 95% confidence level. It has been established that neutrinos can pinpoint the direction of SNe, and when combined with distance estimates, three-dimensional localization becomes achievable. This capability is vital for follow-up observations using multi-messenger approaches. Moreover, more precise distance determinations to SNe through follow-up observations, such as optical observations, allow for accurate measurements of NS radii. This data, via the NS mass-radius relationship, could provide various insights into nuclear physics.
comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, matched to published version
♻ ☆ Star Proper Motions Based on Two-epoch Observations from the SDSS and DESI Imaging Surveys
In this study, we present the construction of a new proper motion catalog utilizing the photometric data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) imaging surveys, with a median time baseline of about 13 years. To mitigate systematic errors, the DESI galaxy positions are employed to establish a reference frame and to correct the position-, magnitude-, and color-dependent discrepancies between SDSS and DESI imaging datasets. Spanning 12,589 square degrees, the catalog encompasses about 223.7 million non-Gaia objects down to $m_r \sim$ 23. Based on 734k quasars, the assessment of the global systematic errors in the DESI-SDSS proper motion catalog yields values of 0.06 mas yr$^{-1}$ for $\mu_{\alpha_{*}}$ and 0.12 mas yr$^{-1}$ for $\mu_{\delta}$. The catalog exhibits precision surpassing 3.4 mas yr$^{-1}$, albeit varying with position, color, and magnitude. An additional evaluation employing approximately 2,644 distant star samples yields an overall precision of approximately 2.5 and 2.9 mas yr$^{-1}$ for $\mu_{\alpha_{*}}$ and $\mu_{\delta}$, respectively. Further comparisons with proper motions from SDSS Stripe 82 reveal a strong consistency between the two datasets. As a practical application, we utilize fainter non-Gaia objects in our catalog to update the proper motions of 15 star clusters. The resulting proper motions for these clusters exhibit excellent consistency with those derived from Gaia data. Our proper motion measurements, characterized by a deeper limiting magnitude, stand as a valuable complement to the Gaia dataset.
comment: Accepted for publication in AJ
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena 8
A Catalog of Local Universe Fast Radio Bursts from CHIME/FRB and the KKO Outrigger
We present the first catalog of fast radio burst (FRB) host galaxies from CHIME/FRB Outriggers, selected uniformly in the radio and the optical by localizing 81 new bursts to 2'' x ~60'' accuracy using CHIME and the KKO Outrigger, located 66 km from CHIME. Of the 81 localized bursts, we use the Probabilistic Association of Transients to their Hosts (PATH) algorithm to securely identify 21 new FRB host galaxies, and compile spectroscopic redshifts for 19 systems, 15 of which are newly obtained via spectroscopic observations. The most nearby source is FRB 20231229A, at a distance of 90 Mpc. One burst in our sample is from a previously reported repeating source in a galaxy merger (FRB 20190303A). Three new FRB host galaxies (FRBs 20230203A, 20230703A, and 20231206A) are found towards X-ray and optically selected galaxy clusters, potentially doubling the sample of known galaxy cluster FRBs. A search for radio counterparts reveals that FRB 20231128A is associated with a luminous persistent radio source (PRS) candidate with high significance ($P_{cc} \sim 10^{-2}$). If its compactness is confirmed, it would be the nearest known compact PRS at $z = 0.1079$. Our catalog significantly increases the statistics of the Macquart relation at low redshifts ($z < 0.2$). In the near future, the completed CHIME/FRB Outriggers array will produce hundreds of FRBs localized with very long baseline interferometry (VLBI). This will significantly expand the known sample and pave the way for future telescopes relying on VLBI for FRB localization.
comment: 27 pages, 10 figures
☆ A Possible Four-Month Periodicity in the Activity of FRB 20240902A
Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-duration radio transients from distant galaxies. While most FRBs are singular events, repeaters emit multiple bursts, with only two-FRB 121102 and FRB 180916B-showing periodic activity (160 and 16 days, respectively). FRB 20240209A, discovered by CHIME-FRB, is localized to the outskirts of a quiescent elliptical galaxy ($z = 0.1384$). We discovered a periodicity of $\sim 126$ days in the activity of FRB 20240209A, making it the third FRB with confirmed periodicity. We used auto-correlation and Lomb-Scargle periodogram analyses, validated with randomized control samples, to confirm the periodicity. The FRB's location in an old stellar population disfavors young progenitor models, instead pointing to scenarios involving globular clusters, late-stage magnetars, or low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs). Though deep X-ray or polarimetric observations are not available, the localization of the FRB and a possible periodicity point to a binary progenitor likely involving a compact object and a stellar companion.
comment: Submitted in ApJ; Comments are welcome
☆ Repeating fast radio bursts from synchrotron maser radiation in localized plasma blobs: Application to FRB 20121102A
The radiation physics of repeating fast radio bursts (FRBs) remains enigmatic. Motivated by the observed narrow-banded emission spectrum and ambiguous fringe pattern of the spectral peak frequency ($\nu_{\rm pk}$) distribution of some repeating FRBs, such as FRB 20121102A, we propose that the bursts from repeating FRBs arise from synchrotron maser radiation in localized blobs within weakly magnetized plasma that relativistically moves toward observers. Assuming the plasma moves toward the observers with a bulk Lorentz factor of $\Gamma=100$ and the electron distribution in an individual blob is monoenergetic ($\gamma_{\rm e}\sim300$), our analysis shows that bright and narrow-banded radio bursts with peak flux density $\sim$ 1 ${\rm Jy}$ at peak frequency ($\nu_{\rm pk}$) $\sim 3.85$ GHz can be produced by the synchrotron maser emission if the plasma blob has a magnetization factor of $\sigma\sim10^{-5}$ and a frequency of $\nu_{\rm P}\sim 4.5$ MHz. The spectrum of bursts with lower $\nu_{\rm pk}$ tends to be narrower. Applying our model to the bursts of FRB 20121102A, the distributions of both the observed $\nu_{\rm pk}$ and isotropic energy $E_{\rm iso}$ detected by the Arecibo telescope at the L band and the Green Bank Telescope at the C band are successfully reproduced. We find that the $\nu_{\rm P}$ distribution exhibits several peaks, similar to those observed in the $\nu_{\rm pk}$ distribution of FRB 20121102A. This implies that the synchrotron maser emission in FRB 20121102A is triggered in different plasma blobs with varying $\nu_{\rm P}$, likely due to the inhomogeneity of relativistic electron number density.
comment: Accepted by A&A
☆ Shear Particle Acceleration in Structured Gamma-Ray Burst Jets: II. Viewing Angle Effect on the Prompt Emission and Application to GRB 170817A
Multi-messenger observations suggest that the gamma-ray burst on Aug. 17, 2017 (GRB 170817A) resulted from off-axial observations of its structured jet, which consists of a narrow ultra-relativistic jet core surrounded by a wide mild-relativistic cocoon. In a serious paper, we explore the emission of shear-accelerated electrons in the mixed jet-cocoon (MJC) region in a series of papers. This paper focuses on the viewing angle effect for a structured jet by considering the emission from the shear-accelerated electrons. It is found that the observed synchrotron emission peaks at the Infrared band and the synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) emission peaks at the band of hundreds of keV. They are not sensitive to the viewing angle. In the off-axis observations scenario, the prompt emission spectrum is dominated by the emission of the shear-accelerated electrons. The prompt gamma-ray spectrum of GRB 170817A can be well explained with our model by setting the velocity of the inner edge of the cocoon region as 0.9c, the magnetic field strength as 21 G, the injected initial electron Lorentz factor as $10^3$, and the viewing angle as 0.44 rad. We argue that the joint observations in the Infrared/optical and X-ray bands are critical to verify our model.
comment: 8 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ
☆ The Impact of $^{12}$C($α, γ$)$^{16}$O Reaction on the Presupernova Evolution and Explodability of Massive Stars
Among the uncertainties of stellar evolution theory, we investigate how the $^{12}$C($\alpha, \gamma$)$^{16}$O reaction rate affects the evolution of massive stars for the initial masses of $M ({\rm ZAMS})=$ 13 - 40 M$_\odot$ and the solar metallicity. We show that the {\sl explodability} of these stars, i.e., which of a neutron star (NS) or a black hole (BH) is formed, is sensitive to the strength of convective shell burning of C and O, and thus the mass fractions of C ($X$(C)) and O in the shell. For the small $^{12}$C($\alpha, \gamma$)$^{16}$O reaction rate that yields larger $X$(C), $X$(C) is further enhanced by mixing of C from the overlying layer and then C shell burning is strengthened. The extra heating by C shell burning tends to prevent the contraction of outer layers and decrease the {\sl compactness parameter} at $M_r$ = 2.5 M$_\odot$. This effect leads to the formation of smaller mass cores of Si and Fe and steeper density and pressure gradients at the O burning shell in the presupernova models. If the pressure gradient there is steeper, the model is more likely to explode to form a NS rather than a BH. We describe the pressure gradient against $M_r$ with $V/U$ and the density drop with $1/U$, where $U$ and $V$ are non-dimensional variables to describe the stellar structure. We estimate the critical values of $V/U$ and $1/U$ at the O-burning shell above which the model is more likely to explode. We conclude that the smaller $^{12}$C($\alpha, \gamma$)$^{16}$O reaction rate makes the mass range of $M ({\rm ZAMS})$ that forms a NS larger.
comment: 46 pages, 50 figures
☆ Systematic study of the composition of Type I X-ray burst ashes: Neutron star structure v.s. Reaction rate uncertainties
In this study, we calculate for the first time the impacts of neutron star(NS) structure on the type I X-ray burst ashes using the \texttt{MESA} code. We find an increased mass fraction of the heavier elements with increasing surface gravity (increase mass or decrease radius), resulting in a higher average mass number ($A_{\rm ash}$) of burst ashes (except for higher mass NS due to the competition between the envelope temperature and the recurrence time). The burst strength ($\alpha$) increases as surface gravity increases, which indicates the positive correlation between $A_{\rm ash}$ and $\alpha$ with changes in surface gravity. If the $\alpha$ value is higher, heavier $p$-nuclei should be produced by the type I X-ray burst nucleosynthesis. Besides, the effects of various burst input parameters, e.g. base heating ($Q_{\rm b}$), metallicity ($Z$) and some new reaction rates are calculated for comparison. We find that the heavier nuclei synthesis is inversely correlated to the base heating/metallicity, the smaller the base heating/metallicity, the greater the mass fraction of the heavier elements. The $\alpha$ value decreases as $Q_{\rm b}$ or $Z$ decreases, which also indicates the positive correlation between $A_{\rm ash}$ and $\alpha$ with variation in $Q_{\rm b}$ or $Z$. The new reaction rates from the $(p,\gamma)$ reactions on $^{17}\rm{F}$, $^{19}\rm{F}$, $^{26}\rm{P}$, $^{56}\rm{Cu}$, $^{65}\rm{As}$, and $(\alpha,p)$ reaction on $^{22}\rm{Mg}$ have only minimal effects on burst ashes. In hydrogen-rich X-ray binary systems, nuclei heavier than $^{64}\rm{Ge}$ are fertile produced with larger NS mass, smaller NS radius, smaller base heating and smaller metallicity.
comment: 14 pages, 12 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in ApJ
Prompt and Conventional High-Energy Muon Spectra from a full Monte Carlo Simulation via $\texttt{CORSIKA7}$
Extensive air showers produce high-energy muons that can be utilized to probe hadronic interaction models in cosmic ray interactions. Most muons originate from pion and kaon decays, called $\textit{conventional}$ muons, while a smaller fraction, referred to as $\textit{prompt}$ muons, arises from the decay of heavier, short-lived hadrons. The $\texttt{EHISTORY}$ option of the air shower simulation tool $\texttt{CORSIKA7}$ is used in this work to investigate the prompt and conventional muon flux in the energy range of 100 TeV to 100 PeV, utilizing the newly developed open-source python software $\texttt{PANAMA}$. Identifying the muon parent particles allows for scaling the contribution of prompt particles, which can be leveraged by future experimental analyses to measure the normalization of the prompt muon flux. Obtained prompt muon spectra from $\texttt{CORSIKA7}$ are compared to $\texttt{MCEq}$ results. The relevance to large-volume neutrino detectors, such as IceCube and KM3NeT, and the connection to hadronic interaction models is discussed.
comment: 19 pages, 13 figures, software freely available at https://github.com/The-Ludwig/PANAMA
♻ ☆ Exploring Unusual High-frequency Eclipses in MSP J1908+2105
This paper presents a comprehensive study of the eclipse properties of the spider millisecond pulsar (MSP) J1908$+$2105, using wide-band observations from the uGMRT and Parkes UWL. For the first time, we observed that this pulsar exhibits extended eclipses up to 4 GHz, the highest frequency band of the UWL, making it one of only three MSPs known to have such high-frequency eclipses. This study reveals synchrotron absorption as the primary eclipse mechanism for J1908$+$2105. We present modeling of synchrotron optical depth with various possible combinations of the parameters to explain the observed eclipsing in this as well as other spider MSPs. Observed eclipses at unusually high frequencies for J1908$+$2105 significantly aided in constraining the magnetic field and electron column density in the eclipse medium while modeling the synchrotron optical depth. Combining our findings with data from other MSPs in the literature, for the first time we note that a higher cutoff frequency of eclipsing, particularly above 1 GHz, is consistently associated with a higher electron column density ($>$ 10$^{17}$ cm$^{-2}$) in the eclipse medium. Additionally, we present the first evidence of lensing effects near eclipse boundaries in this MSP, leading to significant magnification of radio emissions. The orbital phase resolved polarization analysis presented in this paper further indicates variation in rotation measure and consequently stronger magnetic fields in the eclipse region.
comment: Accepted in ApJ
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics 5
☆ Single-Impulse Reachable Set in Arbitrary Dynamics Using Polynomials
This paper presents a method to determine the reachable set (RS) of spacecraft after a single velocity impulse with an arbitrary direction, which is appropriate for the RS in both the state and observation spaces under arbitrary dynamics, extending the applications of current RS methods from two-body to arbitrary dynamics. First, the single-impulse RS model is generalized as a family of two-variable parameterized polynomials in the differential algebra scheme. Then, using the envelope theory, the boundary of RS is identified by solving the envelope equation. A framework is proposed to reduce the complexity of solving the envelope equation by converting it to the problem of searching the root of a one-variable polynomial. Moreover, a high-order local polynomial approximation for the RS envelope is derived to improve computational efficiency. The method successfully determines the RSs of two near-rectilinear halo orbits in the cislunar space. Simulation results show that the RSs in both state and observation spaces can be accurately approximated under the three-body dynamics, with relative errors of less than 0.0658%. In addition, using the local polynomial approximation, the computational time for solving the envelope equation is reduced by more than 84%.
☆ Observable-based reformulation of time-delay interferometry
Spaceborne gravitational-wave observatories utilize a post-processing technique known as time-delay interferometry (TDI) to reduce the otherwise overwhelming laser frequency noise by around eight orders of magnitude. While, in its traditional form, TDI considers the spacecraft as point masses, recent studies have enhanced this simplified scenario by incorporating more realistic metrology chain models, which include onboard optical, electronic, and digital delays. These studies have updated the TDI algorithm to include onboard delays obtained from pre-launch and in-flight calibrations. Conversely, the processing scheme presented in this article naturally treats onboard delays as part of the TDI combinations: instead of having separate calibration stages, it directly expresses all delays appearing in the algorithm in terms of onboard measurements, especially pseudo-random-noise ranging (PRNR) measurements. The only onboard delays that need to be corrected in our processing scheme are PRNR delays in the digital domain, which are determined by commandable digital-signal-processing parameters; hence, they can be easily managed in post-processing. Furthermore, our processing scheme does not require a prior interspacecraft clock synchronization, and it automatically corrects for potential relative drifts between the clocks driving local phase measurement systems. The proposed observable-based processing scheme significantly strengthens the bond between TDI and the real metrology system.
☆ GJ 2126 b: A highly eccentric Jovian exoplanet
We report the discovery of GJ 2126 b, a highly eccentric (e = 0.85) Jupiter-like planet orbiting its host star every 272.7 days. The planet was detected and characterized using 112 radial velocity (RV) measurements from HARPS (High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher), provided by HARPS-RVBank. This planet orbits a low-mass star and ranks among the most eccentric exoplanets discovered, placing it in a unique region of the parameter space of the known exoplanet population. This makes it a valuable addition to the exoplanet demographics, helping to refine our understanding of planetary formation and evolution theories.
comment: 7 pages, 5 figures. A&A accepted
☆ Solving Online Resource-Constrained Scheduling for Follow-Up Observation in Astronomy: a Reinforcement Learning Approach
In the astronomical observation field, determining the allocation of observation resources of the telescope array and planning follow-up observations for targets of opportunity (ToOs) are indispensable components of astronomical scientific discovery. This problem is computationally challenging, given the online observation setting and the abundance of time-varying factors that can affect whether an observation can be conducted. This paper presents ROARS, a reinforcement learning approach for online astronomical resource-constrained scheduling. To capture the structure of the astronomical observation scheduling, we depict every schedule using a directed acyclic graph (DAG), illustrating the dependency of timing between different observation tasks within the schedule. Deep reinforcement learning is used to learn a policy that can improve the feasible solution by iteratively local rewriting until convergence. It can solve the challenge of obtaining a complete solution directly from scratch in astronomical observation scenarios, due to the high computational complexity resulting from numerous spatial and temporal constraints. A simulation environment is developed based on real-world scenarios for experiments, to evaluate the effectiveness of our proposed scheduling approach. The experimental results show that ROARS surpasses 5 popular heuristics, adapts to various observation scenarios and learns effective strategies with hindsight.
♻ ☆ Searching for stellar-origin binary black holes in LISA Data Challenge 1b: Yorsh
This paper reports the first search for stellar-origin binary black holes within the LISA Data Challenges (LDC). The search algorithm and the \Yorsh{} LDC datasets, both previously described elsewhere, are only summarized briefly; the primary focus here is to present the results of applying the search to the challenge of data. The search employs a hierarchical approach, leveraging semi-coherent matching of template waveforms to the data using a variable number of segments, combined with a particle swarm algorithm for parameter space exploration. The computational pipeline is accelerated using graphical processing unit (GPU) hardware. The results of two searches using different models of the LISA response are presented. The most effective search finds all five sources in the data challenge with injected signal-to-noise ratios $\gtrsim 12$. Rapid parameter estimation is performed for these sources.
comment: 7 Pages, 3 figures
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 5
☆ CSST Cosmological Emulator I: Matter Power Spectrum Emulation with one percent accuracy
In the near future, the China Space Station Telescope (CSST) will obtain unprecedented imaging and spectroscopic data. The statistical errors in the cosmological parameter constraints will be reduced significantly. The corresponding theoretical tools must meet the percent-level accuracy required to extract as much cosmological information as possible from the observations. We present the \texttt{CSST Emulator} to provide nonlinear power spectrum predictions in the eight cosmological parameter space $\Omega_\mathrm{cb},\Omega_\mathrm{b},H_{0},n_{s},A_{s},w_{0}, w_{a}$, and $m_\nu$. It is constructed based on the \textsc{Kun} simulation suite, consisting of 129 high-resolution simulations with box size $L=1\,h^{-1} {\rm Gpc}$ and evolving $3072^3$ particles. The determinations of parameter ranges, sampling method, and emulation strategy in the whole construction have been optimized exquisitely. This enables our prediction for $k\leq 10\,h {\rm Mpc}^{-1}$ and $z\leq 2.0$ to reach $1\%$ accuracy validated through internal and external simulations. We also compare our results with recent \texttt{BACCO}, \texttt{EuclidEmulator2}, and \texttt{Mira-Titan IV} emulators, which demonstrate the \texttt{CSST Emulator}'s excellent performance across a wide cosmological parameter range in the nonlinear regime. \texttt{CSST Emulator} is publicly released at https://github.com/czymh/csstemu, and provides a fundamental theoretical tool for accurate cosmological inference with future CSST observations.
comment: CSST Emulator is publicly released at https://github.com/czymh/csstemu. 18+2 pages, 11+4 figures, comments are welcomed!
☆ Steven Weinberg: A Scientific Life
Steven Weinberg was a giant of late 20th Century physics on whose shoulders we stand while groping for the science of the 21st Century. This article provides a too-brief summary of a selection of his many achievements -- eight decades of superlative research, eight classic textbooks, eight best-selling forays into popular science writing and more.
comment: An abridged version of this article will appear in Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. This version provides a lengthier description of a selection of his accomplishments and includes a number of quotations to give the reader a sense of his own voice
☆ The Halo Occupation Distribution Modeling of the X-ray-selected AGNs at 0.6 < z < 2.6 in the COSMOS field
We conducted precise measurements of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) clustering at $z\sim1$ and $z\sim2$ by measuring the two-point cross-correlation function (CCF) between galaxies and X-ray-selected AGNs, and the two-point auto-correlation function (ACF) of galaxies in the COSMOS field to interpret the CCF results. The galaxy sample was selected from the COSMOS2015 catalog, while the AGN sample was chosen from the {\sl Chandra} COSMOS-Legacy survey catalog. For the AGN samples at $z\sim1$ and $z\sim2$, we calculated AGN bias values of $b=1.16\ (1.16;1.31)$ and $b=2.95\ (2.30;3.55)$, respectively. These values correspond to typical host dark matter halo (DMH) masses of log$(M_{\rm typ}/M_{\odot})=11.82\ (11.82;12.12)$ and log$(M_{\rm typ}/M_{\odot})=12.80\ (12.38;13.06)$, respectively. Subsequently, we performed Halo Occupation Distribution (HOD) modeling of X-ray-selected AGNs using the CCF and ACF of galaxies. We have found a significant satellite AGN population at $z\sim 1$ all over the DMH mass ($M_{\rm DMH}$) range occupied by AGNs. While $z\sim 2$ AGNs in our sample are associated with higher mass DMHs and smaller satellite fractions. The HOD analysis suggests a marginal tendency of increasing satellite slope with redshift, but larger samples are needed to confirm this with sufficient statistical significance. We find that the best-fit values of satellite slope in both redshift bins are greater than 0, suggesting tendencies of increasing satellite AGN number with $M_{\rm DMH}$.
comment: 20 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
♻ ☆ Optimal Neural Summarisation for Full-Field Weak Lensing Cosmological Implicit Inference
Traditionally, weak lensing cosmological surveys have been analyzed using summary statistics motivated by their analytically tractable likelihoods, or by their ability to access higher-order information, at the cost of requiring Simulation-Based Inference (SBI) approaches. While informative, these statistics are neither designed nor guaranteed to be statistically sufficient. With the rise of deep learning, it becomes possible to create summary statistics optimized to extract the full data information. We compare different neural summarization strategies proposed in the weak lensing literature, to assess which loss functions lead to theoretically optimal summary statistics to perform full-field inference. In doing so, we aim to provide guidelines and insights to the community to help guide future neural-based inference analyses. We design an experimental setup to isolate the impact of the loss function used to train neural networks. We have developed the sbi_lens JAX package, which implements an automatically differentiable lognormal wCDM LSST-Y10 weak lensing simulator. The explicit full-field posterior obtained using the Hamiltonian Monte Carlo sampler gives us a ground truth to which to compare different compression strategies. We provide theoretical insight into the loss functions used in the literature and show that some do not necessarily lead to sufficient statistics (e.g. Mean Square Error (MSE)), while those motivated by information theory (e.g. Variational Mutual Information Maximization (VMIM)) can. Our numerical experiments confirm these insights and show, in our simulated wCDM scenario, that the Figure of Merit (FoM) of an analysis using neural summaries optimized under VMIM achieves 100% of the reference Omega_c - sigma_8 full-field FoM, while an analysis using neural summaries trained under MSE achieves only 81% of the same reference FoM.
comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, submitted to A&A, codes are available at https://github.com/DifferentiableUniverseInitiative/sbi_lens and https://github.com/dlanzieri/WL_Implicit-Inference
♻ ☆ Practical photonic band gap structures for high frequency axion haloscopes
Current and future searches for dark matter axions, based on their resonant conversion to photons in a magnetic field, span many orders of magnitude. A major impediment to designing resonators at the high end of this range, 5 GHz and above, is the proliferation of TE modes, which overwhelm and hybridize with the TM010 mode to which the axion couples, making the search impossible. We demonstrate that a photonic band gap structure can be designed that completely suppresses the TE spectrum, even reducing the number of lattice periods to two or one, and violating perfect lattice symmetry. This allows tunable resonators to be designed in a convenient, volumetrically efficient circular geometry thus enabling future searches in the post-inflation axion mass range.
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 3
☆ A Spiral Structure in the Inner Oort Cloud
As the Galactic tide acts to decouple bodies from the scattered disk it creates a spiral structure in physical space that is roughly 15,000 au in length. The spiral is long-lived and persists in the inner Oort cloud to the present time. Here we discuss dynamics underlying the Oort spiral and (feeble) prospects for its observational detection.
comment: ApJ, in press
☆ New perspectives on MASCARA-1b: A combined analysis of pre- and post-eclipse emission data using CRIRES+
We present high-resolution emission spectroscopy observations of the ultra-hot Jupiter MASCARA-1b with CRIRES+ in the K-band, covering the post-eclipse phases of its orbit. These observations complement previously published pre-eclipse data. The stellar and telluric features were removed using SysRem, and the planetary signal was analysed with the cross-correlation technique. After confirming the presence of chemical species in our atmospheric model, we combined the pre- and post-eclipse datasets for a joint analysis. By employing a Bayesian retrieval framework, this joint retrieval enabled us to constrain the spatially varying temperature-pressure (T-P) profile and atmospheric carbon-to-oxygen (C/O) ratio. We detected strong emission signatures of CO and H$_2$O in the post-eclipse and combined datasets. While a well-mixed retrieval model results in a super-solar C/O, allowing for vertically varying chemistry yields C/O values consistent with solar. The retrieved parameters are not only consistent across the datasets but also across different chemical regimes. We did not identify any significant velocity shifts between the detected species or across the datasets, which could otherwise serve as proxies for possible atmospheric dynamics. We also explored phase dependence through the model scaling factor and found no substantial changes in atmospheric properties throughout the observed phases. Due to strong degeneracies between the temperature gradient and chemical abundances, our retrieved temperatures are broadly consistent with either a full redistribution of heat or strong day-night contrasts. While this complicates direct comparisons with recent Spitzer phase curve analyses suggesting inefficient recirculation, we find no clear evidence of spatial variation in the chemical or temperature structure of MASCARA-1b from pre- to post-eclipse, nor temporal variation over $\approx$2 years.
comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. 29 pages, 31 figures and 3 tables (including appendix)
☆ GJ 2126 b: A highly eccentric Jovian exoplanet
We report the discovery of GJ 2126 b, a highly eccentric (e = 0.85) Jupiter-like planet orbiting its host star every 272.7 days. The planet was detected and characterized using 112 radial velocity (RV) measurements from HARPS (High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher), provided by HARPS-RVBank. This planet orbits a low-mass star and ranks among the most eccentric exoplanets discovered, placing it in a unique region of the parameter space of the known exoplanet population. This makes it a valuable addition to the exoplanet demographics, helping to refine our understanding of planetary formation and evolution theories.
comment: 7 pages, 5 figures. A&A accepted
Astrophysics of Galaxies 7
☆ A Spiral Structure in the Inner Oort Cloud
As the Galactic tide acts to decouple bodies from the scattered disk it creates a spiral structure in physical space that is roughly 15,000 au in length. The spiral is long-lived and persists in the inner Oort cloud to the present time. Here we discuss dynamics underlying the Oort spiral and (feeble) prospects for its observational detection.
comment: ApJ, in press
☆ Exploring the stellar streams and satellites around the giant low surface brightness galaxy Malin 1
Context. Giant Low Surface Brightness galaxies, such as Malin 1, host extended stellar and gaseous disks exceeding 100 kpc in radius. Their formation and evolution remain debated, with interactions with satellite galaxies and accretion streams proposed as key contributors. Malin 1 has multiple satellites, including Malin 1A, Malin 1B, and the newly reported Malin 1C, along with eM1 at 350 kpc. Additionally, it exhibits two giant stellar streams, the largest extending 200 kpc, likely linked to past interactions. Aims. We investigate the orbital dynamics of Malin 1's satellites and their relationship with the observed stellar streams, testing their consistency with different formation scenarios. Methods. We constructed gravitational potentials using optical and H I rotation curve data, using stellar, gaseous, and dark matter components. We explored a wide parameter space to see if the candidate progenitors of the stellar streams could have originated from past interactions, testing both NFW and isothermal halo profiles. Results. Among ten explored scenarios, seven produced bound orbital solutions. The isothermal halo model, with a virial mass of 3.8 x 10^12 solar masses and a virial radius of approximately 323 kpc, favors bound satellite orbits more than the NFW model (1.7 x 10^12 solar masses). We find that eM1 probably had a pericenter passage 1.3 Gyr ago, Malin 1A around 1.4 Gyr ago, and Malin 1B's leading arm may be experiencing one now. Malin 1C displays both leading and trailing arms. Furthermore, we identify three unbound orbital solutions that could link eM1, Malin 1A, or Malin 1B to the streams. Conclusions. The alignment of satellites and streams supports the idea that past interactions contributed to Malin 1's morphology, enriched its gas reservoir, and influenced the development of its extended disk, providing insights into the evolution of gLSBGs.
comment: 23 pages, 13 figures, This work forms part of the doctoral thesis of Roy Omar Edgar Bustos-Espinoza, in which we explore the environment of Malin 1
☆ The Impact of $^{12}$C($α, γ$)$^{16}$O Reaction on the Presupernova Evolution and Explodability of Massive Stars
Among the uncertainties of stellar evolution theory, we investigate how the $^{12}$C($\alpha, \gamma$)$^{16}$O reaction rate affects the evolution of massive stars for the initial masses of $M ({\rm ZAMS})=$ 13 - 40 M$_\odot$ and the solar metallicity. We show that the {\sl explodability} of these stars, i.e., which of a neutron star (NS) or a black hole (BH) is formed, is sensitive to the strength of convective shell burning of C and O, and thus the mass fractions of C ($X$(C)) and O in the shell. For the small $^{12}$C($\alpha, \gamma$)$^{16}$O reaction rate that yields larger $X$(C), $X$(C) is further enhanced by mixing of C from the overlying layer and then C shell burning is strengthened. The extra heating by C shell burning tends to prevent the contraction of outer layers and decrease the {\sl compactness parameter} at $M_r$ = 2.5 M$_\odot$. This effect leads to the formation of smaller mass cores of Si and Fe and steeper density and pressure gradients at the O burning shell in the presupernova models. If the pressure gradient there is steeper, the model is more likely to explode to form a NS rather than a BH. We describe the pressure gradient against $M_r$ with $V/U$ and the density drop with $1/U$, where $U$ and $V$ are non-dimensional variables to describe the stellar structure. We estimate the critical values of $V/U$ and $1/U$ at the O-burning shell above which the model is more likely to explode. We conclude that the smaller $^{12}$C($\alpha, \gamma$)$^{16}$O reaction rate makes the mass range of $M ({\rm ZAMS})$ that forms a NS larger.
comment: 46 pages, 50 figures
☆ The Halo Occupation Distribution Modeling of the X-ray-selected AGNs at 0.6 < z < 2.6 in the COSMOS field
We conducted precise measurements of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) clustering at $z\sim1$ and $z\sim2$ by measuring the two-point cross-correlation function (CCF) between galaxies and X-ray-selected AGNs, and the two-point auto-correlation function (ACF) of galaxies in the COSMOS field to interpret the CCF results. The galaxy sample was selected from the COSMOS2015 catalog, while the AGN sample was chosen from the {\sl Chandra} COSMOS-Legacy survey catalog. For the AGN samples at $z\sim1$ and $z\sim2$, we calculated AGN bias values of $b=1.16\ (1.16;1.31)$ and $b=2.95\ (2.30;3.55)$, respectively. These values correspond to typical host dark matter halo (DMH) masses of log$(M_{\rm typ}/M_{\odot})=11.82\ (11.82;12.12)$ and log$(M_{\rm typ}/M_{\odot})=12.80\ (12.38;13.06)$, respectively. Subsequently, we performed Halo Occupation Distribution (HOD) modeling of X-ray-selected AGNs using the CCF and ACF of galaxies. We have found a significant satellite AGN population at $z\sim 1$ all over the DMH mass ($M_{\rm DMH}$) range occupied by AGNs. While $z\sim 2$ AGNs in our sample are associated with higher mass DMHs and smaller satellite fractions. The HOD analysis suggests a marginal tendency of increasing satellite slope with redshift, but larger samples are needed to confirm this with sufficient statistical significance. We find that the best-fit values of satellite slope in both redshift bins are greater than 0, suggesting tendencies of increasing satellite AGN number with $M_{\rm DMH}$.
comment: 20 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
♻ ☆ Revisiting the Group-Dominant Elliptical NGC 5044 in the Radio Band: Continuum Emission and Detection of HI Absorption
We present new MeerKAT L-band (continuum and HI) and upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (300-850 MHz) observations of the archetypal cool-core group-dominant early-type galaxy NGC 5044. Our new continuum images reveal diffuse, steep spectrum ($\alpha_{0.99\,\rm GHz}^{1.56\,\rm GHz}=-1.53\pm0.6$) radio emission extending about 25 kpc around the unresolved radio core. The observed radio emission overlaps with the known X-ray cavities, but is not confined to them. We also find the first direct evidence of neutral atomic gas in NGC 5044, in the form of a 3.8$\sigma$ significant two-component HI absorption line seen against the emission of the active nucleus. The peak velocities are well correlated with the previously reported CO(2-1) absorption, but the HI lines are moderately broader, spanning velocities from $265\,\rm \, km\,s^{-1}$ to $305\,\rm \, km\,s^{-1}$. We do not detect HI emission, but place an upper limit of $M_{HI}< 5.4 \times 10^{7} \, M_{\odot}$ in the central 15 arcsec (2.2 kpc) of the galaxy. This is significantly less than the estimated molecular gas content, and implies a molecular-to-atomic mass ratio of $\geq $1.7:1, consistent with these gas phases forming through cooling from the hot intra-group medium. We also constrain the spin temperature to $T_{\rm spin}\leq 950\,\rm K$, indicating that the detected HI is in the cold neutral phase.
comment: 17 pages, 8 figures, Submitted to ApJ
♻ ☆ The Core Mass Function Across Galactic Environments. IV. The Galactic Center
The origin of the stellar Initial Mass Function (IMF) and how it may vary with galactic environment is a matter of debate. Certain star formation theories involve a close connection between the IMF and the Core Mass Function (CMF) so it is important to measure this CMF in a range of Milky Way locations. Here we study the CMF of three Galactic Center clouds: G0.253+0.016 ("The Brick"), Sgr B2 (Deep South field) and Sgr C. We use ALMA 1 mm continuum images and identify cores as peaks in thermal dust emission via the dendrogram algorithm. We develop a completeness correction method via synthetic core insertion, utilizing a realistic mass-dependent size distribution. A power law $\text{d}N/\text{d}\log M \propto M^{-\alpha}$ is fit to the CMFs $>2\:M_\odot$. The Brick has a Salpeter-like index $\alpha=1.28\pm0.09$, while the other regions have shallower indices: Sgr C has $\alpha=0.99\pm0.06$; Sgr B2-DS has $\alpha=0.70\pm0.03$. When smoothed to a common resolution, the differences between the Brick and the others increase as we obtain $\alpha=1.36\pm0.12$, $\alpha=0.66\pm0.06$ and $\alpha=0.62\pm0.04$, respectively, for masses $\gtrsim3\:M_\odot$. Furthermore, we analyze the spatial distribution and mass segregation of cores: Sgr C and Sgr B2-DS show signs of mass segregation, but the Brick does not. We compare our results to several other CMFs from different Galactic regions derived with the same methods. Finally, we discuss how our results may help define an evolutionary sequence of star cluster formation and be used to test star formation theories.
comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 28 pages, 15 figures
♻ ☆ Untangling Magellanic Streams
The Magellanic Stream (MS) has long been known to contain multiple H I strands and corresponding stellar populations are beginning to be discovered. Combining a sample of 17 stars from the H3 ("Hectochelle in the Halo at High Resolution") survey with 891 stars drawn from the Gaia DR3 catalog, we trace stars along a sub-dominant strand of the MS, as defined by gas content, across 30$^\circ$ on the sky. We find that the corresponding dominant strand at the similar position along the MS is devoid of stars with Galactocentric distance $\lesssim 55$ kpc while the subdominant strand shows a close correspondence to such stars. We conclude that (1) these two Stream strands have different origins, (2) they are likely only close in projection, (3) the subdominant strand is tidal in origin, and (4) the subdominant strand is composed of "disk" material, gas and stars, with a chemical composition that marginally favors it coming from the Small Magellanic Cloud.
comment: Accepted for publication by the Open Journal of Astrophysics, 10 pages, 10 figures
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 3
☆ Observation-Based Iterative Map for Solar Cycles. II. The Gnevyshev-Ohl Rule and its Generation Mechanism
The Gnevyshev-Ohl (G-O) rule, also known as the even-odd effect, is an important observational phenomenon in solar cycles, suggesting that cycles with even indices tend to be followed by stronger cycles. The rule is considered to be related to the solar dynamo, which drives the evolution of the Sun's large-scale magnetic field. However, observational studies of the G-O rule have revealed inconsistencies, particularly regarding long-term variations and the underlying physical mechanisms. In this study, we use an iterative map derived within the framework of the Babcock-Leighton (BL) dynamo to analyze the G-O rule. We investigate comprehensive and definitive forms of the G-O rule using both a sufficiently large number of solar cycles and a limited number of solar cycles. Our findings indicate a higher probability for an arbitrary cycle to be followed by a stronger cycle instead of weaker, regardless of even or odd. Over time spans comparable to historical observations, cycles exhibit periods that follow both the G-O rule and the reversed G-O rule, without a statistically significant preference, consistent with the observed variability of the G-O rule. The occurrence of the reversed G-O rule is random, rather than periodic. The G-O rule emerges as a result of the nonlinearity and stochasticity inherent in the BL mechanism. These results advance our understanding of the solar cycle and pave the way for improved solar dynamo modeling.
comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, to be submitted
☆ Observation-Based Iterative Map for Solar Cycles. I. Nature of Solar Cycle Variability
Inter-cycle variations in the series of 11-year solar activity cycles have a significant impact on both the space environment and climate. Whether solar cycle variability is dominated by deterministic chaos or stochastic perturbations remains an open question. Distinguishing between the two mechanisms is crucial for predicting solar cycles. Here we reduce the solar dynamo process responsible for the solar cycle to a one-dimensional iterative map, incorporating recent advance in the observed nonlinearity and stochasticity of the cycle. We demonstrate that deterministic chaos is absent in the nonlinear system, regardless of model parameters, if the generation of the poloidal field follows an increase-then-saturate pattern as the cycle strength increases. The synthesized solar cycles generated by the iterative map exhibit a probability density function (PDF) similar to that of observed normal cycles, supporting the dominant role of stochasticity in solar cycle variability. The parameters governing nonlinearity and stochasticity profoundly influence the PDF. The iterative map provides a quick and effective tool for predicting the range, including uncertainty of the subsequent cycle strength when an ongoing cycle amplitude is known. Due to stochasticity, a solar cycle loses almost all its original information within 1 or 2 cycles. Although the simplicity of the iterative map, the behaviors it exhibits are generic for the nonlinear system. Our results provide guidelines for analyzing solar dynamo models in terms of chaos and stochasticity, highlight the limitation in predicting solar cycle, and motivate further refinement of observational constraints on nonlinear and stochastic processes.
comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, submitted to ApJ and under second revision
☆ The Impact of $^{12}$C($α, γ$)$^{16}$O Reaction on the Presupernova Evolution and Explodability of Massive Stars
Among the uncertainties of stellar evolution theory, we investigate how the $^{12}$C($\alpha, \gamma$)$^{16}$O reaction rate affects the evolution of massive stars for the initial masses of $M ({\rm ZAMS})=$ 13 - 40 M$_\odot$ and the solar metallicity. We show that the {\sl explodability} of these stars, i.e., which of a neutron star (NS) or a black hole (BH) is formed, is sensitive to the strength of convective shell burning of C and O, and thus the mass fractions of C ($X$(C)) and O in the shell. For the small $^{12}$C($\alpha, \gamma$)$^{16}$O reaction rate that yields larger $X$(C), $X$(C) is further enhanced by mixing of C from the overlying layer and then C shell burning is strengthened. The extra heating by C shell burning tends to prevent the contraction of outer layers and decrease the {\sl compactness parameter} at $M_r$ = 2.5 M$_\odot$. This effect leads to the formation of smaller mass cores of Si and Fe and steeper density and pressure gradients at the O burning shell in the presupernova models. If the pressure gradient there is steeper, the model is more likely to explode to form a NS rather than a BH. We describe the pressure gradient against $M_r$ with $V/U$ and the density drop with $1/U$, where $U$ and $V$ are non-dimensional variables to describe the stellar structure. We estimate the critical values of $V/U$ and $1/U$ at the O-burning shell above which the model is more likely to explode. We conclude that the smaller $^{12}$C($\alpha, \gamma$)$^{16}$O reaction rate makes the mass range of $M ({\rm ZAMS})$ that forms a NS larger.
comment: 46 pages, 50 figures
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena 7
☆ Hydrodynamic Predictions for the Next Outburst of T Coronae Borealis: It will be the Brightest Classical or Recurrent Nova Ever Observed in X-rays
T Coronae Borealis (TCrB) is a recurrent nova (RN) with recorded outbursts in 1866, and 1946 and possible outbursts in 1217 and 1787. It is predicted to explode again in 2025 or 2026 based on multiple observational studies. The system consists of a massive (M$_{wd}$ $\gtrsim$ 1.35 M$_\odot$) white dwarf (WD) and a red giant (M3-M4 III). We have performed 1-D hydrodynamic simulations with NOVA to predict the behavior of the next outburst. These simulations consist of a range of mass accretion rates onto $\sim$1.35 M$_\odot$ WDs, designed to bound the conditions necessary to achieve ignition of an explosion after an $\approx$80 year inter-outburst period. We have used both carbon-oxygen and oxygen-neon initial compositions, in order to include the possible ejecta abundances to be measured in the observations of the next outburst. As the WD in the TCrB system is observed to be massive, theoretical predictions reported here imply that the WD is growing in mass as a consequence of the TNR. Therefore, the secular evolution of the WD may allow it to approach the Chandrasekhar limit and either explode as a Type Ia supernova or undergo accretion induced collapse, depending on its underlying composition. We have followed the evolution of just the WD, after removing the ejected matter from the surface layers. Our intent is to illuminate the mystery of the unique, second, maximum in the two well observed outbursts and we have found conditions that bracket the predictions.
comment: 34 pages, 7 tables, 11 figures, Submitted to Astrophysical Journal
☆ The X-ray Integral Field Unit at the end of the Athena reformulation phase
The Athena mission entered a redefinition phase in July 2022, driven by the imperative to reduce the mission cost at completion for the European Space Agency below an acceptable target, while maintaining the flagship nature of its science return. This notably called for a complete redesign of the X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) cryogenic architecture towards a simpler active cooling chain. Passive cooling via successive radiative panels at spacecraft level is now used to provide a 50 K thermal environment to an X-IFU owned cryostat. 4.5 K cooling is achieved via a single remote active cryocooler unit, while a multi-stage Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator ensures heat lift down to the 50 mK required by the detectors. Amidst these changes, the core concept of the readout chain remains robust, employing Transition Edge Sensor microcalorimeters and a SQUID-based Time-Division Multiplexing scheme. Noteworthy is the introduction of a slower pixel. This enables an increase in the multiplexing factor (from 34 to 48) without compromising the instrument energy resolution, hence keeping significant system margins to the new 4 eV resolution requirement. This allows reducing the number of channels by more than a factor two, and thus the resource demands on the system, while keeping a 4' field of view (compared to 5' before). In this article, we will give an overview of this new architecture, before detailing its anticipated performances. Finally, we will present the new X-IFU schedule, with its short term focus on demonstration activities towards a mission adoption in early 2027.
comment: 44 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in Experimental Astronomy
☆ Spinning spectral sirens: Robust cosmological measurement using mass-spin correlations in the binary black hole population
Gravitational waves from compact binary mergers provide a direct measurement of luminosity distance, which, in combination with redshift information, serves as a cosmological probe. In order to statistically infer merger redshifts, the ``spectral standard siren" method relies on features, such as peaks, dips or breaks, in the compact object mass spectrum, which get redshifted in the detector-frame relative to the source-frame. However, if the source-frame location of these features evolves over cosmic time, the spectral siren measurement may be biased. Some features, such as the edges of the pair-instability supernova mass gap, may be more stable than others. We point out that binary black hole (BBH) spins, which are not redshifted in the detector-frame, provide a natural way to identify robust mass scales for spectral siren cosmology. For example, there is recent evidence for a mass scale in the BBH population that separates slowly spinning from more rapidly spinning BBH mergers, consistent with the lower edge of the pair instability gap. Applying our method to data from LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA's third transient catalog, we demonstrate how to isolate this mass scale and produce a robust ``spinning spectral siren" measurement of the Hubble constant: $H_0 = 85^{+99}_{-67}\,\rm{km}\, \rm{s}^{-1} \rm{Mpc}^{-1}$, or $H_0 =80^{+60}_{-46}\,\rm{km}\, \rm{s}^{-1} \rm{Mpc}^{-1}$ when combined with other mass features, such as the $\sim35\,M_\odot$ peak. We consider the possibility that the source-frame location of the $\sim35\,M_\odot$ peak evolves with redshift, and show that information from black hole spin can be used to mitigate the associated bias for self-calibrating spectral sirens.
☆ Revealing an unexpectedly low electron injection threshold via reinforced shock acceleration
Collisionless shock waves, found in supernova remnants, interstellar, stellar, and planetary environments, and laboratories, are one of nature's most powerful particle accelerators. This study combines in situ satellite measurements with recent theoretical developments to establish a reinforced shock acceleration model for relativistic electrons. Our model incorporates transient structures, wave-particle interactions, and variable stellar wind conditions, operating collectively in a multiscale set of processes. We show that the electron injection threshold is on the order of suprathermal range, obtainable through multiple different phenomena abundant in various plasma environments. Our analysis demonstrates that a typical shock can consistently accelerate electrons into very high (relativistic) energy ranges, refining our comprehension of shock acceleration while providing insight on the origin of electron cosmic rays.
☆ Chiral Symmetry in Dense Matter with Meson Condensation
Kaon condensation in hyperon-mixed matter [($Y$+$K$) phase], which may be realized in neutron stars, is discussed on the basis of chiral symmetry. With the use of the effective chiral Lagrangian for kaon--baryon and kaon--kaon interactions; coupled with the relativistic mean field theory and universal three-baryon repulsive interaction, we clarify the effects of the $s$-wave kaon--baryon scalar interaction simulated by the kaon--baryon sigma terms and vector interaction (Tomozawa--Weinberg term) on kaon properties in hyperon-mixed matter, the onset density of kaon condensation, and the equation of state with the ($Y$+$K$) phase. In particular, the quark condensates in the ($Y$+$K$) phase are obtained, and their relevance to chiral symmetry restoration is discussed.
comment: 22 pages, 7 figures, published in the Special Issue of Symmetry. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:2411.09967
♻ ☆ Mixed origins: strong natal kicks for some black holes and none for others SP
Using stellar kinematic data from Gaia DR3, we revisit constraints on black hole (BH) natal kicks from observed accreting and detached BH binaries. We compare the space velocities and Galactic orbits of a sample of 12 BHs in the Galactic disk with well-constrained distances to their local stellar populations, for which we obtain proper motions and radial velocities from Gaia DR3. Compared to most previous studies, we infer lower minimum kick velocities, because our modeling accounts for the fact that most BH binaries are old and have likely been kinematically heated by processes other than kicks. Nevertheless, we find that half of the BHs have at least weak evidence for a kick, being kinematically hotter than at least 68% of their local stellar populations. At least 4 BHs are kinematically hotter than 90% of their local stellar populations, suggesting they were born with kicks of $\gtrsim 100$ km s$^{-1}$. On the other hand, 6 BHs have kinematics typical of their local populations, disfavoring kicks of $\gtrsim 50$ km s$^{-1}$. For two BHs, V404 Cyg and VFTS 243, there is strong independent evidence for a very weak kick $\lesssim 10$ km s$^{-1}$. Our analysis implies that while some BHs must form with very weak kicks, it would be wrong to conclude that most BHs do, particularly given that selection biases favor weak kicks. Although the uncertainties on most individual BHs' kicks are still too large to assess whether the kick distribution is bimodal, the data are consistent with a scenario where some BHs form by direct collapse and receive weak kicks, and others form in supernovae and receive strong kicks.
comment: 21 pages, 5 figures, Accepted to PASP
♻ ☆ X-raying CAMELS: Constraining Baryonic Feedback in the Circum-Galactic Medium with the CAMELS simulations and eRASS X-ray Observations
The circumgalactic medium (CGM) around massive galaxies plays a crucial role in regulating star formation and feedback. Using the CAMELS simulation suite, we develop emulators for the X-ray surface brightness profile and the X-ray luminosity--stellar mass scaling relation to investigate how stellar and AGN feedback shape the X-ray properties of the hot CGM. Our analysis shows that at CGM scales ($10^{12} \lesssim M_{\rm halo}/M_\odot \lesssim 10^{13}$, $10\lesssim r/{\rm kpc} \lesssim 400$), stellar feedback more significantly impacts the X-ray properties than AGN feedback within the parameters studied. Comparing the emulators to recent eROSITA All-Sky Survey observations, it was found that stronger feedback than currently implemented in the IllustrisTNG, SIMBA, and Astrid simulations is required to match observed CGM properties. However, adopting these enhanced feedback parameters causes deviations in the stellar-mass-halo-mass relations from observational constraints below the group mass scale. This tension suggests possible unaccounted systematics in X-ray CGM observations or inadequacies in the feedback models of cosmological simulations.
comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, ApJ accepted. Updated to match the accepted version
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics 8
☆ The X-ray Integral Field Unit at the end of the Athena reformulation phase
The Athena mission entered a redefinition phase in July 2022, driven by the imperative to reduce the mission cost at completion for the European Space Agency below an acceptable target, while maintaining the flagship nature of its science return. This notably called for a complete redesign of the X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) cryogenic architecture towards a simpler active cooling chain. Passive cooling via successive radiative panels at spacecraft level is now used to provide a 50 K thermal environment to an X-IFU owned cryostat. 4.5 K cooling is achieved via a single remote active cryocooler unit, while a multi-stage Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator ensures heat lift down to the 50 mK required by the detectors. Amidst these changes, the core concept of the readout chain remains robust, employing Transition Edge Sensor microcalorimeters and a SQUID-based Time-Division Multiplexing scheme. Noteworthy is the introduction of a slower pixel. This enables an increase in the multiplexing factor (from 34 to 48) without compromising the instrument energy resolution, hence keeping significant system margins to the new 4 eV resolution requirement. This allows reducing the number of channels by more than a factor two, and thus the resource demands on the system, while keeping a 4' field of view (compared to 5' before). In this article, we will give an overview of this new architecture, before detailing its anticipated performances. Finally, we will present the new X-IFU schedule, with its short term focus on demonstration activities towards a mission adoption in early 2027.
comment: 44 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in Experimental Astronomy
☆ Hard X-ray/Soft gamma-ray Laue Lenses for High Energy Astrophysics
The study of the celestial phenomena in the hard X-ray/soft gamma-ray band(20 keV--1 MeV) is very intriguing but also very difficult to be performed with the needed sensitivity. In this review I will discuss the astrophysical importance of the soft gamma-ray astronomy, its difficulties to solve its issues with the current instrumentation, and a possible solution achievable using focusing Laue lens. Concerning these instruments, I will discuss their functioning principle, how to achieve a high reflection efficiency, their imaging properties, the current feasibility studies, the technological developments and observation prospects.
comment: 33 pages, 18 figures, to be published
☆ Image Pre-Processing Framework for Time-Domain Astronomy in the Artificial Intelligence Era
The rapid advancement of image analysis methods in time-domain astronomy, particularly those leveraging AI algorithms, has highlighted efficient image pre-processing as a critical bottleneck affecting algorithm performance. Image pre-processing, which involves standardizing images for training or deployment of various AI algorithms, encompasses essential steps such as image quality evaluation, alignment, stacking, background extraction, gray-scale transformation, cropping, source detection, astrometry, and photometry. Historically, these algorithms were developed independently by different research groups, primarily based on CPU architecture for small-scale data processing. This paper introduces a novel framework for image pre-processing that integrates key algorithms specifically modified for GPU architecture, enabling large-scale image pre-processing for different algorithms. To prepare for the new algorithm design paradigm in the AI era, we have implemented two operational modes in the framework for different application scenarios: Eager mode and Pipeline mode. The Eager mode facilitates real-time feedback and flexible adjustments, which could be used for parameter tuning and algorithm development. The pipeline mode is primarily designed for large scale data processing, which could be used for training or deploying of artificial intelligence models. We have tested the performance of our framework using simulated and real observation images. Results demonstrate that our framework significantly enhances image pre-processing speed while maintaining accuracy levels comparable to CPU based algorithms. To promote accessibility and ease of use, a Docker version of our framework is available for download in the PaperData Repository powered by China-VO, compatible with various AI algorithms developed for time-domain astronomy research.
comment: Accepted by the AJ. The Docker Version could be found in the PaperData Repository powered by China-VO
☆ FEASTS Combined with Interferometry. III. The Low-column-density HI Around M51 and Possibility of Turbulent-mixing Gas Accretion
With a new joint-deconvolution pipeline, we combine the single-dish and interferometric atomic hydrogen (HI) data of M51 observed by the FAST (FEASTS program) and VLA (THINGS). The product data cube has a typical line width of $13\,\text{km}\,\text{s}^{-1}$ and a $2\sigma$ line-of-sight (LOS) sensitivity of HI column density $N_\text{HI}\sim3.2\times10^{18}\,\text{cm}^{-2}$ at a spatial resolution of ${\sim}18''$ (${\sim}0.7\,\text{kpc}$). Among the HI-detected LOSs extending to ${\sim}50\,\text{kpc}$, ${\sim}89\%$ consist of diffuse HI only, which is missed by previous VLA observations. The distribution of dense HI is reproduced by previous hydrodynamical simulations of this system, but the diffuse component is not, likely due to unresolved physics related to the interaction between the circumgalactic and interstellar media. With simple models, we find that these low-$N_\text{HI}$ structures could survive the background ultraviolet photoionization, but are susceptible to the thermal evaporation. We find a positive correlation between LOS velocity dispersion ($\sigma_v$) and $N_\text{HI}$ with a logarithmic index of ${\sim}0.5$. Based on existing turbulent mixing layer (TML) theories and simulations, we propose a scenario of hot gas cooling and accreting onto the disk through a TML, which could reproduce the observed power index of ${\sim}0.5$. We estimate the related cooling and accretion rates to be roughly $1/3$ to $2/3$ of the star-formation rate. A typical column density of diffuse HI (${\sim}10^{19}\,\text{cm}^{-2}$) can be accreted within $300\,\text{Myr}$, the interaction time scale previously estimated for the system. Such a gas accretion channel has been overlooked before, and may be important for gas-rich interacting systems and for high redshift galaxy evolution.
comment: 16 pages of main text, 7 pages of appendices, 27 pages in total; 18 figures, 1 table; accepted for publication in ApJ
☆ A Compact Low-level RF Control System for Advanced Concept Compact Electron Linear Accelerator
A compact low-level RF (LLRF) control system based on RF system-on-chip (RFSoC) technology has been designed for the Advanced Concept Compact Electron Linear-accelerator (ACCEL) program, which has challenging requirements in both RF performance and size, weight and power consumption (SWaP). The compact LLRF solution employs the direct RF sampling technique of RFSoC, which samples the RF signals directly without any analogue up and down conversion. Compared with the conventional heterodyne based architecture used for LLRF system of linear accelerator (LINAC), the elimination of analogue mixers can significantly reduce the size and weight of the system, especially with LINAC requires a larger number of RF channels. Based on the requirements of ACCEL, a prototype LLRF platform has been developed, and the control schemes have been proposed. The prototype LLRF system demonstrated magnitude and phase fluctuation levels below 1% and 1 degree, on the flat top of a 2 microseconds RF pulse. The LLRF control schemes proposed for ACCEL are implemented with a prototype hardware platform. This paper will introduce the new compact LLRF solution and summarize a selection of experimental test results of the prototype itself and with the accelerating structure cavities designed for ACCEL.
♻ ☆ Mapping the Filamentary Nebula of NGC 1275 with Multiwavelength SITELLE Observations
The filamentary nebula encompassing the central galaxy of the Perseus Cluster, NGC 1275, is a complex structure extending dozens of kiloparsecs from NGC 1275. Decades of previous works have focused on establishing the primary formation and ionization mechanisms in different filaments. These studies have pointed to a lack of star formation in the majority of the filaments, the importance of magnetic fields and turbulence in several regions, and the role of interactions between the intercluster medium (ICM) and the cool gas in the filaments, as well as the role of interaction between the central radio source, 3C84, and the filaments. In this paper, we present multi-filter observations of the entire filamentary system that cover the optical bandpass, using the SITELLE instrument at the Canada-France-Hawai'i Telescope. Here, we use the data analysis software, \href{https://crhea93.github.io/LUCI/index.html}{\texttt{LUCI}}, to produce flux maps of the prominent emission lines present in the filters: \oii{}$\lambda$3726/3729, \oiii{}$\lambda$5007, H$\beta$, \nii{}$\lambda$6548, \nii{}$\lambda$6583, and H$\alpha$. We use these maps to produce BPT and WHAN diagrams to study the ionization mechanisms at play in each distinct region of the filamentary nebula. First, we confirm the absence of \oiii{}$\lambda$5007 in the extended filaments, although we detect this line in the central core, revealing a compact region where photoionization by the AGN might affect local conditions. Our findings corroborate previous claims that the ionization in the extended filaments could be caused by the cooling ICM via collisional excitation and/or mixing. Moreover, they support the conclusion that magnetic fields play an important role in the formation and continued existence of the filaments.
comment: Submitted to AJ
♻ ☆ A differentiable binary microlensing model using adaptive contour integration method
We present microlux, which is a Jax-based code that can compute the binary microlensing light curve and its derivatives both efficiently and accurately. The key feature of microlux is the implementation of a modified version of the adaptive sampling algorithm that was originally proposed by V. Bozza to account for the finite-source effect most efficiently. The efficiency and accuracy of microlux have been verified across the relevant parameter space for binary microlensing. As a differentiable code, microlux makes it possible to apply gradient-based algorithms to the search and posterior estimation of the microlensing modeling. As an example, we use microlux to model a real microlensing event and infer the model posterior via both Fisher information matrix and Hamiltonian Monte Carlo, neither of which would have been possible without the access to accurate model gradients.
comment: 14 pages, 7 figures. Accepted by AJ. GitHub repo at https://github.com/CoastEgo/microlux
♻ ☆ Photon Counting Interferometry to Detect Geontropic Space-Time Fluctuations with GQuEST
The GQuEST (Gravity from the Quantum Entanglement of Space-Time) experiment uses tabletop-scale Michelson laser interferometers to probe for fluctuations in space-time. We present a practicable interferometer design featuring a novel photon counting readout method that provides unprecedented sensitivity, as it is not subject to the interferometric standard quantum limit. We evaluate the potential of this design to measure space-time fluctuations motivated by recent `geontropic' quantum gravity models. The accelerated accrual of Fisher information offered by the photon counting readout enables GQuEST to detect the predicted quantum gravity phenomena within measurement times at least 100 times shorter than equivalent conventional interferometers. The GQuEST design thus enables a fast and sensitive search for signatures of quantum gravity in a laboratory-scale experiment.
comment: Published in PRX
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 8
☆ Spinning spectral sirens: Robust cosmological measurement using mass-spin correlations in the binary black hole population
Gravitational waves from compact binary mergers provide a direct measurement of luminosity distance, which, in combination with redshift information, serves as a cosmological probe. In order to statistically infer merger redshifts, the ``spectral standard siren" method relies on features, such as peaks, dips or breaks, in the compact object mass spectrum, which get redshifted in the detector-frame relative to the source-frame. However, if the source-frame location of these features evolves over cosmic time, the spectral siren measurement may be biased. Some features, such as the edges of the pair-instability supernova mass gap, may be more stable than others. We point out that binary black hole (BBH) spins, which are not redshifted in the detector-frame, provide a natural way to identify robust mass scales for spectral siren cosmology. For example, there is recent evidence for a mass scale in the BBH population that separates slowly spinning from more rapidly spinning BBH mergers, consistent with the lower edge of the pair instability gap. Applying our method to data from LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA's third transient catalog, we demonstrate how to isolate this mass scale and produce a robust ``spinning spectral siren" measurement of the Hubble constant: $H_0 = 85^{+99}_{-67}\,\rm{km}\, \rm{s}^{-1} \rm{Mpc}^{-1}$, or $H_0 =80^{+60}_{-46}\,\rm{km}\, \rm{s}^{-1} \rm{Mpc}^{-1}$ when combined with other mass features, such as the $\sim35\,M_\odot$ peak. We consider the possibility that the source-frame location of the $\sim35\,M_\odot$ peak evolves with redshift, and show that information from black hole spin can be used to mitigate the associated bias for self-calibrating spectral sirens.
☆ Gravitational wave lensing: probing Fuzzy Dark Matter with LISA
Gravitational lensing is a universal phenomenon: it affects both gravitational waves (GWs) and electromagnetic signals travelling through the gravitational field of a massive object. In this work, we explore the prospects of observing lensed GW signals from the mergers of massive black holes, lensed by dark matter halos composed of Fuzzy Dark Matter (FDM), which form dense cores known as solitons. We focus on wave optics phenomena, where frequency-dependent signatures can be observed in the weak lensing regime (i.e. single-image). Our results show that lensing diffraction signatures differ for low-mass halos in FDM, and can reveal the presence of a solitonic core. Furthermore, we demonstrate that FDM and cold dark matter profiles can be distinguished in GW signals from binary massive black hole mergers, which will be observed by the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission. However, the dense solitonic core does not substantially enhance the detectability of FDM halos at large source-lens offsets, relative to standard cold dark matter. Our analysis confirms FDM halos as a promising signature of dark matter on GW observations
comment: 22 pages, 7 figures
☆ Constraining Statistical Isotropy using 21cm Power Spectrum and Bispectrum
The Cosmological Principle states that the universe is statistically isotropic and homogeneous on large length scales, typically $\gtrsim 70$Mpc. A detection of significant deviation would help us falsify the simplest models of inflation. In this regard, there are potential indications of departures from this principle, e.g., observations from WMAP and Planck show signs of a preferred direction in the temperature fluctuations known as hemispherical asymmetry in CMB. Phenomenologically, this has been studied using a dipole modulation model. In addition to this, a number of possible mechanisms have been proposed in the literature to explain this anomaly. Some of these scenarios generate dipolar asymmetry or predict quadrupolar asymmetry in the primordial power spectrum of curvature perturbations. In this paper, we study both these asymmetries. To fulfill the objective, we employ 21cm intensity mapping technique post during post-reionization era, i.e., $z\lesssim 7$. We apply Fisher formalism to constrain dipolar and quadrupolar anisotropy parameters using both 21cm power and bispectra and give forecasts for three intensity mapping surveys: SKA-Mid, HIRAX and PUMA. Although 21cm intensity mapping is a very promising cosmological probe, the signals are severely affected by foregrounds. To mitigate the foreground effects, we use foreground avoidance approach. For the interferometer mode of operation, we also include the wedge effect. From our analysis, we find that PUMA, on account of its high redshift range is able to constrain both dipolar and quadrupolar parameters to better than $\sim 10^{-3}$ for redshifts $z \gtrsim 1$. This is one order of magnitude better constraints as compared to those provided by the latest CMB surveys. We also find that as compared to power spectrum, the constraining power of bispectrum is more sensitive towards foregrounds.
☆ Strong backreaction of gauge quanta produced during inflation
During inflation an axion field coupled to a gauge field through a Chern-Simons term can trigger the production of gauge quanta due to a tachyonic instability. The amplification of the gauge field modes exponentially depends on the velocity of the axion field, which in turn slows down the rolling of the axion field when backreaction is taken into account. To illustrate how the strength of the Chern-Simons coupling and the slope of the axion potential influence the particle production, in this paper we consider a toy model in which the axion field is a spectator with a linear potential. In the strong backreaction regime, the energy density of the gauge field quasiperiodically oscillates. The steep slope of the axion potential linearly increases the peak amplitude of the energy density while the strong coupling linearly decreases the peak amplitude. Additionally, we calculate the energy spectrum of gravitational waves.
♻ ☆ Cosmological Quasiparticles and the Cosmological Collider
The interplay between cosmology and strongly coupled dynamics can yield transient spectral features that vanish at late times, but which may leave behind phenomenological signatures in the spectrum of primordial fluctuations. Of particular interest are strongly coupled extensions of the standard model featuring approximate conformal invariance. In flat space, the spectral density for a scalar operator in a conformal field theory is characterized by a continuum with scaling law governed by the dimension of the operator, and is otherwise featureless. AdS/CFT arguments suggest that for large $N$, in an inflationary background with Hubble rate $H$, this continuum is gapped. We demonstrate that there can be additional peak structures that become sharp and particle-like at phenomenologically interesting regions in parameter space, and we estimate their contribution to cosmological observables. We find phenomena that are potentially observable in future experiments that are unique to these models, including displaced oscillatory features in the squeezed limit of the bi-spectrum. These particles can be either fundamental, and localized to a UV brane, or composite at the Hubble scale, $H$, and bound to a horizon in the bulk of the 5D geometry. We comment on how stabilization of conformal symmetry breaking vacua can be correlated with these spectral features and their phenomenology.
comment: 31 pages, 11 figures
♻ ☆ Cosmology with voids
Voids are dominant features of the cosmic web. We revisit the cosmological information content of voids and connect void properties with the parameters of the background universe. We combine analytical results with a suite of large n-body realizations of large-scale structure in the quasilinear regime to measure the central density and radial outflow of voids. These properties, estimated from multiple voids that span a range of redshifts, provide estimates of the Hubble parameter, $\Omega_M$ and $\Omega_\Lambda$. The analysis assumes access to the full phase-space distribution of mass within voids, a dataset that is not currently observable. The observable properties of the largest void in the universe may also test models. The suite of large n-body realizations enables construction of lightcones reaching ~3,000 $h^{-1}$Mpc. Based on these lightcones, we show that large voids similar to those observed are expected in the standard $\Lambda$CDM model.
comment: 47 pages, 18 figures, new version based on reviewer comments, resubmitted to JCAP
♻ ☆ Cosmological Spatial Curvature with the Alcock-Paczynski Effect
We propose a methodology to measure the cosmological spatial curvature by employing the deviation from statistical isotropy due to the Alcock-Paczy\'nski effect of large scale galaxy clustering. This approach has a higher degree of model independence than most other proposed methods, being independent of calibration of standard candles, rulers, or clocks, of the power spectrum shape (and thus also of the pre-recombination physics), of the galaxy bias, of the theory of gravity, of the dark energy model and of the background cosmology in general. We find that a combined DESI-Euclid galaxy survey can achieve $\Delta \Omega_{k0}=0.057$ at 1$\sigma$ C.L. in the redshift range $z<2$ by combining power-spectrum and bispectrum measurements.
comment: Extended discussion and new Appendix A on breaking degeneracies. Accepted for publication in PRL
♻ ☆ Exploring cosmological imprints of phantom crossing with dynamical dark energy in Horndeski gravity
In the current era of precision cosmology, the persistence of cosmological tensions, most notably the Hubble tension and the $S_8$ tension, challenges the standard $\Lambda$CDM model. To reconcile these tensions via late-time modifications to expansion history, various features such as phantom crossing in the dark energy equation of state, a negative energy density at high redshifts, etc., are favoured. However, these scenarios cannot be realized within the framework of GR without introducing ghost or gradient instabilities. In this work, we investigate a dynamical dark energy scenario within the framework of Horndeski gravity, incorporating nonminimal coupling to gravity and self-interactions. We highlight that the model can exhibit novel features like phantom crossing and negative dark energy densities at high redshifts without introducing any instabilities. For this specific Horndeski model, we perform a comprehensive analysis of the background evolution along with the effects on perturbations, examining observables like growth rate, matter and CMB power spectrum. To check the consistency of the model with the observational data, we employ MCMC analysis using BAO/$f\sigma_8$, Supernovae, and CMB data. While the model does not outperform the standard $\Lambda$CDM framework in a combined likelihood analysis, there remains a preference for non-zero values of the model parameters within the data. This suggests that dynamical dark energy scenarios, particularly those with non-minimal couplings, merit further exploration as promising alternatives to GR, offering rich phenomenology that can be tested against a broader range of current and upcoming observational datasets.
comment: 16 pages, 8 figures, 1 table
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 1
♻ ☆ A differentiable binary microlensing model using adaptive contour integration method
We present microlux, which is a Jax-based code that can compute the binary microlensing light curve and its derivatives both efficiently and accurately. The key feature of microlux is the implementation of a modified version of the adaptive sampling algorithm that was originally proposed by V. Bozza to account for the finite-source effect most efficiently. The efficiency and accuracy of microlux have been verified across the relevant parameter space for binary microlensing. As a differentiable code, microlux makes it possible to apply gradient-based algorithms to the search and posterior estimation of the microlensing modeling. As an example, we use microlux to model a real microlensing event and infer the model posterior via both Fisher information matrix and Hamiltonian Monte Carlo, neither of which would have been possible without the access to accurate model gradients.
comment: 14 pages, 7 figures. Accepted by AJ. GitHub repo at https://github.com/CoastEgo/microlux
Astrophysics of Galaxies 14
☆ The Impact of Bars, Spirals and Bulge-Size on Gas-Phase Metallicity Gradients in MaNGA Galaxies
As galaxies evolve over time, the orbits of their constituent stars are expected to change in size and shape, moving stars away from their birth radius. Radial gas flows are also expected. Spiral arms and bars in galaxies are predicted to help drive this radial relocation, which may be possible to trace observationally via a flattening of metallicity gradients. We use data from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey, part of the fourth phase of the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys (SDSS-IV), to look for correlations of the steepness of gas-phase metallicity gradients with various galaxy morphological features (e.g. presence and pitch angle of spiral arms, presence of a large scale bar, bulge size). We select from MaNGA a sample of star forming galaxies for which gas phase metallicity trends can be measured, and use morphologies from Galaxy Zoo. We observe that at fixed galaxy mass (1) the presence of spiral structure correlates with steeper gas phase metallicity gradients; (2) spiral galaxies with larger bulges have both higher gas-phase metallicities and shallower gradients; (3) there is no observable difference with azimuthally averaged radial gradients between barred and unbarred spirals and (4) there is no observable difference in gradient between tight and loosely wound spirals, but looser wound spirals have lower average gas-phase metallicity values at fixed mass. We discuss the possible implications of these observational results.
comment: 23 pages, 16 figures
☆ Network of velocity-coherent filaments formed by supersonic turbulence in a very-high-velocity HI cloud
The warm neutral medium (WNM) was thought to be subsonically/transonically turbulent, and it lacks a network of intertwined filaments that are commonly seen in both molecular clouds and cold neutral medium (CNM). Here, we report HI~21 cm line observations of a very-high-velocity (-330 km s$^{-1}$ $
comment: Submitted to Nature Astronomy on February 23, 2024, but not yet accepted. No guarantee of acceptance. The work is intended to be shared on arXiv first to make it available to the community
☆ The X-ray Integral Field Unit at the end of the Athena reformulation phase
The Athena mission entered a redefinition phase in July 2022, driven by the imperative to reduce the mission cost at completion for the European Space Agency below an acceptable target, while maintaining the flagship nature of its science return. This notably called for a complete redesign of the X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) cryogenic architecture towards a simpler active cooling chain. Passive cooling via successive radiative panels at spacecraft level is now used to provide a 50 K thermal environment to an X-IFU owned cryostat. 4.5 K cooling is achieved via a single remote active cryocooler unit, while a multi-stage Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator ensures heat lift down to the 50 mK required by the detectors. Amidst these changes, the core concept of the readout chain remains robust, employing Transition Edge Sensor microcalorimeters and a SQUID-based Time-Division Multiplexing scheme. Noteworthy is the introduction of a slower pixel. This enables an increase in the multiplexing factor (from 34 to 48) without compromising the instrument energy resolution, hence keeping significant system margins to the new 4 eV resolution requirement. This allows reducing the number of channels by more than a factor two, and thus the resource demands on the system, while keeping a 4' field of view (compared to 5' before). In this article, we will give an overview of this new architecture, before detailing its anticipated performances. Finally, we will present the new X-IFU schedule, with its short term focus on demonstration activities towards a mission adoption in early 2027.
comment: 44 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in Experimental Astronomy
☆ Image Pre-Processing Framework for Time-Domain Astronomy in the Artificial Intelligence Era
The rapid advancement of image analysis methods in time-domain astronomy, particularly those leveraging AI algorithms, has highlighted efficient image pre-processing as a critical bottleneck affecting algorithm performance. Image pre-processing, which involves standardizing images for training or deployment of various AI algorithms, encompasses essential steps such as image quality evaluation, alignment, stacking, background extraction, gray-scale transformation, cropping, source detection, astrometry, and photometry. Historically, these algorithms were developed independently by different research groups, primarily based on CPU architecture for small-scale data processing. This paper introduces a novel framework for image pre-processing that integrates key algorithms specifically modified for GPU architecture, enabling large-scale image pre-processing for different algorithms. To prepare for the new algorithm design paradigm in the AI era, we have implemented two operational modes in the framework for different application scenarios: Eager mode and Pipeline mode. The Eager mode facilitates real-time feedback and flexible adjustments, which could be used for parameter tuning and algorithm development. The pipeline mode is primarily designed for large scale data processing, which could be used for training or deploying of artificial intelligence models. We have tested the performance of our framework using simulated and real observation images. Results demonstrate that our framework significantly enhances image pre-processing speed while maintaining accuracy levels comparable to CPU based algorithms. To promote accessibility and ease of use, a Docker version of our framework is available for download in the PaperData Repository powered by China-VO, compatible with various AI algorithms developed for time-domain astronomy research.
comment: Accepted by the AJ. The Docker Version could be found in the PaperData Repository powered by China-VO
☆ Constraining Statistical Isotropy using 21cm Power Spectrum and Bispectrum
The Cosmological Principle states that the universe is statistically isotropic and homogeneous on large length scales, typically $\gtrsim 70$Mpc. A detection of significant deviation would help us falsify the simplest models of inflation. In this regard, there are potential indications of departures from this principle, e.g., observations from WMAP and Planck show signs of a preferred direction in the temperature fluctuations known as hemispherical asymmetry in CMB. Phenomenologically, this has been studied using a dipole modulation model. In addition to this, a number of possible mechanisms have been proposed in the literature to explain this anomaly. Some of these scenarios generate dipolar asymmetry or predict quadrupolar asymmetry in the primordial power spectrum of curvature perturbations. In this paper, we study both these asymmetries. To fulfill the objective, we employ 21cm intensity mapping technique post during post-reionization era, i.e., $z\lesssim 7$. We apply Fisher formalism to constrain dipolar and quadrupolar anisotropy parameters using both 21cm power and bispectra and give forecasts for three intensity mapping surveys: SKA-Mid, HIRAX and PUMA. Although 21cm intensity mapping is a very promising cosmological probe, the signals are severely affected by foregrounds. To mitigate the foreground effects, we use foreground avoidance approach. For the interferometer mode of operation, we also include the wedge effect. From our analysis, we find that PUMA, on account of its high redshift range is able to constrain both dipolar and quadrupolar parameters to better than $\sim 10^{-3}$ for redshifts $z \gtrsim 1$. This is one order of magnitude better constraints as compared to those provided by the latest CMB surveys. We also find that as compared to power spectrum, the constraining power of bispectrum is more sensitive towards foregrounds.
☆ Dynamical friction by coupled dark energy
In this paper, we examine dynamical friction at galactic scales within the framework of coupled dark energy. This model posits dark energy as coupled quintessence, which maintains a minimal coupling to gravity but interacts non-minimally with both dark matter and baryonic matter. Since our focus is primarily on the Newtonian regime within galaxies, we begin by deriving the Newtonian limit of the model. Subsequently, we calculate the dynamical friction force using three different approaches. We demonstrate that, in the absence of interaction between dark energy and matter, standard quintessence does not generate any dynamical friction at the galactic scale. However, the presence of interaction does cause dynamical friction. By applying the resulting analytic expressions to a real self-gravitating system, namely the Fornax galaxy, and by implementing the constraints on the free parameter of the model obtained from galactic observations, we demonstrate that the coupled dark energy model leads to significant deviations from the standard cold dark matter model at galactic scales. On the other hand, if the cosmological constraints are assumed for the free parameter, the effects of the model are expected to be negligible at the galactic level, at least in dynamical friction.
comment: 19 pages, 4 figures, accepted in the astrophysical journal
☆ FEASTS Combined with Interferometry. III. The Low-column-density HI Around M51 and Possibility of Turbulent-mixing Gas Accretion
With a new joint-deconvolution pipeline, we combine the single-dish and interferometric atomic hydrogen (HI) data of M51 observed by the FAST (FEASTS program) and VLA (THINGS). The product data cube has a typical line width of $13\,\text{km}\,\text{s}^{-1}$ and a $2\sigma$ line-of-sight (LOS) sensitivity of HI column density $N_\text{HI}\sim3.2\times10^{18}\,\text{cm}^{-2}$ at a spatial resolution of ${\sim}18''$ (${\sim}0.7\,\text{kpc}$). Among the HI-detected LOSs extending to ${\sim}50\,\text{kpc}$, ${\sim}89\%$ consist of diffuse HI only, which is missed by previous VLA observations. The distribution of dense HI is reproduced by previous hydrodynamical simulations of this system, but the diffuse component is not, likely due to unresolved physics related to the interaction between the circumgalactic and interstellar media. With simple models, we find that these low-$N_\text{HI}$ structures could survive the background ultraviolet photoionization, but are susceptible to the thermal evaporation. We find a positive correlation between LOS velocity dispersion ($\sigma_v$) and $N_\text{HI}$ with a logarithmic index of ${\sim}0.5$. Based on existing turbulent mixing layer (TML) theories and simulations, we propose a scenario of hot gas cooling and accreting onto the disk through a TML, which could reproduce the observed power index of ${\sim}0.5$. We estimate the related cooling and accretion rates to be roughly $1/3$ to $2/3$ of the star-formation rate. A typical column density of diffuse HI (${\sim}10^{19}\,\text{cm}^{-2}$) can be accreted within $300\,\text{Myr}$, the interaction time scale previously estimated for the system. Such a gas accretion channel has been overlooked before, and may be important for gas-rich interacting systems and for high redshift galaxy evolution.
comment: 16 pages of main text, 7 pages of appendices, 27 pages in total; 18 figures, 1 table; accepted for publication in ApJ
☆ Velocity Structure and Molecular Formation in Polaris Molecular Cloud
We present a wide-field $(60\arcmin \times 30\arcmin)$ study of a dense region within the Polaris Flare, hereafter referred to as the `Polaris molecular cloud', using $^{12}$CO, $^{13}$CO, and C$^{18}$O ($J=1-0$) observations at $20\arcsec$ resolution, obtained with the Nobeyama 45 m Radio Telescope. The analysis reveals molecular gas formation occurring at column densities up to $\sim10^{21}$ cm$^{-2}$, evidenced by an anti-correlation between $\textsc{Hi}$ and CO distributions, indicating active atomic-to-molecular gas conversion. We found a threshold column density for molecular formation at $\sim5\times10^{20}$ cm$^{-2}$, which is common among more evolved molecular clouds. The CO-to-H$_2$ conversion factor, $X_{\rm CO}$, was found to be $0.7 \times 10^{20}$ H$_2$ cm$^{-2}$ (K km s$^{-1})^{-1}$, lower than the solar neighborhood average. Our chemical models estimate the cloud's age to be $\sim10^{5}-10^{6}$ years, suggesting an early stage of molecular cloud evolution. This interpretation is consistent with the observed low $X_{\rm CO}$ factor. While virial analysis suggests that the entire cloud is gravitationally unbound, we identified several filamentary structures extending from the main cloud body. These filaments show systematic velocity gradients of $0.5-1.5$ km s$^{-1}$ pc$^{-1}$, and analysis of the velocities shows that the molecular gas within them is falling toward the main cloud body, following a free-fall model. This suggests ongoing mass accumulation processes through the filaments, demonstrating that gravitational processes can be important even at column densities of $\sim10^{21}$ cm$^{-2}$.
comment: 10 pages, 14 figures
☆ Revealing an unexpectedly low electron injection threshold via reinforced shock acceleration
Collisionless shock waves, found in supernova remnants, interstellar, stellar, and planetary environments, and laboratories, are one of nature's most powerful particle accelerators. This study combines in situ satellite measurements with recent theoretical developments to establish a reinforced shock acceleration model for relativistic electrons. Our model incorporates transient structures, wave-particle interactions, and variable stellar wind conditions, operating collectively in a multiscale set of processes. We show that the electron injection threshold is on the order of suprathermal range, obtainable through multiple different phenomena abundant in various plasma environments. Our analysis demonstrates that a typical shock can consistently accelerate electrons into very high (relativistic) energy ranges, refining our comprehension of shock acceleration while providing insight on the origin of electron cosmic rays.
♻ ☆ Recovering the properties of the interstellar medium through integrated spectroscopy: application to the z~0 ECO volume-limited star-forming galaxy sample
Deriving physical parameters from integrated galaxy spectra is paramount to interpret the cosmic evolution of star formation, chemical enrichment, and energetic sources. We develop modeling techniques to characterize the ionized gas properties in the subset of 2052 star-forming galaxies from the volume-limited, dwarf-dominated, z~0 ECO catalog. The MULTIGRIS statistical framework is used to evaluate the performance of various models using strong lines as constraints. The reference model involves physical parameters distributed as power-laws with free parameter boundaries. Specifically, we use combinations of 1D photoionization models (i.e., considering the propagation of radiation toward a single cloud) to match optical HII region lines, in order to provide probability density functions of the inferred parameters. The inference predicts non-uniform physical conditions within galaxies. The integrated spectra of most galaxies are dominated by relatively low-excitation gas with a metallicity around 0.3 solar. Using the average metallicity in galaxies, we provide a new fit to the mass-metallicity relationship which is in line with direct abundance method determinations from the calibrated range at low metallicity to stacks at high metallicity. The average metallicity shows a weakly bimodal distribution which may be due related to external (e.g., refueling of non-cluster early-type galaxies above ~10^9.5 solar masses) or internal processes (more efficient star-formation in metal-rich regions). The specific line set used for inference affects the results and we identify potential issues with the use of the [SII] line doublet. Complex modelling approaches are limited by the inherent 1D model database as well as caveats regarding the gas geometry. Our results highlight, however, the possibility to extract useful and significant information from integrated spectra.
comment: Accepted for publication in A&A (Jan. 24th, 2025)
♻ ☆ Mapping the Filamentary Nebula of NGC 1275 with Multiwavelength SITELLE Observations
The filamentary nebula encompassing the central galaxy of the Perseus Cluster, NGC 1275, is a complex structure extending dozens of kiloparsecs from NGC 1275. Decades of previous works have focused on establishing the primary formation and ionization mechanisms in different filaments. These studies have pointed to a lack of star formation in the majority of the filaments, the importance of magnetic fields and turbulence in several regions, and the role of interactions between the intercluster medium (ICM) and the cool gas in the filaments, as well as the role of interaction between the central radio source, 3C84, and the filaments. In this paper, we present multi-filter observations of the entire filamentary system that cover the optical bandpass, using the SITELLE instrument at the Canada-France-Hawai'i Telescope. Here, we use the data analysis software, \href{https://crhea93.github.io/LUCI/index.html}{\texttt{LUCI}}, to produce flux maps of the prominent emission lines present in the filters: \oii{}$\lambda$3726/3729, \oiii{}$\lambda$5007, H$\beta$, \nii{}$\lambda$6548, \nii{}$\lambda$6583, and H$\alpha$. We use these maps to produce BPT and WHAN diagrams to study the ionization mechanisms at play in each distinct region of the filamentary nebula. First, we confirm the absence of \oiii{}$\lambda$5007 in the extended filaments, although we detect this line in the central core, revealing a compact region where photoionization by the AGN might affect local conditions. Our findings corroborate previous claims that the ionization in the extended filaments could be caused by the cooling ICM via collisional excitation and/or mixing. Moreover, they support the conclusion that magnetic fields play an important role in the formation and continued existence of the filaments.
comment: Submitted to AJ
♻ ☆ A differentiable binary microlensing model using adaptive contour integration method
We present microlux, which is a Jax-based code that can compute the binary microlensing light curve and its derivatives both efficiently and accurately. The key feature of microlux is the implementation of a modified version of the adaptive sampling algorithm that was originally proposed by V. Bozza to account for the finite-source effect most efficiently. The efficiency and accuracy of microlux have been verified across the relevant parameter space for binary microlensing. As a differentiable code, microlux makes it possible to apply gradient-based algorithms to the search and posterior estimation of the microlensing modeling. As an example, we use microlux to model a real microlensing event and infer the model posterior via both Fisher information matrix and Hamiltonian Monte Carlo, neither of which would have been possible without the access to accurate model gradients.
comment: 14 pages, 7 figures. Accepted by AJ. GitHub repo at https://github.com/CoastEgo/microlux
♻ ☆ Mixed origins: strong natal kicks for some black holes and none for others SP
Using stellar kinematic data from Gaia DR3, we revisit constraints on black hole (BH) natal kicks from observed accreting and detached BH binaries. We compare the space velocities and Galactic orbits of a sample of 12 BHs in the Galactic disk with well-constrained distances to their local stellar populations, for which we obtain proper motions and radial velocities from Gaia DR3. Compared to most previous studies, we infer lower minimum kick velocities, because our modeling accounts for the fact that most BH binaries are old and have likely been kinematically heated by processes other than kicks. Nevertheless, we find that half of the BHs have at least weak evidence for a kick, being kinematically hotter than at least 68% of their local stellar populations. At least 4 BHs are kinematically hotter than 90% of their local stellar populations, suggesting they were born with kicks of $\gtrsim 100$ km s$^{-1}$. On the other hand, 6 BHs have kinematics typical of their local populations, disfavoring kicks of $\gtrsim 50$ km s$^{-1}$. For two BHs, V404 Cyg and VFTS 243, there is strong independent evidence for a very weak kick $\lesssim 10$ km s$^{-1}$. Our analysis implies that while some BHs must form with very weak kicks, it would be wrong to conclude that most BHs do, particularly given that selection biases favor weak kicks. Although the uncertainties on most individual BHs' kicks are still too large to assess whether the kick distribution is bimodal, the data are consistent with a scenario where some BHs form by direct collapse and receive weak kicks, and others form in supernovae and receive strong kicks.
comment: 21 pages, 5 figures, Accepted to PASP
♻ ☆ X-raying CAMELS: Constraining Baryonic Feedback in the Circum-Galactic Medium with the CAMELS simulations and eRASS X-ray Observations
The circumgalactic medium (CGM) around massive galaxies plays a crucial role in regulating star formation and feedback. Using the CAMELS simulation suite, we develop emulators for the X-ray surface brightness profile and the X-ray luminosity--stellar mass scaling relation to investigate how stellar and AGN feedback shape the X-ray properties of the hot CGM. Our analysis shows that at CGM scales ($10^{12} \lesssim M_{\rm halo}/M_\odot \lesssim 10^{13}$, $10\lesssim r/{\rm kpc} \lesssim 400$), stellar feedback more significantly impacts the X-ray properties than AGN feedback within the parameters studied. Comparing the emulators to recent eROSITA All-Sky Survey observations, it was found that stronger feedback than currently implemented in the IllustrisTNG, SIMBA, and Astrid simulations is required to match observed CGM properties. However, adopting these enhanced feedback parameters causes deviations in the stellar-mass-halo-mass relations from observational constraints below the group mass scale. This tension suggests possible unaccounted systematics in X-ray CGM observations or inadequacies in the feedback models of cosmological simulations.
comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, ApJ accepted. Updated to match the accepted version
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 8
☆ Hydrodynamic Predictions for the Next Outburst of T Coronae Borealis: It will be the Brightest Classical or Recurrent Nova Ever Observed in X-rays
T Coronae Borealis (TCrB) is a recurrent nova (RN) with recorded outbursts in 1866, and 1946 and possible outbursts in 1217 and 1787. It is predicted to explode again in 2025 or 2026 based on multiple observational studies. The system consists of a massive (M$_{wd}$ $\gtrsim$ 1.35 M$_\odot$) white dwarf (WD) and a red giant (M3-M4 III). We have performed 1-D hydrodynamic simulations with NOVA to predict the behavior of the next outburst. These simulations consist of a range of mass accretion rates onto $\sim$1.35 M$_\odot$ WDs, designed to bound the conditions necessary to achieve ignition of an explosion after an $\approx$80 year inter-outburst period. We have used both carbon-oxygen and oxygen-neon initial compositions, in order to include the possible ejecta abundances to be measured in the observations of the next outburst. As the WD in the TCrB system is observed to be massive, theoretical predictions reported here imply that the WD is growing in mass as a consequence of the TNR. Therefore, the secular evolution of the WD may allow it to approach the Chandrasekhar limit and either explode as a Type Ia supernova or undergo accretion induced collapse, depending on its underlying composition. We have followed the evolution of just the WD, after removing the ejected matter from the surface layers. Our intent is to illuminate the mystery of the unique, second, maximum in the two well observed outbursts and we have found conditions that bracket the predictions.
comment: 34 pages, 7 tables, 11 figures, Submitted to Astrophysical Journal
☆ Network of velocity-coherent filaments formed by supersonic turbulence in a very-high-velocity HI cloud
The warm neutral medium (WNM) was thought to be subsonically/transonically turbulent, and it lacks a network of intertwined filaments that are commonly seen in both molecular clouds and cold neutral medium (CNM). Here, we report HI~21 cm line observations of a very-high-velocity (-330 km s$^{-1}$ $
comment: Submitted to Nature Astronomy on February 23, 2024, but not yet accepted. No guarantee of acceptance. The work is intended to be shared on arXiv first to make it available to the community
☆ The X-ray Integral Field Unit at the end of the Athena reformulation phase
The Athena mission entered a redefinition phase in July 2022, driven by the imperative to reduce the mission cost at completion for the European Space Agency below an acceptable target, while maintaining the flagship nature of its science return. This notably called for a complete redesign of the X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) cryogenic architecture towards a simpler active cooling chain. Passive cooling via successive radiative panels at spacecraft level is now used to provide a 50 K thermal environment to an X-IFU owned cryostat. 4.5 K cooling is achieved via a single remote active cryocooler unit, while a multi-stage Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator ensures heat lift down to the 50 mK required by the detectors. Amidst these changes, the core concept of the readout chain remains robust, employing Transition Edge Sensor microcalorimeters and a SQUID-based Time-Division Multiplexing scheme. Noteworthy is the introduction of a slower pixel. This enables an increase in the multiplexing factor (from 34 to 48) without compromising the instrument energy resolution, hence keeping significant system margins to the new 4 eV resolution requirement. This allows reducing the number of channels by more than a factor two, and thus the resource demands on the system, while keeping a 4' field of view (compared to 5' before). In this article, we will give an overview of this new architecture, before detailing its anticipated performances. Finally, we will present the new X-IFU schedule, with its short term focus on demonstration activities towards a mission adoption in early 2027.
comment: 44 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in Experimental Astronomy
☆ Image Pre-Processing Framework for Time-Domain Astronomy in the Artificial Intelligence Era
The rapid advancement of image analysis methods in time-domain astronomy, particularly those leveraging AI algorithms, has highlighted efficient image pre-processing as a critical bottleneck affecting algorithm performance. Image pre-processing, which involves standardizing images for training or deployment of various AI algorithms, encompasses essential steps such as image quality evaluation, alignment, stacking, background extraction, gray-scale transformation, cropping, source detection, astrometry, and photometry. Historically, these algorithms were developed independently by different research groups, primarily based on CPU architecture for small-scale data processing. This paper introduces a novel framework for image pre-processing that integrates key algorithms specifically modified for GPU architecture, enabling large-scale image pre-processing for different algorithms. To prepare for the new algorithm design paradigm in the AI era, we have implemented two operational modes in the framework for different application scenarios: Eager mode and Pipeline mode. The Eager mode facilitates real-time feedback and flexible adjustments, which could be used for parameter tuning and algorithm development. The pipeline mode is primarily designed for large scale data processing, which could be used for training or deploying of artificial intelligence models. We have tested the performance of our framework using simulated and real observation images. Results demonstrate that our framework significantly enhances image pre-processing speed while maintaining accuracy levels comparable to CPU based algorithms. To promote accessibility and ease of use, a Docker version of our framework is available for download in the PaperData Repository powered by China-VO, compatible with various AI algorithms developed for time-domain astronomy research.
comment: Accepted by the AJ. The Docker Version could be found in the PaperData Repository powered by China-VO
☆ Velocity Structure and Molecular Formation in Polaris Molecular Cloud
We present a wide-field $(60\arcmin \times 30\arcmin)$ study of a dense region within the Polaris Flare, hereafter referred to as the `Polaris molecular cloud', using $^{12}$CO, $^{13}$CO, and C$^{18}$O ($J=1-0$) observations at $20\arcsec$ resolution, obtained with the Nobeyama 45 m Radio Telescope. The analysis reveals molecular gas formation occurring at column densities up to $\sim10^{21}$ cm$^{-2}$, evidenced by an anti-correlation between $\textsc{Hi}$ and CO distributions, indicating active atomic-to-molecular gas conversion. We found a threshold column density for molecular formation at $\sim5\times10^{20}$ cm$^{-2}$, which is common among more evolved molecular clouds. The CO-to-H$_2$ conversion factor, $X_{\rm CO}$, was found to be $0.7 \times 10^{20}$ H$_2$ cm$^{-2}$ (K km s$^{-1})^{-1}$, lower than the solar neighborhood average. Our chemical models estimate the cloud's age to be $\sim10^{5}-10^{6}$ years, suggesting an early stage of molecular cloud evolution. This interpretation is consistent with the observed low $X_{\rm CO}$ factor. While virial analysis suggests that the entire cloud is gravitationally unbound, we identified several filamentary structures extending from the main cloud body. These filaments show systematic velocity gradients of $0.5-1.5$ km s$^{-1}$ pc$^{-1}$, and analysis of the velocities shows that the molecular gas within them is falling toward the main cloud body, following a free-fall model. This suggests ongoing mass accumulation processes through the filaments, demonstrating that gravitational processes can be important even at column densities of $\sim10^{21}$ cm$^{-2}$.
comment: 10 pages, 14 figures
☆ Revealing an unexpectedly low electron injection threshold via reinforced shock acceleration
Collisionless shock waves, found in supernova remnants, interstellar, stellar, and planetary environments, and laboratories, are one of nature's most powerful particle accelerators. This study combines in situ satellite measurements with recent theoretical developments to establish a reinforced shock acceleration model for relativistic electrons. Our model incorporates transient structures, wave-particle interactions, and variable stellar wind conditions, operating collectively in a multiscale set of processes. We show that the electron injection threshold is on the order of suprathermal range, obtainable through multiple different phenomena abundant in various plasma environments. Our analysis demonstrates that a typical shock can consistently accelerate electrons into very high (relativistic) energy ranges, refining our comprehension of shock acceleration while providing insight on the origin of electron cosmic rays.
♻ ☆ A differentiable binary microlensing model using adaptive contour integration method
We present microlux, which is a Jax-based code that can compute the binary microlensing light curve and its derivatives both efficiently and accurately. The key feature of microlux is the implementation of a modified version of the adaptive sampling algorithm that was originally proposed by V. Bozza to account for the finite-source effect most efficiently. The efficiency and accuracy of microlux have been verified across the relevant parameter space for binary microlensing. As a differentiable code, microlux makes it possible to apply gradient-based algorithms to the search and posterior estimation of the microlensing modeling. As an example, we use microlux to model a real microlensing event and infer the model posterior via both Fisher information matrix and Hamiltonian Monte Carlo, neither of which would have been possible without the access to accurate model gradients.
comment: 14 pages, 7 figures. Accepted by AJ. GitHub repo at https://github.com/CoastEgo/microlux
♻ ☆ Mixed origins: strong natal kicks for some black holes and none for others SP
Using stellar kinematic data from Gaia DR3, we revisit constraints on black hole (BH) natal kicks from observed accreting and detached BH binaries. We compare the space velocities and Galactic orbits of a sample of 12 BHs in the Galactic disk with well-constrained distances to their local stellar populations, for which we obtain proper motions and radial velocities from Gaia DR3. Compared to most previous studies, we infer lower minimum kick velocities, because our modeling accounts for the fact that most BH binaries are old and have likely been kinematically heated by processes other than kicks. Nevertheless, we find that half of the BHs have at least weak evidence for a kick, being kinematically hotter than at least 68% of their local stellar populations. At least 4 BHs are kinematically hotter than 90% of their local stellar populations, suggesting they were born with kicks of $\gtrsim 100$ km s$^{-1}$. On the other hand, 6 BHs have kinematics typical of their local populations, disfavoring kicks of $\gtrsim 50$ km s$^{-1}$. For two BHs, V404 Cyg and VFTS 243, there is strong independent evidence for a very weak kick $\lesssim 10$ km s$^{-1}$. Our analysis implies that while some BHs must form with very weak kicks, it would be wrong to conclude that most BHs do, particularly given that selection biases favor weak kicks. Although the uncertainties on most individual BHs' kicks are still too large to assess whether the kick distribution is bimodal, the data are consistent with a scenario where some BHs form by direct collapse and receive weak kicks, and others form in supernovae and receive strong kicks.
comment: 21 pages, 5 figures, Accepted to PASP
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena 27
☆ Spacetime curvature corrections for the Yukawa potential and its application for the Reissner-Nordström Metric
In this paper, we investigate the influence of the spacetime curvature on the Yukawa potential, focusing on boson-boson interactions derived from the {\Phi^3} theory. Using the Bunch-Parker propagator expansion within Born's first approximation, we derive a Yukawa-like potential in a curved spacetime. We analyze the impact of the curvature on the propagator in momentum space, revealing modifications to the potential and showing that the corrections are determined by geometric quantities from Einstein's equations, like the Ricci scalar and tensor. We illustrate this using the Reissner-Nordstr\"om metric, highlighting the corrections' magnitude for specific parameters. Our results underscore the nuanced interplay between spacetime curvature and quantum interactions, providing insights into nucleon-nucleon systems in curved spacetimes or near strong gravitational fields.
comment: 23 pages, 11 figures, submitted paper
☆ A new pulsating neutron star in the Ultraluminous X-ray source NGC 4559 X7?
Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULX) are extragalactic objects with X-ray luminosities above the Eddington limit for a 10 Msun black hole (BH). ULXs may host super-Eddington accreting neutron stars or stellar mass BH, although the exact proportion of the two populations is not yet known. We investigate the properties of the ULX NGC 4559 X7, which shows flux variability up to a factor of 5 on months-to-years and hours-to-days timescales. A flaring activity was also observed during the source highest flux epochs. Flares are unpredictable, with different durations and all flat-topped in flux. The latter suggests that, at the flare peaks, there is likely a common switch-off mechanism for the accretion onto the compact object. We analysed all the available XMM-Newton and Swift/XRT observations to investigate the spectral and temporal evolution of X7, looking for short and long-term variability. We look for long-term periodicities and for coherent signals through accelerated searches that included orbital corrections. We described the X7 spectra with two thermal components plus a cut-off powerlaw model. We found three well defined spectral states, where the spectral variability is mainly driven by the two harder components. In addition, a pulsed signal at 2.6-2.7s was detected in two XMM-Newton observations. The significance of these coherent signals is relatively weak but they are found in two different observations with the same parameter space for the orbital properties. If confirmed, it would imply a high spin-down of 1e-9 s/s, which could be extreme amongst the known pulsating ULXs. X7 would become a new extragalactic ULX pulsar. We discuss the spectral and temporal results of X7 in the context of super-Eddington accretion onto a stellar-mass compact object, in particular suggesting that the source might likely host a neutron star.
comment: Accepted for publication in A&A; 18 pages, 13 figures and 4 tables
☆ Extract cleaned Swift/UVOT UV grism spectra with uvotpy package
The ultraviolet/optical telescope (UVOT) onboard the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is capable of imaging with 7 lenticular filters and of taking slitless spectra with 2 grisms. Both image and grism data have been widely used to study gamma-ray bursts, supernovae and other ultraviolet/optical transients, and proved UVOT is a powerful instrument in time-domain astronomy. However, the second order contamination, for blue sources, strongly limits the red end of ultraviolet (UV) grism spectra. This, in turn, reduces the valid wavelength range to only about 33% of the total. However, to explore the broadband spectral energy distribution of GRBs at the early stage, a larger valid wavelength range is required. Hence based on the uvotpy package, we propose a method to remove the second order contamination from UV grism spectra (nominal mode) up to about 4000\AA, i.e., about 70% of the full wavelength range. The 1-sigma systematic uncertainty of this method is about 11.2%. In addition, if a source is red enough, the red end of the valid range could reach about 5000\AA. The source code is available on GitHub.
comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables. Accepted by the ApJS
☆ Contemporaneous optical-radio observations of a fast radio burst in a close galaxy pair
We present the MeerKAT discovery and MeerLICHT contemporaneous optical observations of the Fast Radio Burst (FRB) 20230808F, which was found to have a dispersion measure of $\mathrm{DM}=653.2\pm0.4\mathrm{\,pc\,cm^{-3}}$. FRB 20230808F has a scattering timescale $\tau_{s}=3.1\pm0.1\,\mathrm{ms}$ at $1563.6$ MHz, a rotation measure $\mathrm{RM}=169.4\pm0.2\,\mathrm{rad\,m^{-2}}$, and a radio fluence $F_{\mathrm{radio}}=1.72\pm0.01\,\mathrm{Jy\,ms}$. We find no optical counterpart in the time immediately after the FRB, nor in the three months after the FRB during which we continued to monitor the field of the FRB. We set an optical upper flux limit in MeerLICHT's $q$-band of $11.7\,\mathrm{\mu Jy}$ for a 60 s exposure which started $\sim3.4$ s after the burst, which corresponds to an optical fluence, $F_{\mathrm{opt}}$, of $0.039\,\mathrm{Jy\,ms}$ on a timescale of $\sim3.4$ s. We obtain an estimate for the $q-$band luminosity limit of $vL_{v}\sim 1.3\times10^{43}\,\mathrm{erg\,s^{-1}}$. We localise the burst to a close galaxy pair at a redshift of $z_{\mathrm{spec}}=0.3472\pm0.0002$. Our time delay of $\sim3.4$ s between the FRB arrival time and the start of our optical exposure is the shortest ever for an as yet non-repeating FRB, and hence the closest to simultaneous optical follow-up that exists for such an FRB.
comment: 18 pages, 10 figures, 5 tables. Accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
☆ Linking Analytic Light Curve Models to Physical Properties of Kilonovae
In binary neutron star mergers, lanthanide-rich dynamical ejecta and lanthanide-poor post-merger ejecta have been often linked to the red and blue kilonova emission, respectively. However, analytic light curve modeling of kilonova often results in the ejecta parameters that are at odds with such expectations. To investigate the physical meaning of the derived parameters, we perform analytic modeling of the kilonova light curves calculated with realistic multi-dimensional radiative transfer based on the numerical relativity simulations. Our fiducial simulations adopt a faster-moving, less massive dynamical ejecta and slower-moving, more massive post-merger ejecta. The results of analytic modeling, however, show that the inferred ''red'' component is more massive and slower, while the ''blue'' component is less massive and faster, as also inferred for GW170817/AT2017gfo. This suggests that the parameters derived from light curve modeling with an analytic model do not represent the true configuration of the kilonova ejecta. We demonstrate that the post-merger ejecta contributes to both blue and red emissions: the emission from the post-merger ejecta is absorbed and reprocessed to red emission by the dynamical ejecta with a higher lanthanide fraction. Our results caution against separately discussing the origins of red and blue components derived from the analytic models. Despite of the challenges in the parameter estimation, we show that the estimate of the total ejecta mass is rather robust within a factor of a few, reflecting the total luminosity output. To derive the reliable total ejecta mass, multi-epoch observations in near-infrared wavelengths near their light curve peaks are important.
comment: 17 pages, 12 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ
☆ Probing solar modulation of AMS-02 time-dependent D, $^3$He and $^4$He fluxes with modified force field approximation
The AMS-02 experiment recently published time-dependent fluxes of deuterons (D) from May 2011 to April 2021, divided into 33 periods of four Bartels rotations each. These temporal structures are associated with solar modulation. In this study, three modified force-field approximation are employed to examine the long-term behavior of cosmic-ray (CR) isotopes such as deuteron, $^3$He, and $^4$He, as well as the ratios D/$^3$He and $^3$He/$^4$He. The solar modulation potential is rigidity-dependent for these modified force-field approximation. Due to the unknown local interstellar spectrum (LIS) for these isotopes, we utilize the Non-LIS method for solar modulation. By fitting to the AMS-02 time-dependent fluxes, we derive the solar modulation parameters. Our findings indicate that all isotopes can be fitted using the same parameters. Thus, the time-independent behavior of the flux ratio at low energy primarily arises from differences in the LIS and the conversion between kinetic energy and rigidity for cosmic rays with varying Z/A ratios. Based on these, we forecast the daily fluxes of D, $^3$He and $^4$He.
comment: 22 pages, 17 figures, 4 tables. A new revised version after the submission to ApJ, with the content of forecasting the daily fluxes of D, He3, and He4 from 2011 to 2020
☆ Evolution of LISA Observables for Binary Black Holes Lensed by an SMBH
Binary black holes (BBH) are expected to form and merge in active galactic nuclei (AGN), deep in the potential well of a supermassive black hole (SMBH), from populations that exist in a nuclear star cluster (NSC). Here we investigate the gravitational wave (GW) signature of a BBH lensed by a nearby SMBH. For a fiducial GW150914-like BBH orbiting close to a $10^{8}M_{\odot}$ SMBH located at $z=0.1$, the lensed GW signal varies in a predictable manner in and out of the LISA detectability band and across frequencies. The occurrence of such signatures has the potential to confound LISA global fit models if they are not modelled. Detection of these sources provide an independent measure of AGN inclination angles, along with detecting warping of the inner disk, and measuring the SMBH spin.
comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, ApJ (submitted)
☆ How Theory-laden are Observations of Black Holes?
We evaluate the roles general relativistic assumptions play in simulations used in recent observations of black holes including LIGO-Virgo and the Event Horizon Telescope. In both experiments simulations play an ampliative role, enabling the extraction of more information from the data than would be possible otherwise. This comes at a cost of theory-ladenness. We discuss the issue of inferential circularity, which arises in some applications; classify some of the epistemic strategies used to reduce the extent of theory-ladenness; and discuss ways in which these strategies are model independent.
comment: 34 pages, forthcoming in Philosophy of Science
☆ SN 2023ixf: interaction signatures in the spectrum at 445 days
SN 2023ixf is one of the most neaby and brightest Type II supernovae (SNe) of the past decades. A rich set of pre-explosion data provided important insight on the properties of the progenitor star. There has been a wide range of estimated initial masses of 9 - 22 $M{_\odot}$. Early monitoring of the SN also showed the presence of a dense CSM structure near the star ($10^{15}$ cm) that was probably expelled in the last years prior to the explosion. These extended CSM structure can be further probed with late-time observations during the nebular phase. This study is based on a nebular spectrum obtained with GMOS at the Gemini North Telescope 445 days after explosion. The SN evolution is analyzed in comparison with a previous spectrum at an age of 259 days, and compared with those of similar SNe II and with synthetic radiation-transfer nebular spectra. The 445-d spectrum exhibits a dramatic evolution with clear signs of ejecta-CSM interaction. The H${\alpha}$ profile shows a complex profile that can be separated into a boxy component arising from the interaction with a CSM shell and a central peaked component that may be due to the radioactive-powered SN ejecta. The CSM shell would be located at a distance of $\approx10^{16}$ cm from the progenitor and it may be associated with mass loss occurring up until $\approx 500 - 1000$ years before the explosion. Similar interaction signatures have been detected in other SNe II, although for events with standard plateau durations this happened at times later than 600 - 700 days. SN 2023ixf appears to belong to a group of SNe II with short plateaus or linear light curves that develop interaction features before $\approx 500$ days. Other lines, such as those from [O I] and [Ca II] appear to be unaffected by the CSM interaction. This allowed us to estimate an initial progenitor mass, which resulted in the relatively low range of 10 - 15 $M{_\odot}$.
comment: 11 pages, 8 figures
☆ Uncertainty Quantification for the Relativistic Inverse Stellar Structure Problem
The relativistic inverse stellar structure problem determines the equation of state of the stellar matter given a knowledge of suitable macroscopic observable properties (e.g. their masses and radii) of the stars composed of that material. This study determines how accurately this equation of state can be determined using noisy mass and radius observations. The relationship between the size of the observational errors and the accuracy of the inferred equation of state is evaluated, and the optimal number of adjustable equation of state parameters needed to achieve the highest accuracy is determined.
comment: 8 pages, 7 figures
☆ An X-ray view of the Cataclysmic Variable V902 Mon: Discovery of an X-ray eclipse
V902 Mon is one of a few eclipsing Intermediate Polars (IPs), and show deep eclipses in the optical lightcurves. The presence of a strong Fe K$\alpha$ fluorescence line in its X-ray spectrum and its low X-ray flux compared to other IPs suggests significant absorption, most likely from an accretion disk. In an observation carried out using the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), we confirm the presence of an X-ray eclipse in the energy resolved lightcurves, coincident with the optical AAVSO/CV-band lightcurves. Broadband X-ray spectral analysis using NuSTAR and XMM-Newton observations confirm a strong absorption N$_{H}$ $\sim 10^{23}$ cm$^{-2}$ local to the source, along with a high equivalent width of about 0.7 keV for a Fe K$\alpha$ fluorescence line. We interpret this using a model similar to an Accretion Disk Corona source, which have a very high inclination and the compact object is heavily obscured by the body of the accretion disk. We propose that the primary X-rays from the accretion column in V902 Mon is hidden from our direct view at all times by the accretion disk. In this scenario, the observed scattered X-rays indicate substantial absorption of direct X-rays by the accretion disk. Additionally, a strong Fe fluorescence line suggests reprocessing of the radiation by a more extended region, such as the pre-shock region, which could be located a few white dwarf radii above the orbital plane.
comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, 1 table. Accepted for publication in ApJ
♻ ☆ On the Potential Galactic Origin of the Ultra-High-Energy Event KM3-230213A
The KM3NeT observatory detected the most energetic neutrino candidate ever observed, with an energy between 72 PeV and 2.6 EeV at the 90% confidence level. The observed neutrino is likely of cosmic origin. In this article, it is investigated if the neutrino could have been produced within the Milky Way. Considering the low fluxes of the Galactic diffuse emission at these energies, the lack of a nearby potential Galactic particle accelerator in the direction of the event and the difficulty to accelerate particles to such high energies in Galactic systems, we conclude that if the event is indeed cosmic, it is most likely of extragalactic origin.
♻ ☆ The origin channels of hierarchical binary black hole mergers in the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA O1, O2, and O3 runs
We infer the origin channels of hierarchical mergers observed in the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) O1, O2, and O3 runs using a hierarchical Bayesian analysis under a parametric population model. By assuming the active galactic nucleus (AGN) disk and nuclear star cluster (NSC) channels, we find that NSCs likely dominate the hierarchical merger rate in the Universe, corresponding to a fraction of $f_{\rm NSC}=0.87_{-0.29}^{+0.10}$ at 90\% credible intervals in our fiducial model; AGN disks may contribute up to nearly half of hierarchical mergers detectable with LVK, specifically $f_{\rm det,AGN}=0.34_{-0.26}^{+0.38}$. We investigate the impact of the escape speed, along with other population parameters on the branching fraction, suggesting that the mass, mass ratio, and spin of the sources play significant roles in population analysis. We show that hierarchical mergers constitute at least $\sim$$10\%$ of the gravitational wave events detected by LVK during the O1-O3 runs. Furthermore, we demonstrate that it is challenging to effectively infer detailed information about the host environment based solely on the distribution of black hole merger parameters if multiple formation channels are considered.
comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables; accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal
♻ ☆ Black Holes as Fermion Factories
Ultralight bosons near rotating black holes can undergo significant growth through superradiant energy extraction, potentially reaching field values close to the Planck scale and transforming black holes into effective transducers for these fields. The interaction between boson fields and fermions may lead to parametric production or Schwinger pair production of fermions, with efficiencies significantly exceeding those of perturbative decay processes. Additionally, the spatial gradients of scalar clouds and the electric components of vector clouds can accelerate fermions, resulting in observable fluxes. This study considers both Standard Model neutrinos and dark sector fermions, which could contribute to boosted dark matter. Energy loss due to fermion emissions can potentially quench the exponential growth of the cloud, leading to a saturated state. This dynamic provides a framework for establishing limits on boson-neutrino interactions, previously constrained by neutrino self-interaction considerations. In the saturation phase, boson clouds have the capacity to accelerate fermions to TeV energies, producing fluxes that surpass those from atmospheric neutrinos near black holes. These fluxes open new avenues for observations through high-energy neutrino detectors like IceCube, as well as through dark matter direct detection efforts focused on targeted black holes.
comment: 27 pages, 4 figures, published version in JCAP
♻ ☆ Quantum Closures for Neutrino Moment Transport
A computationally efficient method for calculating the transport of neutrino flavor in simulations is to use angular moments of the neutrino one-body reduced density matrix, i.e., `quantum moments'. As with any moment-based radiation transport method, a closure is needed if the infinite tower of moment evolution equations is truncated. We derive a general parameterization of a quantum closure and the limits the parameters must satisfy in order for the closure to be physical. We then derive from multi-angle calculations the evolution of the closure parameters in two test cases which we then progressively insert into a moment evolution code and show how the parameters affect the moment results until the full multi-angle results are reproduced. This parameterization paves the way to setting prescriptions for genuine quantum closures adapted to neutrino transport in a range of situations.
comment: 22 pages, 10 figures. Matches published version
♻ ☆ The main jet axis of the W49B supernova remnant
We identify an axis connecting two opposite `ears' in the supernova remnant W49B and morphological signatures of three arcs around this axis that we claim are sections of full circum-jet rings. Based on recent identifications of morphological signatures of jets in core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe), including ejecta-rich axes, we reexamine images of W49B and identify a heavy element-rich protrusion (ear) as a jet-inflated structure. We identify the opposite ear and a clump at its tip as the signature of the opposite jets. The line connecting the two clumps at the tips of the two opposite ears forms the main jet axis of W49B. We compare the three arcs around the main jet axis in W49B to the circum-jet rings of the jets in the Cygnus A galaxy and deduce that these arcs are sections of full circum-jet rings in W49B. In W49B, the jets are long gone, as in some planetary nebulae with circum-jet rings. Identifying the main jet axis is incompatible with a type Ia supernova. It leaves two possibilities: that jets exploded W49B as a CCSN, i.e., the jittering jets explosion mechanism where the pair of jets we identify is one of many that exploded the star, or that the explosion was a common envelope jet supernova with a thermonuclear outburst, i.e., both the pair of jets and thermonuclear outburst exploded the core of a red supergiant star as a pre-existing neutron star tidally destroyed it.
comment: Will be submitted in two days to allow for comments
♻ ☆ An analytical model for the magnetic field in the thick shell of Galactic bubbles with uniform initial conditions
Bubbles and super-bubbles are ubiquitous in the interstellar medium and influence their local magnetic field. Starting from the assumption that bubbles result from violent explosions that sweep matter away in a thick shell, we derive the analytical equations for the divergence-free, regular magnetic field in the shell. The explosion velocity field is assumed to be radial but not necessarily spherical, making it possible to model various-shaped bubbles. Assuming an explosion center, the magnetic field at the present time is fully determined by the initial uniform magnetic field, the present-time geometry of the bubble shell, and a radial vector field that encodes the explosion-induced displacement of matter, from its original location to its present-time location. We present the main characteristics of our magnetic-field model using a simple linear model for the radial displacements. Next, we use our analytical prescription, informed by a three-dimensional dust density map, to estimate the expected contribution of the shell of the Local Bubble, the super-bubbles in which the Sun resides, to the integrated Faraday rotation measures and synchrotron emission and compare these to full-sky observational data. We find that, while the contribution to the former is minimal, the contribution to the latter is very significant at Galactic latitudes $|b|>45^\circ$. Our results underline the need to take the Local Bubble into account in large-scale Galactic magnetic field studies.
comment: v2: minor edits and correction for the matter density profile (Eq 20)
♻ ☆ Influence of effective nucleon mass on equation of state for supernova simulations and neutron stars
We investigate the influence of the effective nucleon mass on the equation of state (EOS), which is constructed for simulations of core-collapse supernovae and binary neutron star mergers, within the relativistic mean-field (RMF) framework. The study introduces a new RMF parameter set, TM1m, which is a modification of the TM1e model with an adjusted effective mass, maintaining the saturation properties of nuclear matter. The TM1m model, with a larger effective mass ratio ($M^{\ast}/M \sim 0.8$) compared to the TM1e model ($M^{\ast}/M \sim 0.63$), is employed to construct a new EOS table, EOS5. This EOS table is designed to offer insights into the influence of the effective nucleon mass on the EOS within a relativistic framework, particularly above the saturation density. The results of EOS5 are compared with those obtained from other models, including both relativistic and nonrelativistic approaches. The properties of cold neutron stars, calculated using the TM1m model, are compatible with the existence of a $2\ M_\odot$ pulsar and the latest constraints on the tidal deformability and radii of a canonical $1.4\ M_\odot$ neutron star, derived from astrophysical observations.
comment: 11 pages, 11 figures, 2 tables
♻ ☆ Revision of two-temperature magnetically arrested flows onto a black hole
We revisit the radiative properties of 3D general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (GRMHD) two-temperature magnetically arrested disk (MAD) models in which electrons are heated by a magnetic turbulent cascade. We focus on studying the model emission, whose characteristics include variability in both total intensity and linear/circular polarizations as well as rotation measures at energies around the synchrotron emission peak in millimeter waves. We find that radiative properties of MAD models with turbulent electron heating are well converged with respect to the numerical grid resolution, which has not been demonstrated before. We compare radiation from two-temperature simulations with turbulent heating to single-temperature models with electron temperatures calculated based on commonly used $R~(\beta)$ prescription. We find that the self-consisitent two-temperature models with turbulent heating do not significantly outperform the $R~(\beta)$ models and, in practice, may be indistinguishable from the $R~(\beta)$ models. Accounting for physical effects such as radiative cooling and nonthermal electron distribution function makes a weak impact on properties of millimeter emission. Models are scaled to Sgr A*, an accreting black hole in the center of our galaxy, and compared to the most complete observational datasets. We point out the consistencies and inconsistencies between the MAD models and observations of this source and discuss future prospects for GRMHD simulations.
comment: 26 pages, 17 figures, accepted to ApJ, after proofs
♻ ☆ The neutrino luminosity and energy spectrum of nova outburst
The nova outburst can produce a large number of neutrinos, whether it is the nuclear reaction process during the explosion or the shock wave acceleration proton process. We study the low-energy nuclear and thermal neutrino luminosity of novae with CO white dwarf (WD) mass ranging from 0.6 to 1.1 $\rm M_{\odot}$ with different accretion rates $\dot{M}$, core temperatures $(T_{\mathrm{C}})$, and mixing degrees. We find that during the accretion phase, low-energy neutrinos are mainly produced by pp chains and plasma decay, and photon luminosity is greater than low-energy nuclear and thermal neutrino luminosity. During the thermonuclear runaway (TNR) phase, low-energy neutrinos are mainly produced by the CNO cycle and photon-neutrino, and the low-energy nuclear and thermal neutrino luminosity far exceeds the photon luminosity. We find that the more massive the WD, the shorter the cycle time and the higher the low-energy nuclear neutrino luminosity. The higher the accretion rate, the lower the low-energy nuclear neutrino luminosity. If the accretion mixing effect is not taken into account, the outburst interval becomes longer, the low-energy nuclear neutrino luminosity will be increased. And for the cooler nova model $(T_{\mathrm{C}}=1\times10^{7}\rm K)$, the low-energy nuclear neutrino luminosity will be lower during the accretion phase and higher at the TNR. We also predict the neutrino luminosity and energy spectrum of the upcoming recurrent nova T Coronae Borealis (T CrB). We estimate that the next T CrB outburst has a low-energy nuclear neutrino peak luminosity of $2.7\times10^{8}\ \rm L_{\nu,\odot}$ and a low-energy nuclear neutrino outburst duration of 88 days. In addition, we predict that the high-energy hadronic neutrino flux produced by T CrB nova can not be observed by the current-generation IceCube.
comment: 16 pages,11 figures, Accepted by PRD
♻ ☆ X-ray and gamma-ray timing of GRB 180720B, GRB 181222B, GRB 211211A and GRB 220910A observed with Fermi and ASIM
We present a timing study of the gamma and X-ray observations and analysis of a sample of bright gamma-ray bursts (GRBs; i.e. GRB 180720B, GRB 181222B, GRB 211211A and GRB 220910A), including the very bright and long GRB 211211A (a.k.a. kilonova candidate). They have been detected and observed by the Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor (ASIM) installed on the International Space Station (ISS) and the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) on-board the Fermi mission. The early (T-T0=s) and high-energy (0.3-20 MeV) ASIM High Energy Detector (HED) and (150 keV-30 MeV) Fermi (BGO) light curves show well-defined peaks with a low quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) frequency between 2.5-3.5 Hz that could be identified with the spin of the neutron star in the binary mergers (coinciding with the orbital frequency of the binary merger) originating these GRBs. These QPOs consist on the first detection of low-frequency QPOs (<10 Hz) detected in magnetars so far. We also detect a strong QPO at 21.8-22 Hz in GRB 181222B together with its (less significant) harmonics. The low-frequency QPO would correspond to the signal of the orbiting neutron star (NS) previous to the final coalescence giving rise to the gravitational-wave (GW) signal.
comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS Letters (14-Feb.-2025)
♻ ☆ Retuning radio astronomy for axion dark matter with neutron stars
A model is constructed to predict the emission originating from axion-to-photon conversion in the strongly magnetized ultrarelativistic plasma of neutron stars. The acceleration and multiplicity of the charges are observed to shift the axion-induced spectral feature with respect to previous expectations. The frequency range of interest widens accordingly, and heavier dark matter axions may resonate in magnetospheric splits giving rise to detectable radio signals that could extend into the millimeter band. Ultimately, this work follows an affirmative answer to the question of whether neutron stars can give rise to any detectable high-frequency spectral feature that would allow us to probe axion dark matter of masses up to about a millielectronvolt. SGR 1745--2900 emerges as a particularly promising astrophysical laboratory for probing high-frequency axion dark matter.
comment: As accepted for publication in Physics Letters B
♻ ☆ Constraining the equation of state in neutron-star cores via the long-ringdown signal
Multimessenger signals from binary neutron star (BNS) mergers are promising tools to infer the largely unknown properties of nuclear matter at densities that are presently inaccessible to laboratory experiments. The gravitational waves (GWs) emitted by BNS merger remnants, in particular, have the potential of setting tight constraints on the neutron-star equation of state (EOS) that would complement those coming from the late inspiral, direct mass-radius measurements, or ab-initio dense-matter calculations. To explore this possibility, we perform a representative series of general-relativistic simulations of BNS systems with EOSs carefully constructed so as to cover comprehensively the high-density regime of the EOS space. From these simulations, we identify a novel and tight correlation between the ratio of the energy and angular-momentum losses in the late-time portion of the post-merger signal, i.e., the ``long ringdown'', and the properties of the EOS at the highest pressures and densities in neutron-star cores. When applying this correlation to post-merger GW signals, we find a significant reduction of the EOS uncertainty at densities several times the nuclear saturation density, where no direct constraints are currently available. Hence, the long ringdown has the potential of providing new and stringent constraints on the state of matter in neutron stars in general and, in particular, in their cores.
comment: 27 pages, 12 figures
♻ ☆ Quark Stars as Hideouts For Color-spin-locked Quark Matter: Implications for Powering High-energy Electromagnetic Emissions
The possibility of compact stars as hideouts for color-spin-locked (CSL) quark matter (QM) is investigated in both MIT bag model and Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model. Within the framework of NJL model, the idea of absolutely stable quark matter and the existence of conventional pure quark star (QS) are not supported; in addition, there appears to be no stable hybrid configuration above $2M_\odot$ as the hideout for CSL QM. The stable configurations of massive strange quark stars could be reproduced in the MIT bag model with QCD corrections being taken into account; moreover, they could act as the hiding place for the CSL QM. An interesting scenario is proposed that the phase transition to the CSL phase could occur in the cooling process. The CSL quark matter is an electromagnetic (EM) superconductor of Type-I, and a complete Meissner effect is expected. However, the analysis for this sizable superconductor indicates that most of the magnetic field is frozen inside the quark core with a critical strength, while in some special cases a small fraction could be expelled from a thin layer near the surface in a short time. The analysis on energetics and time scale suggests that this process could act as an inducement mechanism to power typical fast radio bursts, but as a single source of energy, it is unlikely to generate other EM emissions such as gamma-ray bursts and giant flares.
comment: Accepted for publication in PRD on Feb 13 2025; submitted to Phys. Rev. D on Sep 25 2024 ;. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:hep-ph/0503184 by other authors
♻ ☆ Multi-messenger emission from magnetic reconnection in blazar jets: the case of TXS 0506+056
Measurements from astroparticle experiments, such as the 2017 flare associated with the source TXS 0506+056, indicate that blazars act as multi-messenger (MM; radiation and neutrinos) factories. Theoretically, the particle acceleration mechanisms responsible for blazar emissions and the precise location within the jet where this occurs remain undetermined. This paper explores MM emission driven by magnetic reconnection in a blazar jet. Previous studies have shown that reconnection in the magnetically dominated regions of these relativistic jets can efficiently accelerate particles to very high energies (VHE). Assuming that turbulent-driven magnetic reconnection accelerates cosmic-ray protons and electrons by a Fermi process, we developed a lepto-hadronic radiation model without the influence of external soft-photons to explain the 2017 MM flare from TXS 0506+056. In the proposed scenario, the emission blob moves downstream in the jet from $\sim$2 to 4 pc from the central engine, which is a supermassive black hole (SMBH) of $3 \times 10^{8}$ M$_\odot$ launching a jet with $150L_\mathrm{Edd}$ power. As the blob moves, we observe a sequence of spectral energy distribution (SED) profiles that match the observed arrival of the high energy neutrino and electromagnetic emission from TXS 0506+056. This arrival coincides with the high state of intermediate energy $\gamma$-rays ($E \sim 1 $ GeV) detection, followed by the subsequent appearance of the VHE $\gamma$-ray signal and then no further significant neutrino detection. We obtain a time delay between the neutrino and VHE events $\simeq 6.4$ days, which is consistent with that observed in the 2017 MM flare.
comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS
♻ ☆ Globular Clusters GMRT Pulsar Search (GCGPS) I: Survey description, discovery and timing of the first pulsar in NGC 6093 (M80)
This paper describes the new Globular Clusters GMRT Pulsar Search (GCGPS) survey. This survey aims to find MSPs in the globular clusters (GCs) of the Milky Way using uGMRT. The observations use the uGMRT's Band-4 (550$-$750 MHz) and Band-3 (300$-$500 MHz) receivers, which are well suited for steep-spectral-index radio sources like MSPs; the survey will eventually cover the GCs accessible to the uGMRT sky (i.e. $\delta\:>\:\sim\:-\:53^\circ$), and that is South of $\delta = -17^\circ$ (FAST sky limit) and have not been targeted with the sensitivity of this survey. The observations started in May 2023, having so far resulted in seven new discoveries. In this paper, we present the discovery and follow-up study of the first pulsar from this survey, J1617$-$2258A, a 4.32 ms binary MSP that is also the first to be discovered in the globular cluster NGC 6093. We localised this MSP with arc-sec precision from imaging and obtained the unique timing solution from more than one year of timing observations with the Band-4 (550$-$750 MHz) receivers of the uGMRT. This revealed an unusual binary MSP, with a $\sim$ 19-hour, highly eccentric (e $\sim$ 0.54) orbit having a low-mass companion. This orbital eccentricity allowed the measurement of the rate of advance of periastron for this system, which led to the derivation of its total mass, $1.67 \, \pm \, 0.06 \, \rm M_{\odot}$; this together with the system's mass function implies, for the pulsar and the companion, $M_\mathrm{p} < 1.60 \, \rm M_{\odot}$ and $M_\mathrm{c} > 0.072 \, \rm M_{\odot}$. The system is likely a perturbed MSP-Helium WD system seen at a low orbital inclination.
comment: 19 pages, 11 figures, and 4 tables; Submitted to Astrophysical Journal (ApJ)
♻ ☆ Dipolar fluence distribution of statistically isotropic FERMI gamma-ray bursts
We investigated the large-angle distribution of the gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) from the updated FERMI/GBM catalog to probe the statistical isotropy of these astrophysical transient events. We also studied the angular distribution of the GRB fluence as a way to explore whether this radiative feature shows some preferred direction on the sky that suggest their origin. Our model-independent approach performed a directional analysis of the updated FERMI/GBM catalog. The statistical significance of our results is obtained by comparison with a large set of statistically isotropic samples of cosmic objects, with the same features of the FERMI data. Our analyses confirm that the angular distribution of the FERMIGRB is statistically isotropic on the celestial sphere. Moreover, analyzing the directional distribution of the FERMIGRB fluence, that is, the median GRB fluence in a set of directions that scans the celestial sphere, we found that this astrophysical property exhibits a net dipolar structure with a directional preference for latitudes near the Galactic plane. However, additional studies show that this directional preference is not correlated with the Milky Way Galactic plane, which suggests that the GRB dataset, and its fluence dipolar structure, are extra-Galactic in origin. Interestingly, the analyses of the BATSE Channel 4 fluence data, that is, those GRBs from BATSE with energy $>$ 300 keV, reveal that its dipole direction is very well aligned with the cosmic microwave background dipole.
comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A)
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics 10
☆ Detection of a peculiar noise type in the TESS "fast" light curves
We present the detection of a peculiar high-frequency noise component in the 20 second cadence SAP (Simple Aperture Photometry) light curve of TESS (Transiting Exoplanets Survey Satellite). This effect (labeled as blue noise) may be attributed to the pointing instability (also known as satellite jiiter) of the satellite. We present a common technique used in the mitigation of the jitter, by decorrelating against the subpixel position of the photo-center of the point spread function of the star. We also show that a simple linear or polynomial technique may not yield satisfactory corrections, as the behavior or attitude of the noise properties may change considerably throughout the light curve.
comment: Published as a Research Note of the AAS
☆ Neutron capture measurements for s-process nucleosynthesis; A review about CERN n_TOF developments and contributions
This article presents a review about the main CERN n\_TOF contributions to the field of neutron-capture experiments of interest for $s$-process nucleosynthesis studies over the last 25 years, with special focus on the measurement of radioactive isotopes. A few recent capture experiments on stable isotopes of astrophysical interest are also discussed. Results on $s$-process branching nuclei are appropriate to illustrate how advances in detection systems and upgrades in the facility have enabled increasingly challenging experiments and, as a consequence, have led to a better understanding and modeling of the $s$-process mechanism of nucleosynthesis. New endeavors combining radioactive-ion beams from ISOLDE for the production of radioisotopically pure samples for activation experiments at the new NEAR facility at n\_TOF are briefly discussed. On the basis of these new exciting results, also current limitations of state-of-the-art TOF and activation techniques will be depicted, thereby showing the pressing need for further upgrades and enhancements on both facilities and detection systems. A brief account of the potential technique based on inverse kinematics for direct neutron-capture measurements is also presented.
comment: submitted to Eur. Phys. Jour. Topical Collection
☆ Extract cleaned Swift/UVOT UV grism spectra with uvotpy package
The ultraviolet/optical telescope (UVOT) onboard the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is capable of imaging with 7 lenticular filters and of taking slitless spectra with 2 grisms. Both image and grism data have been widely used to study gamma-ray bursts, supernovae and other ultraviolet/optical transients, and proved UVOT is a powerful instrument in time-domain astronomy. However, the second order contamination, for blue sources, strongly limits the red end of ultraviolet (UV) grism spectra. This, in turn, reduces the valid wavelength range to only about 33% of the total. However, to explore the broadband spectral energy distribution of GRBs at the early stage, a larger valid wavelength range is required. Hence based on the uvotpy package, we propose a method to remove the second order contamination from UV grism spectra (nominal mode) up to about 4000\AA, i.e., about 70% of the full wavelength range. The 1-sigma systematic uncertainty of this method is about 11.2%. In addition, if a source is red enough, the red end of the valid range could reach about 5000\AA. The source code is available on GitHub.
comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables. Accepted by the ApJS
☆ An Ultra-Fast Image Simulation Technique with Spatially Variable Point Spread Functions
Simulated images are essential in algorithm development and instrument testing for optical telescopes. During real observations, images obtained by optical telescopes are affected by spatially variable point spread functions (PSFs), a crucial effect requiring accurate simulation. Traditional methods segment images into patches, convolve patches with individual PSFs, and reassemble them as a whole image. Although widely used, these approaches suffer from slow convolution processes and reduced image fidelity due to abrupt PSF transitions between different patches. This paper introduces a novel method for generating simulated images with spatial continuously varying PSFs. Our approach firstly decomposes original images into PSF bases derived with the principal component analysis method. The entire image is then convolved with these PSF bases to create image bases. Finally, we multiply the coefficients of image bases with these image bases for each pixels and add the multiplication results along each pixel to obtain the final simulated image. Our method could generate high-fidelity simulated images with spatially variable PSFs without boundary artifacts. The method proposed in this paper significantly improves the speed of astronomical image simulation, potentially advancing observational astronomy and instrumental development.
comment: To be published in the AJ. Comments are welcome
☆ How Theory-laden are Observations of Black Holes?
We evaluate the roles general relativistic assumptions play in simulations used in recent observations of black holes including LIGO-Virgo and the Event Horizon Telescope. In both experiments simulations play an ampliative role, enabling the extraction of more information from the data than would be possible otherwise. This comes at a cost of theory-ladenness. We discuss the issue of inferential circularity, which arises in some applications; classify some of the epistemic strategies used to reduce the extent of theory-ladenness; and discuss ways in which these strategies are model independent.
comment: 34 pages, forthcoming in Philosophy of Science
☆ Readout Optimization of Multi-Amplifier Sensing Charge-Coupled Devices for Single-Quantum Measurement
The non-destructive readout capability of the Skipper Charge Coupled Device (CCD) has been demonstrated to reduce the noise limitation of conventional silicon devices to levels that allow single-photon or single-electron counting. The noise reduction is achieved by taking multiple measurements of the charge in each pixel. These multiple measurements come at the cost of extra readout time, which has been a limitation for the broader adoption of this technology in particle physics, quantum imaging, and astronomy applications. This work presents recent results of a novel sensor architecture that uses multiple non-destructive floating-gate amplifiers in series to achieve sub-electron readout noise in a thick, fully-depleted silicon detector to overcome the readout time overhead of the Skipper-CCD. This sensor is called the Multiple-Amplifier Sensing Charge-Coupled Device (MAS-CCD) can perform multiple independent charge measurements with each amplifier, and the measurements from multiple amplifiers can be combined to further reduce the readout noise. We will show results obtained for sensors with 8 and 16 amplifiers per readout stage in new readout operations modes to optimize its readout speed. The noise reduction capability of the new techniques will be demonstrated in terms of its ability to reduce the noise by combining the information from the different amplifiers, and to resolve signals in the order of a single photon per pixel. The first readout operation explored here avoids the extra readout time needed in the MAS-CCD to read a line of the sensor associated with the extra extent of the serial register. The second technique explore the capability of the MAS-CCD device to perform a region of interest readout increasing the number of multiple samples per amplifier in a targeted region of the active area of the device.
☆ High-Power Test of a C-band Linear Accelerating Structure with an RFSoC-based LLRF System
Normal conducting linear particle accelerators consist of multiple rf stations with accelerating structure cavities. Low-level rf (LLRF) systems are employed to set the phase and amplitude of the field in the accelerating structure, and to compensate the pulse-to-pulse fluctuation of the rf field in the accelerating structures with a feedback loop. The LLRF systems are typically implemented with analogue rf mixers, heterodyne based architectures and discrete data converters. There are multiple rf signals from each of rf station, so the number of rf channels required increases rapidly with multiple rf stations. With many rf channels, the footprint, component cost and system complexity of the LLRF hardware increase significantly. To meet the design goals to be compact and affordable for future accelerators, we have designed the next generation LLRF (NG-LLRF) with higher integration level based on RFSoC technology. The NG-LLRF system samples rf signals directly and performs the rf mixing digitally. The NG-LLRF has been characterized in a loopback mode to evaluate the performance of the system and tested with a standing-wave accelerating structure, a prototype for the Cool Copper Collider (C3) with peak rf power up to 16.45 MW. The loopback test demonstrated amplitude fluctuation below 0.15% and phase fluctuation below 0.15 degree, which are considerably better than the requirements of C3. The rf signals from the different stages of accelerating structure at different power levels are measured by the NG-LLRF, which will be critical references for the control algorithm designs. The NG-LLRF also offers flexibility in waveform modulation, so we have used rf pulses with various modulation schemes which could be useful for controlling some of rf stations in accelerators. In this paper, the high-power test results at different stages of the test setup will be summarized, analyzed and discussed.
♻ ☆ Instrument Signature Removal and Calibration Products for the Rubin Legacy Survey of Space and Time SP
The Vera C. Rubin Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) will conduct an unprecedented optical survey of the southern sky, imaging the entire available sky every few nights for 10 years. To achieve its ambitious science goals of probing dark energy and dark matter, mapping the Milky Way, and exploring the transient optical sky, the systematic errors in the LSST data must be exquisitely controlled. Instrument signature removal (ISR) is a critical early step in LSST data processing to remove inherent camera effects from the raw images and produce accurate representations of the incoming light. This paper describes the current state of the ISR pipelines implemented in the LSST Science Pipelines software. The key steps in ISR are outlined, and the process of generating and verifying the necessary calibration products to carry out ISR is also discussed. Finally, an overview is given of how the Rubin data management system utilizes a data Butler and calibration collections to organize datasets and match images to appropriate calibrations during processing. Precise ISR will be essential to realize the potential of LSST to revolutionize astrophysics.
comment: Accepted for publication in the Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems as part of the Special Section "Image Sensors for Precision Astronomy" (ISPA 2024 Conference at SLAC/KIPAC, March 12-14, 2024, https://www.bnl.gov/ispaworkshop/)
♻ ☆ VEGA: Voids idEntification using Genetic Algorithm
Cosmic voids, the nearly empty regions nestled between walls and filaments, are recognized for their extensive applications in the field of cosmology and astrophysics. However, a consensus on the definition of voids remains elusive, as various void-finding methods identify different types of voids, each differing in shape and density based on the method that were used. In this paper, we introduce an innovative void identification method that utilizes Genetic Algorithm analysis. VEGA employs the Voronoi tessellation technique and the Convex Hull algorithm to partition the dataset plane into distinct regions and calculate the volume of each region. For the first time, VEGA integrates Genetic Algorithm analysis with the luminosity density contrast function to identify and locate the possible void region candidates. This method utilizes a set of grid points, which enhances the implementation of Voronoi tessellation and enables VEGA to more effectively access the dataset space for the identification of void regions candidates, finding the center and the ultimate structure of voids. Finally, we applied the VEGA and Aikio-M\"ah\"onen (AM) methods to the same test dataset and compared the cosmic voids identified by VEGA with those identified by the AM method. This comparison demonstrated that the VEGA void-finding method yields reliable results and can be effectively applied to various particle distributions.
comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, for submission to Physical Review X
♻ ☆ Initial operations of the Soft X-ray Imager onboard XRISM
XRISM (X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) is an astronomical satellite with the capability of high-resolution spectroscopy with the X-ray microcalorimeter, Resolve, and wide field-of-view imaging with the CCD camera, Xtend. Xtend consists of the mirror assembly (XMA: X-ray Mirror Assembly) and detector (SXI: Soft X-ray Imager). The SXI is composed of CCDs, analog and digital electronics, and a mechanical cooler. After the successful launch on September 6th, 2023 (UT) and subsequent critical operations, the mission instruments were turned on and set up. The CCDs have been kept at the designed operating temperature of $-110^\circ$C after the electronics and cooling system were successfully set up. During the initial operation phase, which continued for more than a month after the critical operations, we verified the observation procedure, stability of the cooling system, all the observation options with different imaging areas and/or timing resolutions, and time-tagged and automated operations including those for South Atlantic Anomaly passages. We optimized the operation procedure and observation parameters including the cooler settings, imaging areas for the small window modes, and event selection algorithm. We summarize our policy and procedure of the initial operations for the SXI. We also report on a couple of issues we faced during the initial operations and lessons learned from them.
comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in JATIS
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 19
☆ Effective theory of light Dirac neutrino portal dark matter with observable ${ΔN_{\rm eff}}$
We study the possibility of light Dirac neutrino portal dark matter (DM) in an effective field theory (EFT) setup. Dirac nature of light neutrino automatically includes its right chiral part $\nu_R$ which, in our setup, also acts like a portal between DM and the standard model (SM) particles. Considering a Dirac fermion singlet DM stabilised by an unbroken $Z_2$ symmetry, we write down all possible dimension-6 effective operators involving DM-$\nu_R$ as well as $\nu_R$-SM which conserve $Z_2$, global lepton number and SM gauge symmetries. DM thermalisation also ensures the thermalisation of $\nu_R$, leading to enhanced effective relativistic degrees of freedom $N_{\rm eff}$, within reach of future cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments. We study the complementarity among DM and CMB related observations for different Lorentz structures of effective operators. We also propose two UV completions based on the popularly studied gauges $\rm B-L$ and left-right symmetric model frameworks.
comment: 27 pages, 15 captioned figures and 1 table
☆ Hamiltonians to all Orders in Perturbation Theory and Higher Loop Corrections in Single Field Inflation with PBHs Formation
We calculate the action and the interaction Hamiltonians to all orders in perturbation theory in the model of single field inflation with a transient ultra slow-roll phase. Employing the formalism of EFT of inflation, we obtain a compact non-perturbative expression for the interaction Hamiltonian in terms of the Goldstone field $\pi$ in the decoupling limit. In addition, we also present a non-linear relation between $\pi$ and the curvature perturbations to all orders in perturbation theory. These are powerful results which enable us to calculate the cosmological correlators and loop corrections to any order in perturbation theory. As a non-trivial example, we calculate the $L$-loop corrections on long CMB scale perturbations in the USR models which are used for PBHs formation. We show that the loop corrections scale like $(\Delta N {\cal P}_e L) ^L$ in which ${\cal P}_e$ is the peak of the power spectrum and $\Delta N$ is the duration of the USR phase. This indicates that the loop corrections grow quickly out of perturbative control for large values of $L$. In the conventional USR setup for PBHs formation with $\Delta N \simeq 2.5$, this happens at $L=4$.
comment: 38 pages, 5 figures. This is the long companion paper to our short paper arXiv:2502.09481
☆ An overview of what current data can (and cannot yet) say about evolving dark energy
Recent measurements of Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) and distance moduli from Type Ia supernovae suggest a preference for Dynamical Dark Energy (DDE) scenarios characterized by a time-varying equation of state (EoS). This focused review assesses its robustness across independent measurements and surveys. Using the Chevallier-Polarski-Linder (CPL) parameterization to describe the evolution of the DE EoS, we analyze over 35 dataset combinations, incorporating Planck Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) anisotropies, three independent Type Ia supernova (SN) catalogs (PantheonPlus, Union3, DESY5), BAO measurements from DESI and SDSS, and expansion rate measurements $H(z)$ inferred from the relative ages of massive, passively evolving galaxies at early cosmic times known as Cosmic Chronometers (CC). This review has two main objectives: first, to evaluate the statistical significance of the DDE preference across different dataset combinations, which incorporate varying sources of information. Specifically, we consider cases where only low-redshift probes are used in different combinations, others where individual low-redshift probes are analyzed together with CMB data, and finally, scenarios where high- and low-redshift probes are included in all possible independent combinations. Second, we provide a reader-friendly synthesis of what the latest cosmological and astrophysical probes can (and cannot yet) reveal about DDE. Overall, our findings highlight that combinations that \textit{simultaneously} include PantheonPlus SN and SDSS BAO significantly weaken the preference for DDE. However, intriguing hints supporting DDE emerge in combinations that do not include DESI-BAO measurements: SDSS-BAO combined with SN from Union3 and DESY5 (with and without CMB) support the preference for DDE.
comment: A short review; 20 pages including references; 2 tables, 5 figures; comments are welcome!
☆ The Power Spectrum of the Thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect
The power spectrum of unresolved thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich (tSZ) clusters is extremely sensitive to the amplitude of the matter fluctuations. This paper present an analysis of the tSZ power spectrum using temperature power spectra of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) rather than maps of the Compton y-parameter. Our analysis is robust and insensitive to the cosmic infrared background. Using data from Planck, and higher resolution CMB data from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope and the South Pole Telescope, we find strong evidence that the tSZ spectrum has a shallower slope and a much lower amplitude at multipoles l > 2000$compared to the predictions of the FLAMINGO hydrodynamic simulations of the LCDM cosmology. Recent results on CMB lensing, cross-correlations of CMB lensing with galaxy surveys and full shape analysis of galaxies and quasars from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument suggests that this discrepancy cannot be resolved by lowering the amplitude of the matter fluctuations. An alternative possibility is that the impact of baryonic feedback in the FLAMINGO simulations is underestimated.
☆ CMB lensing tomography with clustering estimation of lens redshift distributions
We develop a clustering-based redshift estimation approach for CMB lensing tomography, focusing on the kernel function of the lensing galaxies. Within a linear galaxy bias framework, we derive estimators for this kernel from two-point cross-correlations between lens mass and reference samples. The reconstructed kernel then enables a theoretical prediction for the angular cross-power spectrum \(C_{g\kappa}\) between CMB lensing convergence and lens galaxies. As a proof of concept, we measure \(C_{g\kappa}\) by correlating the \emph{Planck} PR4 convergence map with NVSS+SUMSS radio galaxies (\(0\lesssim z\lesssim 3\)). We estimate the radio-galaxy kernel by collectively cross-correlating their distribution with spectroscopic and photometric surveys (2MPZ, LOWZ-CMASS, eBOSS DR16 LRGs, and Gaia-unWISE QSOs). From the measured \(C_{g\kappa}\), we obtain \(\sigma_8 = 0.86^{+0.12}_{-0.09}\) when the density parameter is set to the {\it Planck} value of $\Omega_m = 0.315$; this is in good agreement with the \emph{Planck} normalisation of $\sigma_8 = 0.812$.
comment: 22 pages, 21 figures. Submitted to MNRAS
☆ C-parity, magnetic monopoles and higher frequency gravitational waves
We consider the spontaneous breaking of $SO(10)$ grand unified symmetry to the left-right symmetric model $SU(3)_c \times SU(3)_L \times SU(2)_R \times U(1)_{B-L}$ with C-parity also unbroken [$C$ converts $Q\to -Q$, where $Q$ is the electric charge operator in $SO(10)$.] This breaking produces the topologically stable GUT monopole as well as a GUT scale C-string. The subsequent breaking at an intermediate scale of C-parity produces domain walls bounded by C-strings, found by Kibble, Lazarides and Shafi. A limited number of inflationary $e$-foldings experienced during these breakings can yield an observable number density of primordial GUT monopoles. The C-strings also experience this inflationary phase, and the subsequent string-wall network decays through the emission of gravitational waves. We estimate the gravitational wave spectrum from these composite structures over a range of values of the domain wall tension $\sigma$. Depending on $\sigma$ the spectrum displays a peak in the higher frequency range between $10^2$ to $10^5$ Hz.
comment: 15 pages, 3 captioned figures
☆ Gamma-Ray Bursts Calibrated from the Observational $H(z)$ Data in Artificial Neural Network Framework
In this paper, we calibrate the luminosity relation of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) from an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) framework for reconstructing the Hubble parameter \unboldmath{$H(z)$} from the latest observational Hubble data (OHD) obtained with the cosmic chronometers method in a cosmology-independent way. We consider the physical relationships between the data to introduce the covariance matrix and KL divergence of the data to construct the loss function and calibrate the Amati relation ($E_{\rm p}$--$E_{\rm iso}$) by selecting the optimal ANN model with the A219 sample and the J220 sample at low redshift. Combining the Pantheon+ sample of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) and Baryon acoustic oscillations (BAOs) with GRBs at high redshift in the Hubble diagram with Markov Chain Monte Carlo numerical method, we find that the $\Lambda$CDM model is preferred over the $w$CDM and CPL models with the joint constraints by the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC).
comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables
☆ $R_V$ from multi-waveband galaxy polarimetry in supernovae vicinity
Peculiar dust extinction laws have been reported for some type Ia supernovae (SNe) with the parameter $R_V$ much lower than the average value for the Milky Way (MW) of 3.1. Using optical photopolarimetry of supernova (SN) host galaxies, a few years after the explosion, we estimate $R_V$ in the vicinity of each SN and compare it with the extinction law calculated directly from SN observations. Multiband photopolarimetric data of nine galaxies, hosts of eleven SNe, acquired with VLT-FORS2 in IPOL mode, are used to map the polarization angle and the polarization degree in each galaxy. Data are processed with a custom-built reduction pipeline that corrects for instrumental, background, and MW interstellar polarization effects. The validity of Serkowski relations is tested at different locations in the galaxy to extract the wavelength of the maximum polarization {\lambda}max and obtain 2D maps for RV . When the fit to {\lambda}max at the SN location is poor, or impossible, an approximate Bayesian spatial inference method is employed to obtain an estimate of {\lambda}max using well-fitted neighboring locations. The estimated local $R_V$ for each SN is compared with published values from the SN light curves. We find $R_V$ values from optical photopolarimetry at SNe locations consistent with the average MW value and a median difference of > 3{\sigma} with the low peculiar $R_V$ obtained from the analysis of some reddened SN Ia light curves. The $R_V$ estimates obtained with BVRI photopolarimetry for the SNe vicinity are statistically similar to the hosts global $R_V$. Conclusions. The discrepancy between the local $R_V$, inferred from photopolarimetry in the SN vicinity, and RV obtained from SNe light curves suggests that the extinction laws obtained directly from the SNe may be driven by more local effects, perhaps from the interaction of light from the SN with very nearby material.
☆ No evidence for dynamical dark energy from DESI and SN data: a symbolic regression analysis
Recent measurements of Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Survey (DESI), combined with data from the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and Type Ia supernovae (SNe), challenge the $\Lambda$-Cold Dark Matter ($\Lambda$CDM) paradigm. They indicate a potential evolution in the dark energy equation of state (EoS), $w(z)$, as suggested by analyses that employ parametric models. In this paper, we use a model-independent approach known as high performance symbolic regression (PySR) to reconstruct $w(z)$ directly from observational data, allowing us to bypass prior assumptions about the underlying cosmological model. Our findings confirm that the DESI data alone agree with the $\Lambda$CDM model ($w(z) = -1$) at the redshift range considered. Notably, this agreement improves slightly when we exclude the data point at $z = 0.51$. Additionally, we observe similar conclusions when combining the DESI data with existing compilations of SNe distance measurements, such as Pantheon+ and the Dark Energy Survey Supernova 5-Year, regardless of the absolute magnitude prior values used. Therefore, these results suggest that it is premature to claim any statistically significant evidence for a dynamical EoS or deviations from the $\Lambda$CDM model based on the current DESI data, either alone or in combination with supernova measurements.
comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, Latex
☆ Positive-Energy Warp Drive in a De Sitter Universe
Generalizing the result of H. Ellis who embedded a warp bubble in the background of a black hole, we introduce a warp bubble in a de Sitter universe. We show that under certain conditions (namely, that the bubble is moving in the radial direction at a velocity equal to the speed of the expansion of the universe), it is possible for the bubble to have strictly non--negative Eulerian energy density and satisfy the averaged weak and null energy conditions (though they are violated locally). We also prove a more generic theorem that if perturbations of vacuum energy produce at least some underdense regions in all reference frames, they always result in local violations of NEC and WEC. We discuss the implications of these results and their possible applications to models of dark energy like "dark fluid" and quintessence, as well as to physical systems like Casimir cavities and analog gravity setups.
♻ ☆ Black Holes as Fermion Factories
Ultralight bosons near rotating black holes can undergo significant growth through superradiant energy extraction, potentially reaching field values close to the Planck scale and transforming black holes into effective transducers for these fields. The interaction between boson fields and fermions may lead to parametric production or Schwinger pair production of fermions, with efficiencies significantly exceeding those of perturbative decay processes. Additionally, the spatial gradients of scalar clouds and the electric components of vector clouds can accelerate fermions, resulting in observable fluxes. This study considers both Standard Model neutrinos and dark sector fermions, which could contribute to boosted dark matter. Energy loss due to fermion emissions can potentially quench the exponential growth of the cloud, leading to a saturated state. This dynamic provides a framework for establishing limits on boson-neutrino interactions, previously constrained by neutrino self-interaction considerations. In the saturation phase, boson clouds have the capacity to accelerate fermions to TeV energies, producing fluxes that surpass those from atmospheric neutrinos near black holes. These fluxes open new avenues for observations through high-energy neutrino detectors like IceCube, as well as through dark matter direct detection efforts focused on targeted black holes.
comment: 27 pages, 4 figures, published version in JCAP
♻ ☆ Dependence of Galaxy Stellar Properties on the Primordial Spin Factor
We present a numerical discovery that the observable stellar properties of present galaxies retain significant dependences on the primordial density and tidal fields. Analyzing the galaxy catalogs from the TNG300-1 simulations, we first compute the primordial spin factor, $\tau$, defined as the mean degree of misalignments between the principal axes of the initial density and potential hessian tensors at the protogalactic sites. Then, we explore in the framework of Shannon's information theory if and how strongly each of six stellar properties of the present galaxies, namely two stellar sizes ($R_{90\star}$ and $R_{50\star}$), ages, specific star formation rates, optical colors and metallicities, share mutual information with $\tau$, measured at $z=127$. Deliberately controlling the TNG galaxy samples to have no differences in the mass, environmental density and shear distributions, we single out net effects of $\tau$ on each of the galaxy stellar properties. In the higher stellar mass range of $M_{\star}/(h^{-1}\,M_{\odot})\ge 10^{10}$, significant amounts of mutual information with $\tau$ are exhibited by all of the six stellar properties, while in the lower range of $M_{\star}/(h^{-1}\,M_{\odot})< 10^{10}$ only four of the six properties except for the specific star formation rates and colors yield significant signals of $\tau$-dependence. Examining how the mean values of the six stellar properties vary with $\tau$, we also show that the galaxies originated from the protogalactic sites with higher $\tau$ values tend to have larger sizes, later formation epochs, higher specific star formation rates, bluer colors and lower metallicities. It is also discovered that the galaxy stellar sizes, which turn out to be most robustly dependent on $\tau$ regardless of $M_{\star}$, follow a bimodal Gamma distribution, the physical implication of which is discussed.
comment: Accepted for publication in JCAP, 8 figures, 3 tables, revised after referee's comments
♻ ☆ VEGA: Voids idEntification using Genetic Algorithm
Cosmic voids, the nearly empty regions nestled between walls and filaments, are recognized for their extensive applications in the field of cosmology and astrophysics. However, a consensus on the definition of voids remains elusive, as various void-finding methods identify different types of voids, each differing in shape and density based on the method that were used. In this paper, we introduce an innovative void identification method that utilizes Genetic Algorithm analysis. VEGA employs the Voronoi tessellation technique and the Convex Hull algorithm to partition the dataset plane into distinct regions and calculate the volume of each region. For the first time, VEGA integrates Genetic Algorithm analysis with the luminosity density contrast function to identify and locate the possible void region candidates. This method utilizes a set of grid points, which enhances the implementation of Voronoi tessellation and enables VEGA to more effectively access the dataset space for the identification of void regions candidates, finding the center and the ultimate structure of voids. Finally, we applied the VEGA and Aikio-M\"ah\"onen (AM) methods to the same test dataset and compared the cosmic voids identified by VEGA with those identified by the AM method. This comparison demonstrated that the VEGA void-finding method yields reliable results and can be effectively applied to various particle distributions.
comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, for submission to Physical Review X
♻ ☆ GA-NIFS: Multi-phase analysis of a star-forming galaxy at $z \sim 5.5$
In this study, we present a detailed multiphase analysis of HZ4, a main-sequence star-forming galaxy at z ~ 5.5, known for being a turbulent rotating disk and having a detection of a [CII] outflow in the ALMA observations. We exploit JWST/NIRSpec observations in the integral field spectroscopy mode with low- and high-spectral resolution that allow us for the first time to spatially resolve the rest-frame UV and optical emission of the galaxy to investigate the galaxy properties. In particular, the high-resolution dataset allows us to study the kinematics of the ionized gas phase, and the conditions of the interstellar medium, such as the excitation mechanism, dust attenuation, and metallicity. The lower-spectral resolution observations allow us to study the continuum emission and infer the stellar populations' ages and properties. Our findings suggest that HZ4 is a galaxy merger rather than a rotating disk as previously inferred from lower resolution [CII] data. The merger is associated with an extended broad, blueshifted emission, potentially indicative of an outflow originating from a region of intense star formation and extending up to 4 kpc. In light of these new observations we reanalyzed the ALMA data to compare the multiphase gas properties. If we interpret the broad components seen in [CII] and [OIII]$\lambda$5007\.A as outflows, the neutral and ionized components are co-spatial, the mass loading factor of the ionized phase is significantly lower than that of the neutral phase, aligning with trends observed in multi-phase systems at lower redshifts. Nonetheless, additional observations and larger statistical samples are essential to determine the role of mergers and outflows in the early Universe and to clarify the origin of the broad emission components observed in this system.
comment: 23 pages, 20 figures, accepted in A&A
♻ ☆ The MUSE Ultra Deep Field: A 5 Mpc stretch of the z $\approx$ 4 cosmic web revealed in emission
We detect Ly$\alpha$ emission from a ~5 Mpc-long (comoving) portion of the cosmic web hosting an overdensity ($\delta \approx 25$) of 19 Ly$\alpha$ emitters (LAEs) at $z\approx 4$ within the MUSE Ultra Deep Field (MUDF), reaching an average surface brightness (SB) of $5\times 10^{-20}~\rm{erg~s^{-1}~ cm^{-2}~arcsec^{-2}}$. This large-scale structure has an average SB similar to the filament across the two MUDF quasars at $z\approx 3.22$. However, deep multiwavelength data do not show a clear presence of active galactic nuclei, suggesting that the emission is mainly regulated by the underlying gas density. We find $\approx 0.2$ dex higher star formation compared to control samples and a remarkable predominance (5/7) of blue-peaked emission lines in the spectra of the embedded LAEs, indicative of favorable conditions for gas accretion. Lastly, we quantify the contribution of intragalactic gas to the Ly$\alpha$ SB profile at large distances from LAEs. By studying samples of filaments detected in emission within diverse environments, we are finally gaining new insight into the physics of gas accretion within the cosmic web.
comment: 11 pages, 6 figures; accepted for publication in ApJ Letters
♻ ☆ Combining neural networks with galaxy light subtraction for discovering strong lenses in the HSC SSP
Galaxy-scale strong gravitational lenses are valuable objects for a variety of astrophysical and cosmological applications. Strong lensing galaxies are rare, so efficient search methods, such as convolutional neural networks, are often used on large imaging datasets. In this work, we apply a new technique to improve the performance of supervised neural networks by subtracting the central (lensing) galaxy light from both the training and test datasets. We use multiband imaging data from the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC SSP) as our training and test datasets. By subtracting the lensing galaxy light, we increase the contrast of the lensed source compared to the original imaging data. We also apply the light subtraction to non-lenses in order to compare them to the light-subtracted lenses. Residual features resulting from poor light subtraction can adversely affect the performance of networks trained on the subtracted images alone. We find that combining the light-subtracted images with the original gri-band images for training and classification can overcome this and improve the overall classification accuracy. We find the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve can be improved to 0.841 using the combination of the fiducial images and light-subtracted images, compared to 0.808 for the fiducial imaging dataset alone. This may be a promising technique for improving future lens searches using CNNs.
♻ ☆ A semi-analytic estimate for the effective sound speed counterterm in the EFTofLSS
The Effective Field Theory of Large Scale Structure (EFTofLSS) has found tremendous success as a perturbative framework for the evolution of large scale structure, and it is now routinely used to compare theoretical predictions against cosmological observations. The model for the total matter field includes one nuisance parameter at 1-loop order, the effective sound speed, which can be extracted by matching the EFT to full N-body simulations. In this work we first leverage the Layzer-Irvine cosmic energy equation to show that the equation of state can be exactly computed with knowledge of the fully nonlinear power spectrum. When augmented with separate universe methods, we show one can estimate the effective sound speed. This estimate is in good agreement with simulation results, with errors at the few tens of percent level. We apply our method to investigate the cosmology dependence of the effective sound speed and to shed light on what cosmic structures shape its value.
comment: 17+10 pages, 9 figures. Matching JCAP accepted version
♻ ☆ Fading Light, Fierce Winds: JWST Snapshot of a Sub-Eddington Quasar at Cosmic Dawn
The majority of most luminous quasars during the epoch of reionization accrete near or above the Eddington limit, marking the vigorous growth of primitive supermassive black holes (SMBHs). However, their subsequent evolution and environmental impact remain poorly characterized. We present JWST/NIRSpec prism IFU observations of HSC J2239+0207, a low-luminosity quasar at $z\sim6.25$ likely in a late stage of mass assembly with an overmassive SMBH relative to its host galaxy. Using H$\beta$ and H$\alpha$ broad emission lines, we estimate an SMBH mass $M_{\rm BH}\sim3\times10^8~M_{\odot}$ and confirm its sub-Eddington accretion at $\lambda_{\rm Edd}\sim0.4$. Strong FeII emission and a proximity zone of typical size suggest a metal-rich, highly evolved system. In the far-UV, this quasar presents strong broad-absorption-line features, indicative of high-velocity winds ($\nu\sim10^4~{\rm km/s}$). Meanwhile, minimal dust reddening is inferred from the quasar continuum and broad-line Balmer decrement, suggesting little dust along the polar direction. Most interestingly, we identify a gas companion $\sim$5 kpc from the quasar with a high [OIII]/H$\beta$ ratio ($\gtrsim10$), likely representing outflowing gas blown away by AGN feedback. These results highlight HSC J2239+0207 as a likely fading quasar in transition, providing rare insights into SMBH evolution, AGN feedback, and AGN-galaxy interactions in the early Universe.
comment: 12 pages, 5 figures; Accepted for publication in ApJL
♻ ☆ Dipolar fluence distribution of statistically isotropic FERMI gamma-ray bursts
We investigated the large-angle distribution of the gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) from the updated FERMI/GBM catalog to probe the statistical isotropy of these astrophysical transient events. We also studied the angular distribution of the GRB fluence as a way to explore whether this radiative feature shows some preferred direction on the sky that suggest their origin. Our model-independent approach performed a directional analysis of the updated FERMI/GBM catalog. The statistical significance of our results is obtained by comparison with a large set of statistically isotropic samples of cosmic objects, with the same features of the FERMI data. Our analyses confirm that the angular distribution of the FERMIGRB is statistically isotropic on the celestial sphere. Moreover, analyzing the directional distribution of the FERMIGRB fluence, that is, the median GRB fluence in a set of directions that scans the celestial sphere, we found that this astrophysical property exhibits a net dipolar structure with a directional preference for latitudes near the Galactic plane. However, additional studies show that this directional preference is not correlated with the Milky Way Galactic plane, which suggests that the GRB dataset, and its fluence dipolar structure, are extra-Galactic in origin. Interestingly, the analyses of the BATSE Channel 4 fluence data, that is, those GRBs from BATSE with energy $>$ 300 keV, reveal that its dipole direction is very well aligned with the cosmic microwave background dipole.
comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A)
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 10
☆ Detection of a peculiar noise type in the TESS "fast" light curves
We present the detection of a peculiar high-frequency noise component in the 20 second cadence SAP (Simple Aperture Photometry) light curve of TESS (Transiting Exoplanets Survey Satellite). This effect (labeled as blue noise) may be attributed to the pointing instability (also known as satellite jiiter) of the satellite. We present a common technique used in the mitigation of the jitter, by decorrelating against the subpixel position of the photo-center of the point spread function of the star. We also show that a simple linear or polynomial technique may not yield satisfactory corrections, as the behavior or attitude of the noise properties may change considerably throughout the light curve.
comment: Published as a Research Note of the AAS
☆ A primordial radius valley as a consequence of planet formation
The radius distribution of close-in planets has been observed to have a bimodal distribution with a dearth of planets around ~1.5-2.0 $R_\oplus$ commonly referred to as the ''radius valley''. The origin of the valley is normally attributed to mass-loss process such as photoevaporation or core-powered mass loss. Recent work, however, has suggested that the radius valley may instead arise as a consequence of gas accretion by low-mass planets. In this work we therefore aim to investigate the formation of a primordial radius valley from the formation of planet cores through pebble accretion up until the dissipation of the protoplanetary disc and subsequent contraction of accreted atmospheres. The goal of this work is to explore the conditions for forming a primordial radius valley from first principles of planet formation theory, rather than attempting to explain the detailed structure of the observed valley. We use an analytical model with minimal assumptions to estimate the contraction rate of atmospheres and, indeed, find the formation of a primordial radius valley. The planets smaller than the valley did not reach the pebble isolation mass, which is required for the planets to cool down sufficiently to be able to accrete a significant amount of gas. We also estimate the slopes of the radius gap as a function of orbital period for the intrinsic population as well as for planets with orbital periods <100 days. For the intrinsic population, the radius gap follows the pebble isolation mass and increases with increasing orbital period, while for close-in planets the direction of the slope reverses and decreases with increasing orbital period. We find that planets smaller than the radius valley are predominantly rocky while the population of planets larger than the valley consists of a mixture of rocky and water-rich planets.
comment: 24 Pages, 23 Figures, accepted in A&A
☆ Cl+ and HCl+ in Reaction with H2 and Isotopologues: A Glance into H Abstraction and Indirect Exchange at Astrophysical Conditions
Astrochemical models of interstellar clouds, the sites of stars, and planet formation require information about spin-state chemistry to allow quantitative comparison with spectroscopic observations. In particular, it is important to know if full scrambling or H abstraction (also known as proton hopping) takes place in ion-neutral reactions. The reaction of Cl+ and HCl+ with H2 and isotopologues has been studied at cryogenic temperatures between 20 and 180 K using a 22 pole radio frequency ion trap. Isotopic exchange processes are used to probe the reaction mechanism of the HCl+ + H2 reaction. The results are compared with previous measurements and theoretical predictions. The rate coefficients for the Cl+ + H2 and HCl+ + H2 reactions are found to be constant in the range of temperatures studied, except for the DCl+ + D2 reaction, where a weak negative temperature dependence is observed, and reactions with D2 are found to be significantly slower than the Langevin rate. No isotopic exchange reactions are observed to occur for the H2Cl+ ion. The analysis of the products of the HCl+ + H2 isotopic system clearly indicates that the reaction proceeds via simple hydrogen atom abstraction.
☆ Surface dynamics and geophysical environment of asteroid (3200) Phaethon
Context. (3200) Phaethon is a ~5-km-diameter near-Earth asteroid with a small perihelion distance of 0.14 au and is the parent body of the Geminids. JAXA's DESTINY+ mission will fly by Phaethon in the near future. Aims. We aim to support the pre-flight planning for the DESTINY+ mission by performing a geophysical analysis on Phaethon's surface and near-surface environment utilizing the latest shape model from numerous observations. Methods. We employed the soft-sphere discrete element method code PKDGRAV to construct a "mascon" model of Phaethon and determine its gravity. We then computed the geopotential on Phaethon and derived various physical quantities related to its surface and near-surface dynamics. Results. We calculated geophysical quantities for the surface, including surface acceleration and slope. To assess whether surface objects could be launched off the surface, we computed the escape speed, return speed, Jacobi speed, and the location and stability of equilibrium points around Phaethon, and conducted a simple dynamical simulation of launched particles. Conclusions. Our results suggest that a large depression feature in the northern hemisphere could harbor exposed subsurface material and the freshest material on Phaethon. We propose that this depression be considered a key area for observation by the DESTINY+ mission
comment: 19 pages, 16 figures, Accepted on 2025 February 12 for the publication of Astronomy & Astrophysics
☆ Structure of gaps induced by retrograde satellites embedded in accretion discs
Using 2D simulations, we investigate how a non-accreting satellite on a fixed retrograde circular orbit affects the structure of the accretion disc in which it is embedded. We vary the satellite-to-primary mass ratio $q$, the disc viscosity $\nu$, and the inner boundary conditions. A viscous criterion for gap opening is derived, which is broadly consistent with the simulations. We find a scaling relation of the gap depth with $q$ and $\nu$. Unlike the prograde case, the satellite is located at the gap's inner edge, resulting in a surface density at the satellite's orbital radius up to $20$ times higher than at the gap's minimum. As the viscosity decreases, the gap depth increases, while the radial shift of the gap and the satellite's orbital radius decreases. Gap-opening satellites may drive radial motions in the disc, producing eccentric gaps. Positioned at the gap edge, satellites experience a rapidly fluctuating environment. Migrating satellites can develop orbital eccentricities comparable to the disc's aspect ratio. In a 3D simulation with $q=0.01$, the flow velocity exhibits a notorious vertical component in the gap's inner edge. A comparison between 2D and 3D simulations reveals a slight radial offset in gap position, resulting in a lower surface density at the perturber's orbital radius in the 3D simulation.
comment: 15 pages, 24 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ Solar System Elemental Abundances from the Solar Photosphere and CI-Chondrites
Solar photospheric abundances and CI-chondrite compositions are reviewed and updated to obtain representative solar system abundances of the elements and their isotopes. The new photospheric abundances obtained here lead to higher solar metallicity. Full 3D NLTE photospheric analyses are only available for 11 elements. A quality index for analyses is introduced. For several elements, uncertainties remain large. Protosolar mass fractions are H (X = 0.7060), He (Y = 0.2753), and for metals Li to U (Z = 0.0187). The protosolar (C+N)/H agrees within 13% with the ratio for the solar core from the Borexino experiment. Elemental abundances in CI-chondrites were screened by analytical methods, sample sizes, and evaluated using concentration frequency distributions. Aqueously mobile elements (e.g., alkalis, alkaline earths, etc.) often deviate from normal distributions indicating mobilization and/or sequestration into carbonates, phosphates, and sulfates. Revised CI-chondrite abundances of non-volatile elements are similar to earlier estimates. The moderately volatile elements F and Sb are higher than before, as are C, Br and I, whereas the CI-abundances of Hg and N are now significantly lower. The solar system nuclide distribution curves of s-process elements agree within 4% with s-process predictions of Galactic chemical evolution models. P-process nuclide distributions are assessed. No obvious correlation of CI-chondritic to solar elemental abundance ratios with condensation temperatures is observed, nor is there one for ratios of CI-chondrites/solar wind abundances.
comment: 111 papes with appendix, 16 Figures, 7 tables in main text
♻ ☆ The Impact of Extended CO$_2$ Cross Sections on Temperate Anoxic Planet Atmospheres
Our interpretation of terrestrial exoplanet atmospheric spectra will always be limited by the accuracy of the data we use as input in our forward and retrieval models. Ultraviolet molecular absorption cross sections are one category of these essential model inputs; however, they are often poorly characterized at the longest wavelengths relevant to photo-dissociation. Photolysis reactions dominate the chemical kinetics of temperate terrestrial planet atmospheres. One molecule of particular importance is CO$_2$, which is likely present in all terrestrial planet atmospheres. The photolysis of CO$_2$ can introduce CO and O, as well as shield tropospheric water vapor from undergoing photolysis. This is important because H$_2$O photolysis produces OH, which serves as a major reactive sink to many atmospheric trace gases. Here, we construct CO$_2$ cross-section prescriptions at 195K and 300K extrapolated beyond 200 nm from measured cross sections. We compare results from the implementation of these new cross sections to the most commonly used CO$_2$ prescriptions for temperate, terrestrial planets with Archean-like atmospheres. We generally find that the observational consequences of CO$_2$ dissociation beyond 200 nm is minimal so long as our least conservative (highest opacity) prescription can be ruled out. Moreover, implementing our recommended extended CO$_2$ cross sections does not substantially alter previous results showing the consequential photochemical impact of extended H$_2$O cross sections.
comment: 24 pages, 21 figures, 3 tables. Published in the Astrophysical Journal
♻ ☆ Three-dimensional dynamical evolution of cloud particle microphysics in sub-stellar atmospheres I. Description and exploring Y-dwarf atmospheric variability
Understanding of cloud microphysics and the evolution of cloud structures in sub-stellar atmospheres remains a key challenge in the JWST era. The abundance of new JWST data necessitates models that are suitable for coupling with large-scale simulations, such as general circulation models (GCMs), in order to fully understand and assess the complex feedback effects of clouds on the atmosphere, and their influence on observed spectral and variability characteristics. We aim to develop a 2-moment, time-dependent bulk microphysical cloud model that is suitable for GCMs of sub-stellar atmospheres. We derive a set of moment equations for the particle mass distribution and develop a microphysical cloud model employing a 2-moment approach. We include homogeneous nucleation, condensation, and collisional microphysical processes that evolve the moments of a particle size distribution in time. We couple our new 2-moment scheme with the Exo-FMS GCM to simulate the evolution of KCl clouds for a WISE 0359-54 Y-dwarf parameter regime, and examine the effect of cloud opacity on the atmospheric characteristics. Our results show a global KCl cloud structure, with a patchy coverage at higher latitudes, as well as an equatorial belt region that shows increased particle sizes and variations in longitude. Patchy regions are long lived, being present over many rotations of the brown dwarf. Our synthetic spectra conform well with JWST observations of WISE 0359-54, but more cloud opacity is required to dampen the spectral features at wavelengths below ~7um. Our GCM shows periodic and sub-rotational variability on the order of 0.5-1% in the Spitzer [3.6] and [4.5] micron bands, lower than that observed on other Y-dwarf objects.
comment: Accepted A&A (14 Feb 2025)
♻ ☆ The Eclipsing Binaries via Artificial Intelligence. II. Need for Speed in PHOEBE Forward Models
In modern astronomy, the quantity of data collected has vastly exceeded the capacity for manual analysis, necessitating the use of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to assist scientists with the most labor-intensive tasks. AI can optimize simulation codes where computational bottlenecks arise from the time required to generate forward models. One such example is PHOEBE, a modeling code for eclipsing binaries (EBs), where simulating individual systems is feasible, but analyzing observables for extensive parameter combinations is highly time-consuming. To address this, we present a fully connected feedforward artificial neural network (ANN) trained on a dataset of over one million synthetic light curves generated with PHOEBE. Optimization of the ANN architecture yielded a model with six hidden layers, each containing 512 nodes, provides an optimized balance between accuracy and computational complexity. Extensive testing enabled us to establish ANN's applicability limits and to quantify the systematic and statistical errors associated with using such networks for EB analysis. Our findings demonstrate the critical role of dilution effects in parameter estimation for EBs, and we outline methods to incorporate these effects in AI-based models. This proposed ANN framework enables a speedup of over four orders of magnitude compared to traditional methods, with systematic errors not exceeding 1\%, and often as low as 0.01\%, across the entire parameter space.
comment: 21 pages (26 pages in arXiv version), 21 figures, 3 tables
♻ ☆ A reassessment of the "hard-steps" model for the evolution of intelligent life
According to the "hard-steps" model, the origin of humanity required "successful passage through a number of intermediate steps" (so-called "hard" or "critical" steps) that were intrinsically improbable with respect to the total time available for biological evolution on Earth. This model similarly predicts that technological life analogous to human life on Earth is "exceedingly rare" in the universe. Here, we critically reevaluate the core assumptions of the hard-steps model in light of recent advances in the Earth and life sciences. Specifically, we advance a potential alternative model where there are no hard steps, and evolutionary novelties (or singularities) required for human origins can be explained via mechanisms outside of intrinsic improbability. Furthermore, if Earth's surface environment was initially inhospitable not only to human life, but also to certain key intermediate steps in human evolution (e.g., the origin of eukaryotic cells, multicellular animals), then the "delay" in the appearance of humans can be best explained through the sequential opening of new global environmental windows of habitability over Earth history, with humanity arising relatively quickly once the right conditions were established. In this co-evolutionary (or geobiological) scenario, humans did not evolve "early" or "late" with respect to the total lifespan of the biosphere, but "on time."
Astrophysics of Galaxies 27
☆ The impact of medium-width bands on the selection, and subsequent luminosity function measurements, of high-z galaxies
New, ultra-deep medium-width photometric coverage with JWST's NIRCam instrument provides the potential for much improved photo-z reliability at high redshifts. In this study, we conduct a systematic analysis of the JADES Origins Field, which contains 14 broad- and medium-width near-infrared bands, to assess the benefits of medium band photometry on high-z sample completeness and contamination rates. Using imaging with depths of AB mag $29.8-30.35$, we conduct an experiment to observe how high-z selections differ when images are artificially degraded or bands are removed. In parallel, the same experiments are conducted on simulated catalogues from the JAGUAR semi-analytic model to examine if the behaviour from observations can be replicated. We find sample completeness is high ($80\%+$) and contamination low ($<4\%$) when in the $10\sigma+$ regime, even without the use of any medium-width bands. The addition of medium-width bands leads to notable increases in completeness ($\sim10\%$) but multiple bands are required to improve contamination rates due to the small redshift ranges over which they probe strong emission lines. Incidents of Balmer-Lyman degeneracy increase in the $5-7\sigma$ regime and this can be replicated in both simulated catalogues and degraded real data. We measure the faint-end of the UV LF at $8.5
comment: 22 Pages, 12 Figures, 5 Tables, Submitted to MNRAS. Comments welcome
☆ MICONIC: JWST Unveils Shocked Hot Core Chemistry in the Western Nucleus of Arp 220
We present full 3-28 micron JWST MIRI/MRS and NIRSpec/IFU spectra of the western nucleus of Arp 220, the nearest ultraluminous infrared galaxy. This nucleus has long been suggested to possibly host an embedded Compton-thick AGN. Millimeter observations of the dust continuum suggest the presence of a distinct 20 pc core with a dust temperature of $T_\mathrm{d} \gtrsim 500~\mathrm{K}$, in addition to a 100 pc circumnuclear starburst disk. However, unambiguously identifying the nature of this core is challenging, due to the immense obscuration, the nuclear starburst activity, and the nearby eastern nucleus. With the JWST integral field spectrographs, we can, for the first time, separate the two nuclei across this full wavelength range, revealing a wealth of molecular absorption features towards the western nucleus. We analyse the rovibrational bands detected at 4-22 micron, deriving column densities and rotational temperatures for 10 distinct species. Optically thick features of C$_2$H$_2$, HCN and HNC suggest that this molecular gas is hidden behind a curtain of cooler dust, and indicate that the column densities of C$_2$H$_2$ and HCN are an order of magnitude higher than previously derived from Spitzer observations. We identify a warm HCN component with rotational temperature $T_\mathrm{rot} = 330~\mathrm{K}$, which we associate with radiative excitation by the hot inner nucleus. We propose a geometry where the detected molecular gas is located in the inner regions of the starburst disk, directly surrounding the hot 20 parsec core. The chemical footprint of the western nucleus is reminiscent of that of hot cores, with additional evidence for shocks. No evidence for the presence of an AGN in the form of X-ray-driven chemistry or extreme excitation is found.
comment: Submitted to A&A
☆ CMB lensing tomography with clustering estimation of lens redshift distributions
We develop a clustering-based redshift estimation approach for CMB lensing tomography, focusing on the kernel function of the lensing galaxies. Within a linear galaxy bias framework, we derive estimators for this kernel from two-point cross-correlations between lens mass and reference samples. The reconstructed kernel then enables a theoretical prediction for the angular cross-power spectrum \(C_{g\kappa}\) between CMB lensing convergence and lens galaxies. As a proof of concept, we measure \(C_{g\kappa}\) by correlating the \emph{Planck} PR4 convergence map with NVSS+SUMSS radio galaxies (\(0\lesssim z\lesssim 3\)). We estimate the radio-galaxy kernel by collectively cross-correlating their distribution with spectroscopic and photometric surveys (2MPZ, LOWZ-CMASS, eBOSS DR16 LRGs, and Gaia-unWISE QSOs). From the measured \(C_{g\kappa}\), we obtain \(\sigma_8 = 0.86^{+0.12}_{-0.09}\) when the density parameter is set to the {\it Planck} value of $\Omega_m = 0.315$; this is in good agreement with the \emph{Planck} normalisation of $\sigma_8 = 0.812$.
comment: 22 pages, 21 figures. Submitted to MNRAS
☆ Modelling methanol and hydride formation in the JWST Ice Age era
(Abridged) JWST observations have measured the ice composition toward two highly-extinguished field stars in the Chamaeleon I cloud. The observed extinction excess on the long-wavelength side of the H2O ice band at 3 micron has been attributed to a mixture of CH3OH with ammonia hydrates, which suggests that CH3OH ice could have formed in a water-rich environment with little CO depletion. Laboratory experiments and quantum chemical calculations suggest that CH3OH could form via the grain surface reactions CH3+OH and/or C+H2O in water-rich ices. However, no dedicated chemical modelling has been carried out thus far to test their efficiency and dependence on the astrochemical code employed. We model the ice chemistry in the Chamaeleon I cloud using a set of astrochemical codes (MAGICKAL, MONACO, Nautilus, UCLCHEM, and KMC simulations) to test the effects of the different code architectures and of the assumed ice chemistry. Our models show that the JWST ice observations are better reproduced for gas densities >1e5 cm-3 and collapse times >1e5 yr. CH3OH ice forms predominantly (>99%) via CO hydrogenation. The contribution of reactions CH3+OH and C+H2O, is negligible. The CO2 ice may form either via CO+OH or CO+O depending on the code. However, KMC simulations reveal that both mechanisms are efficient despite the low rate constant of the CO+O surface reaction. CH4 is largely underproduced for all codes except for UCLCHEM, for which a higher amount of atomic C is available during the initial translucent cloud phase. Large differences in the ice abundances are found at Tdust<12 K between diffusive and non-diffusive chemistry codes. This is due to the fact that non-diffusive chemistry takes over diffusive chemistry at such low Tdust. This could explain the rather constant ice chemical composition found in Chamaeleon I and other dense cores despite the different visual extinctions probed.
comment: Accepted in A&A
☆ The implications of stochastic gas torques for asymmetric binaries in the LISA band
Gravitational waves from asymmetric mass-ratio black-hole binaries carry unique information about their astrophysical environment. For instance, the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) could potentially measure the amplitude and slope of gas torques in binaries embedded in the accretion disks of Active Galactic Nuclei, helping differentiate competing accretion disk models. However, this relies on simplified analytic models, which do not account for the stochastic variability of torques seen in hydrodynamic simulations. In this work, we use hydrodynamic simulations to create gravitational waveforms for extreme and intermediate mass-ratio inspirals in the LISA band. We then analyze these simulated waveforms using simpler templates that assume analytic torques, without stochastic time variability. By performing realistic Bayesian parameter estimation, we find no bias at 90% confidence in the binary parameters; however, estimates of accretion disk parameters, such as torque amplitude and slope, may be biased. Typically, the posterior distribution is centered around the average value of the torques, but when stochastic variability is large, the posterior can indicate no torques, even though they are present in the simulation. Our results suggest that while simplified analytic torque models work well for estimating binary parameters, caution is needed when using them to infer properties of the accretion disk. This work moves towards a more realistic assessment of one of the LISA science objectives, i.e., probing the properties of the astrophysical environments of black holes.
comment: 16 pages, 9 figures
☆ A MaNGA view of isolated galaxy mergers in the star-forming Main Sequence
In this work we carry out an analysis of star-formation and nuclear activity in the different stages during a galaxy merger identified in isolated systems (isolated galaxies, isolated pairs, and isolated triplets) using integral field spectroscopy from the SDSS-IV/MaNGA project. We classify galaxies into close pairs, pre-mergers, mergers, and post-mergers (including galaxies with post-starburst spectroscopic features), for a total sample of 137 galaxies. We constrained their star formation history from spectro- photometric SED fitting with CIGALE, and used spatially resolved WHAN diagrams, with other MaNGA data products to explore if there is any connection of their physical properties with their merging stage. In general, galaxies show characteristic properties intrinsically related to each stage of the merger process. Galaxies in the merger and post-merger stages present higher star formation activity (measured by their integrated sSFR). In the merger stage, the fraction of strong AGN spaxels is comparable to the fraction of spaxels with pure star-formation emission, with no difference between AGN activity in close pairs and strongly interacting galaxies with the same stellar mass. Our results support the scenario where galaxy interactions trigger star-formation and nuclear activity on galaxies. Nonetheless, AGN has a minor role in quenching galaxies following a merger, as AGN feedback might not have had sufficient time to inhibit star formation. In addition, we found that the quenching process in post-mergers galaxies with post-starburst emission is happening outside-in, being an observational proof of the effect of interactions on the quenching process. The transforming processes after a recent major galaxy interaction may happen slowly on isolated environments, where the system evolves in a common dark matter halo without any perturbation of external galaxies.
comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, 30 pages, 24 figures, and 6 tables
☆ Cl+ and HCl+ in Reaction with H2 and Isotopologues: A Glance into H Abstraction and Indirect Exchange at Astrophysical Conditions
Astrochemical models of interstellar clouds, the sites of stars, and planet formation require information about spin-state chemistry to allow quantitative comparison with spectroscopic observations. In particular, it is important to know if full scrambling or H abstraction (also known as proton hopping) takes place in ion-neutral reactions. The reaction of Cl+ and HCl+ with H2 and isotopologues has been studied at cryogenic temperatures between 20 and 180 K using a 22 pole radio frequency ion trap. Isotopic exchange processes are used to probe the reaction mechanism of the HCl+ + H2 reaction. The results are compared with previous measurements and theoretical predictions. The rate coefficients for the Cl+ + H2 and HCl+ + H2 reactions are found to be constant in the range of temperatures studied, except for the DCl+ + D2 reaction, where a weak negative temperature dependence is observed, and reactions with D2 are found to be significantly slower than the Langevin rate. No isotopic exchange reactions are observed to occur for the H2Cl+ ion. The analysis of the products of the HCl+ + H2 isotopic system clearly indicates that the reaction proceeds via simple hydrogen atom abstraction.
☆ An Ultra-Fast Image Simulation Technique with Spatially Variable Point Spread Functions
Simulated images are essential in algorithm development and instrument testing for optical telescopes. During real observations, images obtained by optical telescopes are affected by spatially variable point spread functions (PSFs), a crucial effect requiring accurate simulation. Traditional methods segment images into patches, convolve patches with individual PSFs, and reassemble them as a whole image. Although widely used, these approaches suffer from slow convolution processes and reduced image fidelity due to abrupt PSF transitions between different patches. This paper introduces a novel method for generating simulated images with spatial continuously varying PSFs. Our approach firstly decomposes original images into PSF bases derived with the principal component analysis method. The entire image is then convolved with these PSF bases to create image bases. Finally, we multiply the coefficients of image bases with these image bases for each pixels and add the multiplication results along each pixel to obtain the final simulated image. Our method could generate high-fidelity simulated images with spatially variable PSFs without boundary artifacts. The method proposed in this paper significantly improves the speed of astronomical image simulation, potentially advancing observational astronomy and instrumental development.
comment: To be published in the AJ. Comments are welcome
☆ Structure of gaps induced by retrograde satellites embedded in accretion discs
Using 2D simulations, we investigate how a non-accreting satellite on a fixed retrograde circular orbit affects the structure of the accretion disc in which it is embedded. We vary the satellite-to-primary mass ratio $q$, the disc viscosity $\nu$, and the inner boundary conditions. A viscous criterion for gap opening is derived, which is broadly consistent with the simulations. We find a scaling relation of the gap depth with $q$ and $\nu$. Unlike the prograde case, the satellite is located at the gap's inner edge, resulting in a surface density at the satellite's orbital radius up to $20$ times higher than at the gap's minimum. As the viscosity decreases, the gap depth increases, while the radial shift of the gap and the satellite's orbital radius decreases. Gap-opening satellites may drive radial motions in the disc, producing eccentric gaps. Positioned at the gap edge, satellites experience a rapidly fluctuating environment. Migrating satellites can develop orbital eccentricities comparable to the disc's aspect ratio. In a 3D simulation with $q=0.01$, the flow velocity exhibits a notorious vertical component in the gap's inner edge. A comparison between 2D and 3D simulations reveals a slight radial offset in gap position, resulting in a lower surface density at the perturber's orbital radius in the 3D simulation.
comment: 15 pages, 24 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ $R_V$ from multi-waveband galaxy polarimetry in supernovae vicinity
Peculiar dust extinction laws have been reported for some type Ia supernovae (SNe) with the parameter $R_V$ much lower than the average value for the Milky Way (MW) of 3.1. Using optical photopolarimetry of supernova (SN) host galaxies, a few years after the explosion, we estimate $R_V$ in the vicinity of each SN and compare it with the extinction law calculated directly from SN observations. Multiband photopolarimetric data of nine galaxies, hosts of eleven SNe, acquired with VLT-FORS2 in IPOL mode, are used to map the polarization angle and the polarization degree in each galaxy. Data are processed with a custom-built reduction pipeline that corrects for instrumental, background, and MW interstellar polarization effects. The validity of Serkowski relations is tested at different locations in the galaxy to extract the wavelength of the maximum polarization {\lambda}max and obtain 2D maps for RV . When the fit to {\lambda}max at the SN location is poor, or impossible, an approximate Bayesian spatial inference method is employed to obtain an estimate of {\lambda}max using well-fitted neighboring locations. The estimated local $R_V$ for each SN is compared with published values from the SN light curves. We find $R_V$ values from optical photopolarimetry at SNe locations consistent with the average MW value and a median difference of > 3{\sigma} with the low peculiar $R_V$ obtained from the analysis of some reddened SN Ia light curves. The $R_V$ estimates obtained with BVRI photopolarimetry for the SNe vicinity are statistically similar to the hosts global $R_V$. Conclusions. The discrepancy between the local $R_V$, inferred from photopolarimetry in the SN vicinity, and RV obtained from SNe light curves suggests that the extinction laws obtained directly from the SNe may be driven by more local effects, perhaps from the interaction of light from the SN with very nearby material.
☆ Solar System Elemental Abundances from the Solar Photosphere and CI-Chondrites
Solar photospheric abundances and CI-chondrite compositions are reviewed and updated to obtain representative solar system abundances of the elements and their isotopes. The new photospheric abundances obtained here lead to higher solar metallicity. Full 3D NLTE photospheric analyses are only available for 11 elements. A quality index for analyses is introduced. For several elements, uncertainties remain large. Protosolar mass fractions are H (X = 0.7060), He (Y = 0.2753), and for metals Li to U (Z = 0.0187). The protosolar (C+N)/H agrees within 13% with the ratio for the solar core from the Borexino experiment. Elemental abundances in CI-chondrites were screened by analytical methods, sample sizes, and evaluated using concentration frequency distributions. Aqueously mobile elements (e.g., alkalis, alkaline earths, etc.) often deviate from normal distributions indicating mobilization and/or sequestration into carbonates, phosphates, and sulfates. Revised CI-chondrite abundances of non-volatile elements are similar to earlier estimates. The moderately volatile elements F and Sb are higher than before, as are C, Br and I, whereas the CI-abundances of Hg and N are now significantly lower. The solar system nuclide distribution curves of s-process elements agree within 4% with s-process predictions of Galactic chemical evolution models. P-process nuclide distributions are assessed. No obvious correlation of CI-chondritic to solar elemental abundance ratios with condensation temperatures is observed, nor is there one for ratios of CI-chondrites/solar wind abundances.
comment: 111 papes with appendix, 16 Figures, 7 tables in main text
☆ Spatially resolved dust properties over 50 kpc in a hyperluminous galaxy merger at $z = 4.6$
We present spatially resolved dust-continuum ALMA observations from rest-frame $\sim$60 to $\sim$600 $\mu$m (bands 3-10) of the hyperluminous hot dust-obscured galaxy (hot DOG) WISE J224607.6-052634.9 (W2246-0526), at redshift $z=4.6$. W2246-0526 is interacting with at least three companion galaxies, forming a system connected by tidal streams. We model the multiwavelength ALMA observations of the dust continuum using a modified blackbody, from which we derive the dust properties (mass, emissivity index, area of the emitting region, and temperature) in the hot DOG and resolved structures across a region of nearly $\sim$50 kpc. The peak temperature at the location of the hot DOG, $\sim$110 K, is likely the consequence of heating by the central quasar. The dust temperature drops to $\sim$40 K at a radius of $\sim$8 kpc, suggesting that heating by the quasar beyond that distance is nondominant. The dust in the connecting streams between the host and companion galaxies is at temperatures between 30-40 K, typical of starburst galaxies, suggesting it is most likely heated by recent, in-situ star formation. This is the first time dust properties are spatially resolved over several tens of kpc in a galaxy system beyond Cosmic Noon --this is more than six times the scales previously probed in galaxies at those redshifts.
comment: 10 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A
☆ The JWST EXCELS survey: Probing strong-line diagnostics and the chemical evolution of galaxies over cosmic time using Te-metallicities
We present an analysis of the rest-frame optical spectra of 22 [OIII]$\lambda$4363 detected galaxies in the redshift range $1.65 < z < 7.92$ (with $\langle z \rangle$ = 4.05) from JWST/NIRSpec medium-resolution observations taken as part of the EXCELS survey. To supplement these high-redshift sources, we also consider a sample of 782 local [OIII]$\lambda$4363 detected galaxies from the DESI Early Data Release. Our analysis demonstrates that many strong-line calibrations are biased in the early Universe due to the systematic evolution in ionization conditions with redshift. However, the recently introduced $\widehat{R}$ calibration mostly removes the dependence on ionization state and can be considered a largely redshift-independent calibration. In a similar spirit, we introduce a new strong-line diagnostic, $\widehat{RNe}$, which can be used to robustly estimate metallicities when the [OIII]$\lambda$5007 is redshifted out of the wavelength range of JWST/NIRSpec at $z > 9.5$. We also show that strong-line diagnostics using the [NII]$\lambda$6584 emission line are likely to be biased at high-redshift due to a moderate enhancement in the average N/O abundance ratios (at fixed O/H) in these sources. Finally, we discuss the location of our new [OIII]$\lambda$4363 detected galaxies at $z \simeq 4$ on the mass-metallicity plane and investigate the redshift evolution of the fundamental metallicity relation (FMR). We find tentative evidence for an increasing deviation from the FMR at $z > 4$ which might indicate fundamental differences in the baryon cycle at these redshifts. However, more data are required as our high-redshift constraints are still based on a relatively small sample of galaxies and the significance of the deviation is strongly dependent on the assumed form of the fundamental metallicity relation.
comment: 27 pages, 15 figures. Submitted to MNRAS
♻ ☆ Milky Way dynamics in light of Gaia
The Gaia mission has triggered major developments in the field of Galactic dynamics in recent years, which we discuss in this review. The structure and kinematics of all Galactic components - disc, bar/bulge and halo - are now mapped in great detail not only in the Solar neighbourhood, but across a large part of the Milky Way. The dramatic improvements in the coverage and precision of observations revealed various disequilibrium processes, such as perturbations in the Galactic disc and the deformations of the outer halo, which are partly attributed to the interaction with satellite galaxies. The knowledge of the gravitational potential at all scales has also advanced considerably, but we are still far from having a consistent view on the key properties of the Galaxy, such as the bar pattern speed or the mass profile and shape of the dark halo. The complexity and interplay of several dynamical processes makes the interpretation of observational data challenging, and it is fair to say that more theoretical effort is needed to fully reap the fruit of the Gaia revolution.
comment: Review article in the special issue of New Astronomy Reviews "Gaia, the first crop of discoveries"; minor updates to match the published version
♻ ☆ The origin channels of hierarchical binary black hole mergers in the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA O1, O2, and O3 runs
We infer the origin channels of hierarchical mergers observed in the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) O1, O2, and O3 runs using a hierarchical Bayesian analysis under a parametric population model. By assuming the active galactic nucleus (AGN) disk and nuclear star cluster (NSC) channels, we find that NSCs likely dominate the hierarchical merger rate in the Universe, corresponding to a fraction of $f_{\rm NSC}=0.87_{-0.29}^{+0.10}$ at 90\% credible intervals in our fiducial model; AGN disks may contribute up to nearly half of hierarchical mergers detectable with LVK, specifically $f_{\rm det,AGN}=0.34_{-0.26}^{+0.38}$. We investigate the impact of the escape speed, along with other population parameters on the branching fraction, suggesting that the mass, mass ratio, and spin of the sources play significant roles in population analysis. We show that hierarchical mergers constitute at least $\sim$$10\%$ of the gravitational wave events detected by LVK during the O1-O3 runs. Furthermore, we demonstrate that it is challenging to effectively infer detailed information about the host environment based solely on the distribution of black hole merger parameters if multiple formation channels are considered.
comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables; accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal
♻ ☆ EPOCHS XI: The Structure and Morphology of Galaxies in the Epoch of Reionization to z ~ 12.5
We present a structural analysis of 521 galaxy candidates at 6.5 < z < 12.5, with $SNR > 10\sigma$ in the F444W filter, taken from the EPOCHS v1 sample, consisting of uniformly reduced deep JWST NIRCam data, covering the CEERS, JADES GOOD-S, NGDEEP, SMACS0723, GLASS and PEARLS surveys. We use standard software to fit single S\'ersic models to each galaxy in the rest-frame optical and extract their parametric structural parameters (S\'ersic index, half-light radius and axis-ratio), and \texttt{Morfometryka} to measure their non-parametric concentration and asymmetry parameters. We find a wide range of sizes for these early galaxies, but with a strong galaxy-size mass correlation up to $z \sim 12$ such that galaxy sizes continue to get progressively smaller in the high-redshift regime, following $R_{e} = 2.74 \pm 0.49 \left( 1 + z \right) ^{-0.79 \pm 0.08}$ kpc. Using non-parametric methods we find that galaxy merger fractions, classified through asymmetry parameters, at these redshifts remain consistent with those in literature, maintaining a value of $f_{m} \sim 0.12 \pm 0.07$ showing little dependence with redshift when combined with literature at $z > 4$. We find that galaxies which are smaller in size also appear rounder, with an excess of high axis-ratio objects. Finally, we artificially redshift a subsample of our objects to determine how robust the observational trends we see are, determining that observed trends are due to real evolutionary effects, rather than being a consequence of redshift effects.
comment: 35 pages, 13 figures. Submitted to ApJ on 19/12/2024. Comments to corresponding author welcome at lewi.westcott@manchester.ac.uk
♻ ☆ Dependence of Galaxy Stellar Properties on the Primordial Spin Factor
We present a numerical discovery that the observable stellar properties of present galaxies retain significant dependences on the primordial density and tidal fields. Analyzing the galaxy catalogs from the TNG300-1 simulations, we first compute the primordial spin factor, $\tau$, defined as the mean degree of misalignments between the principal axes of the initial density and potential hessian tensors at the protogalactic sites. Then, we explore in the framework of Shannon's information theory if and how strongly each of six stellar properties of the present galaxies, namely two stellar sizes ($R_{90\star}$ and $R_{50\star}$), ages, specific star formation rates, optical colors and metallicities, share mutual information with $\tau$, measured at $z=127$. Deliberately controlling the TNG galaxy samples to have no differences in the mass, environmental density and shear distributions, we single out net effects of $\tau$ on each of the galaxy stellar properties. In the higher stellar mass range of $M_{\star}/(h^{-1}\,M_{\odot})\ge 10^{10}$, significant amounts of mutual information with $\tau$ are exhibited by all of the six stellar properties, while in the lower range of $M_{\star}/(h^{-1}\,M_{\odot})< 10^{10}$ only four of the six properties except for the specific star formation rates and colors yield significant signals of $\tau$-dependence. Examining how the mean values of the six stellar properties vary with $\tau$, we also show that the galaxies originated from the protogalactic sites with higher $\tau$ values tend to have larger sizes, later formation epochs, higher specific star formation rates, bluer colors and lower metallicities. It is also discovered that the galaxy stellar sizes, which turn out to be most robustly dependent on $\tau$ regardless of $M_{\star}$, follow a bimodal Gamma distribution, the physical implication of which is discussed.
comment: Accepted for publication in JCAP, 8 figures, 3 tables, revised after referee's comments
♻ ☆ An analytical model for the magnetic field in the thick shell of Galactic bubbles with uniform initial conditions
Bubbles and super-bubbles are ubiquitous in the interstellar medium and influence their local magnetic field. Starting from the assumption that bubbles result from violent explosions that sweep matter away in a thick shell, we derive the analytical equations for the divergence-free, regular magnetic field in the shell. The explosion velocity field is assumed to be radial but not necessarily spherical, making it possible to model various-shaped bubbles. Assuming an explosion center, the magnetic field at the present time is fully determined by the initial uniform magnetic field, the present-time geometry of the bubble shell, and a radial vector field that encodes the explosion-induced displacement of matter, from its original location to its present-time location. We present the main characteristics of our magnetic-field model using a simple linear model for the radial displacements. Next, we use our analytical prescription, informed by a three-dimensional dust density map, to estimate the expected contribution of the shell of the Local Bubble, the super-bubbles in which the Sun resides, to the integrated Faraday rotation measures and synchrotron emission and compare these to full-sky observational data. We find that, while the contribution to the former is minimal, the contribution to the latter is very significant at Galactic latitudes $|b|>45^\circ$. Our results underline the need to take the Local Bubble into account in large-scale Galactic magnetic field studies.
comment: v2: minor edits and correction for the matter density profile (Eq 20)
♻ ☆ Comparison of methods used to derive the Galactic star formation history from white dwarf samples
We compare three methods of deriving the local Galactic star formation history, using as a benchmark the Gaia-defined 40 pc white dwarf sample, currently the largest volume complete sample of stellar remnants with medium-resolution spectroscopy. We create a population synthesis model to 1) reproduce the observed white dwarf luminosity function, 2) reproduce the observed absolute Gaia G magnitude distribution, and 3) directly calculate the ages of all individual white dwarfs in the 40 pc volume. We then compare the star formation histories determined from each method. Previous studies using these methods were based on different white dwarf samples and as such were difficult to compare. Uncertainties in each method such as the initial mass function, initial-final mass relation, main sequence lifetimes, stellar metallicity, white dwarf cooling ages and binary evolution are accounted for to estimate the precision and accuracy of each method. We conclude that no method is quantitatively better at determining the star formation history and all three produce star formation histories that agree within uncertainties of current external astrophysical relations.
comment: Submitted to MNRAS. Comments are welcome
♻ ☆ The [NII] 205 $μ$m line emission from high-z SMGs and QSOs
We present [NII] 205 $\mu$m fine structure line observations of three submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) and three quasar host galaxies at 4$\lesssim$z$\lesssim$6 using the Institut de radioastronomie millim\'etrique (IRAM) interferometer. The [NII] emission is detected in three sources, and we report detections of the underlying dust continuum emission in all sources. The observed [NII]-to-infrared luminosity ratio spans at least 0.5 dex for our sources. Comparing our estimates with sources detected in the [NII] 205 $\mu$m at similar redshifts shows that the overall [NII]-to-IR luminosity ratio spans over a dex in magnitude from L$_{[NII]}$/L$_{IR}$ ~ 10$^{-4}$ - 10$^{-5}$ and follows the trend of the so-called [NII] fine structure line deficit observed in (ultra)-luminous infrared galaxies in the local Universe. The [CII]-to-[NII] luminosity ratio is >10 for most of our sources, indicating that the bulk of the [CII] 158 $\mu$m line emission (f([CII]$^{PDR}$)>75%) arises from the neutral medium. From our analysis, we do not find significant differences in the [NII] 205 $\mu$m emission and the respective ratios between SMGs and QSOs, suggesting a negligible contribution to the boosting of [NII] 205 $\mu$m emission due to the active galactic nucleus (AGN) photoionization. Future investigations involving other fine structure lines and optical diagnostics will provide further insight into a suite of ionized medium properties and reveal the diversity between AGN and non-AGN environments.
comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in A&A; typo corrected for number of figures
♻ ☆ The GALAH survey: Improving chemical abundances using star clusters
Large spectroscopic surveys aim to consistently compute stellar parameters of very diverse stars while minimizing systematic errors. We explore the use of stellar clusters as benchmarks to verify the precision of spectroscopic parameters in the 4. data release (DR4) of the GALAH survey. We examine 58 open and globular clusters and associations to validate measurements of temperature, gravity, chemical abundances, and stellar ages. We focus on identifying systematic errors and understanding trends between stellar parameters, particularly temperature and chemical abundances. We identify trends by stacking measurements of chemical abundances against effective temperature and modelling them with splines. We also refit spectra in three clusters with the Spectroscopy Made Easy and Korg packages to reproduce the trends in DR4 and to search for their origin by varying temperature and gravity priors, linelists, and spectral continuum. Trends are consistent between clusters of different ages and metallicities, can reach amplitudes of ~0.5 dex and differ for dwarfs and giants. We use the derived trends to correct the DR4 abundances of 24 and 31 chemical elements for dwarfs and giants, and publish a detrended catalogue. While the origin of the trends could not be pinpointed, we found that: i) photometric priors affect derived abundances, ii) temperature, metallicity, and continuum levels are degenerate in spectral fitting, and it is hard to break the degeneracy even by using independent measurements, iii) the completeness of the linelist used in spectral synthesis is essential for cool stars, and iv) different spectral fitting codes produce significantly different iron abundances for stars of all temperatures. We conclude that clusters can be used to characterise the systematic errors of parameters produced in large surveys, but further research is needed to explain the origin of the trends.
♻ ☆ GA-NIFS: Multi-phase analysis of a star-forming galaxy at $z \sim 5.5$
In this study, we present a detailed multiphase analysis of HZ4, a main-sequence star-forming galaxy at z ~ 5.5, known for being a turbulent rotating disk and having a detection of a [CII] outflow in the ALMA observations. We exploit JWST/NIRSpec observations in the integral field spectroscopy mode with low- and high-spectral resolution that allow us for the first time to spatially resolve the rest-frame UV and optical emission of the galaxy to investigate the galaxy properties. In particular, the high-resolution dataset allows us to study the kinematics of the ionized gas phase, and the conditions of the interstellar medium, such as the excitation mechanism, dust attenuation, and metallicity. The lower-spectral resolution observations allow us to study the continuum emission and infer the stellar populations' ages and properties. Our findings suggest that HZ4 is a galaxy merger rather than a rotating disk as previously inferred from lower resolution [CII] data. The merger is associated with an extended broad, blueshifted emission, potentially indicative of an outflow originating from a region of intense star formation and extending up to 4 kpc. In light of these new observations we reanalyzed the ALMA data to compare the multiphase gas properties. If we interpret the broad components seen in [CII] and [OIII]$\lambda$5007\.A as outflows, the neutral and ionized components are co-spatial, the mass loading factor of the ionized phase is significantly lower than that of the neutral phase, aligning with trends observed in multi-phase systems at lower redshifts. Nonetheless, additional observations and larger statistical samples are essential to determine the role of mergers and outflows in the early Universe and to clarify the origin of the broad emission components observed in this system.
comment: 23 pages, 20 figures, accepted in A&A
♻ ☆ The MUSE Ultra Deep Field: A 5 Mpc stretch of the z $\approx$ 4 cosmic web revealed in emission
We detect Ly$\alpha$ emission from a ~5 Mpc-long (comoving) portion of the cosmic web hosting an overdensity ($\delta \approx 25$) of 19 Ly$\alpha$ emitters (LAEs) at $z\approx 4$ within the MUSE Ultra Deep Field (MUDF), reaching an average surface brightness (SB) of $5\times 10^{-20}~\rm{erg~s^{-1}~ cm^{-2}~arcsec^{-2}}$. This large-scale structure has an average SB similar to the filament across the two MUDF quasars at $z\approx 3.22$. However, deep multiwavelength data do not show a clear presence of active galactic nuclei, suggesting that the emission is mainly regulated by the underlying gas density. We find $\approx 0.2$ dex higher star formation compared to control samples and a remarkable predominance (5/7) of blue-peaked emission lines in the spectra of the embedded LAEs, indicative of favorable conditions for gas accretion. Lastly, we quantify the contribution of intragalactic gas to the Ly$\alpha$ SB profile at large distances from LAEs. By studying samples of filaments detected in emission within diverse environments, we are finally gaining new insight into the physics of gas accretion within the cosmic web.
comment: 11 pages, 6 figures; accepted for publication in ApJ Letters
♻ ☆ Combining neural networks with galaxy light subtraction for discovering strong lenses in the HSC SSP
Galaxy-scale strong gravitational lenses are valuable objects for a variety of astrophysical and cosmological applications. Strong lensing galaxies are rare, so efficient search methods, such as convolutional neural networks, are often used on large imaging datasets. In this work, we apply a new technique to improve the performance of supervised neural networks by subtracting the central (lensing) galaxy light from both the training and test datasets. We use multiband imaging data from the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC SSP) as our training and test datasets. By subtracting the lensing galaxy light, we increase the contrast of the lensed source compared to the original imaging data. We also apply the light subtraction to non-lenses in order to compare them to the light-subtracted lenses. Residual features resulting from poor light subtraction can adversely affect the performance of networks trained on the subtracted images alone. We find that combining the light-subtracted images with the original gri-band images for training and classification can overcome this and improve the overall classification accuracy. We find the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve can be improved to 0.841 using the combination of the fiducial images and light-subtracted images, compared to 0.808 for the fiducial imaging dataset alone. This may be a promising technique for improving future lens searches using CNNs.
♻ ☆ An intriguing coincidence between the majority of vast polar structure dwarfs and a recent major merger at the M31 position
A significant part of the Milky Way (MW) dwarf galaxies orbit within a Vast POlar Structure (VPOS), which is perpendicular to the Galactic disc and whose origin has not yet been identified. It includes the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and its six dynamically associated dwarf galaxies. Andromeda Galaxy (M31) experienced a major merger two to three billion years ago, and its accurate modelling predicts that an associated tidal tail is pointing towards the Galaxy. Here, we tested a possible association between M31 tidal tail particles and MW dwarf galaxies, focusing first on the LMC and its associated dwarfs since they are less affected by ram pressure. We traced back these dwarf galaxy orbits by one billion years and calculated their association with the tidal tail particles in the 6D phase space, based on their proper motion from \textit{Gaia} DR3. We find that for low-mass MW models (total mass less than 5 $\times 10^{11} M_{\odot}$), the separation in the 6D space can be less than 1$\sigma$ for most of the M31 modelling, albeit with a significant degree of freedom due to the still unknown proper motion of M31. We further discover that many other dwarfs could also be associated with the M31 tidal tails if their motions had been radially slowed, as expected from the ram pressure exerted by the MW corona. This intriguing coincidence could explain the origin of the VPOS, which resulted from a matter exchange between M31 and MW.
comment: A&A, accepted 20th December 2024, published online 04 February 2025, 10 pages, 9 figures, and Appendix A, B, C, D & E
♻ ☆ Fading Light, Fierce Winds: JWST Snapshot of a Sub-Eddington Quasar at Cosmic Dawn
The majority of most luminous quasars during the epoch of reionization accrete near or above the Eddington limit, marking the vigorous growth of primitive supermassive black holes (SMBHs). However, their subsequent evolution and environmental impact remain poorly characterized. We present JWST/NIRSpec prism IFU observations of HSC J2239+0207, a low-luminosity quasar at $z\sim6.25$ likely in a late stage of mass assembly with an overmassive SMBH relative to its host galaxy. Using H$\beta$ and H$\alpha$ broad emission lines, we estimate an SMBH mass $M_{\rm BH}\sim3\times10^8~M_{\odot}$ and confirm its sub-Eddington accretion at $\lambda_{\rm Edd}\sim0.4$. Strong FeII emission and a proximity zone of typical size suggest a metal-rich, highly evolved system. In the far-UV, this quasar presents strong broad-absorption-line features, indicative of high-velocity winds ($\nu\sim10^4~{\rm km/s}$). Meanwhile, minimal dust reddening is inferred from the quasar continuum and broad-line Balmer decrement, suggesting little dust along the polar direction. Most interestingly, we identify a gas companion $\sim$5 kpc from the quasar with a high [OIII]/H$\beta$ ratio ($\gtrsim10$), likely representing outflowing gas blown away by AGN feedback. These results highlight HSC J2239+0207 as a likely fading quasar in transition, providing rare insights into SMBH evolution, AGN feedback, and AGN-galaxy interactions in the early Universe.
comment: 12 pages, 5 figures; Accepted for publication in ApJL
♻ ☆ The Eclipsing Binaries via Artificial Intelligence. II. Need for Speed in PHOEBE Forward Models
In modern astronomy, the quantity of data collected has vastly exceeded the capacity for manual analysis, necessitating the use of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to assist scientists with the most labor-intensive tasks. AI can optimize simulation codes where computational bottlenecks arise from the time required to generate forward models. One such example is PHOEBE, a modeling code for eclipsing binaries (EBs), where simulating individual systems is feasible, but analyzing observables for extensive parameter combinations is highly time-consuming. To address this, we present a fully connected feedforward artificial neural network (ANN) trained on a dataset of over one million synthetic light curves generated with PHOEBE. Optimization of the ANN architecture yielded a model with six hidden layers, each containing 512 nodes, provides an optimized balance between accuracy and computational complexity. Extensive testing enabled us to establish ANN's applicability limits and to quantify the systematic and statistical errors associated with using such networks for EB analysis. Our findings demonstrate the critical role of dilution effects in parameter estimation for EBs, and we outline methods to incorporate these effects in AI-based models. This proposed ANN framework enables a speedup of over four orders of magnitude compared to traditional methods, with systematic errors not exceeding 1\%, and often as low as 0.01\%, across the entire parameter space.
comment: 21 pages (26 pages in arXiv version), 21 figures, 3 tables
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 15
☆ Detection of a peculiar noise type in the TESS "fast" light curves
We present the detection of a peculiar high-frequency noise component in the 20 second cadence SAP (Simple Aperture Photometry) light curve of TESS (Transiting Exoplanets Survey Satellite). This effect (labeled as blue noise) may be attributed to the pointing instability (also known as satellite jiiter) of the satellite. We present a common technique used in the mitigation of the jitter, by decorrelating against the subpixel position of the photo-center of the point spread function of the star. We also show that a simple linear or polynomial technique may not yield satisfactory corrections, as the behavior or attitude of the noise properties may change considerably throughout the light curve.
comment: Published as a Research Note of the AAS
☆ Modelling methanol and hydride formation in the JWST Ice Age era
(Abridged) JWST observations have measured the ice composition toward two highly-extinguished field stars in the Chamaeleon I cloud. The observed extinction excess on the long-wavelength side of the H2O ice band at 3 micron has been attributed to a mixture of CH3OH with ammonia hydrates, which suggests that CH3OH ice could have formed in a water-rich environment with little CO depletion. Laboratory experiments and quantum chemical calculations suggest that CH3OH could form via the grain surface reactions CH3+OH and/or C+H2O in water-rich ices. However, no dedicated chemical modelling has been carried out thus far to test their efficiency and dependence on the astrochemical code employed. We model the ice chemistry in the Chamaeleon I cloud using a set of astrochemical codes (MAGICKAL, MONACO, Nautilus, UCLCHEM, and KMC simulations) to test the effects of the different code architectures and of the assumed ice chemistry. Our models show that the JWST ice observations are better reproduced for gas densities >1e5 cm-3 and collapse times >1e5 yr. CH3OH ice forms predominantly (>99%) via CO hydrogenation. The contribution of reactions CH3+OH and C+H2O, is negligible. The CO2 ice may form either via CO+OH or CO+O depending on the code. However, KMC simulations reveal that both mechanisms are efficient despite the low rate constant of the CO+O surface reaction. CH4 is largely underproduced for all codes except for UCLCHEM, for which a higher amount of atomic C is available during the initial translucent cloud phase. Large differences in the ice abundances are found at Tdust<12 K between diffusive and non-diffusive chemistry codes. This is due to the fact that non-diffusive chemistry takes over diffusive chemistry at such low Tdust. This could explain the rather constant ice chemical composition found in Chamaeleon I and other dense cores despite the different visual extinctions probed.
comment: Accepted in A&A
☆ Magnetic activity evolution of solar-like stars: II. $S_{\rm ph}$-Ro evolution of Kepler main-sequence targets
There is now a large sample of stars observed by the Kepler satellite with measured rotation periods and photometric activity index $S_{\rm ph}$. We use this data, in conjunction with stellar interiors models, to explore the interplay of magnetism, rotation, and convection. Stellar activity proxies other than $S_{\rm ph}$ are correlated with the Rossby number, $Ro$, or ratio of rotation period to convective overturn timescale. We compute the latter using the Yale Rotating Evolution Code stellar models. We observe different $S_{\rm ph}$-$Ro$ relationships for different stellar spectral types. Though the overall trend of decreasing magnetic activity versus $Ro$ is recovered, we find a localized dip in $S_{\rm ph}$ around $Ro/Ro_{\odot} \sim$\,0.3 for the G and K dwarfs. F dwarfs show little to no dependence of $S_{\rm ph}$ on $Ro$ due to their shallow convective zones; further accentuated as $T_{\rm eff}$ increases. The dip in activity for the G and K dwarfs corresponds to the intermediate rotation period gap, suggesting that the dip in $S_{\rm ph}$ could be associated with the redistribution of angular momentum between the core and convective envelope inside stars. For G-type stars, we observe enhanced magnetic activity above solar $Ro$. Compared to other Sun-like stars with similar effective temperature and metallicity, we find that the Sun's current level of magnetic activity is comparable to its peers and lies near the transition to increasing magnetic activity at high $Ro$. We confirm that metal-rich stars have a systematically larger $S_{\rm ph}$ level than metal-poor stars, which is likely a consequence of their deeper convective zones.
comment: 21 pages, 10 figures, including 7 pages of Appendix. Accepted for publication in ApJ
☆ Cl+ and HCl+ in Reaction with H2 and Isotopologues: A Glance into H Abstraction and Indirect Exchange at Astrophysical Conditions
Astrochemical models of interstellar clouds, the sites of stars, and planet formation require information about spin-state chemistry to allow quantitative comparison with spectroscopic observations. In particular, it is important to know if full scrambling or H abstraction (also known as proton hopping) takes place in ion-neutral reactions. The reaction of Cl+ and HCl+ with H2 and isotopologues has been studied at cryogenic temperatures between 20 and 180 K using a 22 pole radio frequency ion trap. Isotopic exchange processes are used to probe the reaction mechanism of the HCl+ + H2 reaction. The results are compared with previous measurements and theoretical predictions. The rate coefficients for the Cl+ + H2 and HCl+ + H2 reactions are found to be constant in the range of temperatures studied, except for the DCl+ + D2 reaction, where a weak negative temperature dependence is observed, and reactions with D2 are found to be significantly slower than the Langevin rate. No isotopic exchange reactions are observed to occur for the H2Cl+ ion. The analysis of the products of the HCl+ + H2 isotopic system clearly indicates that the reaction proceeds via simple hydrogen atom abstraction.
☆ An Ultra-Fast Image Simulation Technique with Spatially Variable Point Spread Functions
Simulated images are essential in algorithm development and instrument testing for optical telescopes. During real observations, images obtained by optical telescopes are affected by spatially variable point spread functions (PSFs), a crucial effect requiring accurate simulation. Traditional methods segment images into patches, convolve patches with individual PSFs, and reassemble them as a whole image. Although widely used, these approaches suffer from slow convolution processes and reduced image fidelity due to abrupt PSF transitions between different patches. This paper introduces a novel method for generating simulated images with spatial continuously varying PSFs. Our approach firstly decomposes original images into PSF bases derived with the principal component analysis method. The entire image is then convolved with these PSF bases to create image bases. Finally, we multiply the coefficients of image bases with these image bases for each pixels and add the multiplication results along each pixel to obtain the final simulated image. Our method could generate high-fidelity simulated images with spatially variable PSFs without boundary artifacts. The method proposed in this paper significantly improves the speed of astronomical image simulation, potentially advancing observational astronomy and instrumental development.
comment: To be published in the AJ. Comments are welcome
☆ Solar System Elemental Abundances from the Solar Photosphere and CI-Chondrites
Solar photospheric abundances and CI-chondrite compositions are reviewed and updated to obtain representative solar system abundances of the elements and their isotopes. The new photospheric abundances obtained here lead to higher solar metallicity. Full 3D NLTE photospheric analyses are only available for 11 elements. A quality index for analyses is introduced. For several elements, uncertainties remain large. Protosolar mass fractions are H (X = 0.7060), He (Y = 0.2753), and for metals Li to U (Z = 0.0187). The protosolar (C+N)/H agrees within 13% with the ratio for the solar core from the Borexino experiment. Elemental abundances in CI-chondrites were screened by analytical methods, sample sizes, and evaluated using concentration frequency distributions. Aqueously mobile elements (e.g., alkalis, alkaline earths, etc.) often deviate from normal distributions indicating mobilization and/or sequestration into carbonates, phosphates, and sulfates. Revised CI-chondrite abundances of non-volatile elements are similar to earlier estimates. The moderately volatile elements F and Sb are higher than before, as are C, Br and I, whereas the CI-abundances of Hg and N are now significantly lower. The solar system nuclide distribution curves of s-process elements agree within 4% with s-process predictions of Galactic chemical evolution models. P-process nuclide distributions are assessed. No obvious correlation of CI-chondritic to solar elemental abundance ratios with condensation temperatures is observed, nor is there one for ratios of CI-chondrites/solar wind abundances.
comment: 111 papes with appendix, 16 Figures, 7 tables in main text
☆ SN 2023ixf: interaction signatures in the spectrum at 445 days
SN 2023ixf is one of the most neaby and brightest Type II supernovae (SNe) of the past decades. A rich set of pre-explosion data provided important insight on the properties of the progenitor star. There has been a wide range of estimated initial masses of 9 - 22 $M{_\odot}$. Early monitoring of the SN also showed the presence of a dense CSM structure near the star ($10^{15}$ cm) that was probably expelled in the last years prior to the explosion. These extended CSM structure can be further probed with late-time observations during the nebular phase. This study is based on a nebular spectrum obtained with GMOS at the Gemini North Telescope 445 days after explosion. The SN evolution is analyzed in comparison with a previous spectrum at an age of 259 days, and compared with those of similar SNe II and with synthetic radiation-transfer nebular spectra. The 445-d spectrum exhibits a dramatic evolution with clear signs of ejecta-CSM interaction. The H${\alpha}$ profile shows a complex profile that can be separated into a boxy component arising from the interaction with a CSM shell and a central peaked component that may be due to the radioactive-powered SN ejecta. The CSM shell would be located at a distance of $\approx10^{16}$ cm from the progenitor and it may be associated with mass loss occurring up until $\approx 500 - 1000$ years before the explosion. Similar interaction signatures have been detected in other SNe II, although for events with standard plateau durations this happened at times later than 600 - 700 days. SN 2023ixf appears to belong to a group of SNe II with short plateaus or linear light curves that develop interaction features before $\approx 500$ days. Other lines, such as those from [O I] and [Ca II] appear to be unaffected by the CSM interaction. This allowed us to estimate an initial progenitor mass, which resulted in the relatively low range of 10 - 15 $M{_\odot}$.
comment: 11 pages, 8 figures
☆ Pulsational characteristics of mass accreting stars in close binary systems
Eclipsing binaries with pulsating components are a distinct subclass of binaries, merging orbital and pulsational analyses. In recent years, that subclass led to the definition of a newly formed branch of tidal asteroseismology. While single-star pulsators are well understood, the effects of binarity and possible mass transfer on pulsational characteristics, particularly in mass-gaining stars, remain to be systematically explored. Here, I present preliminary results on the asteroseismic properties of a mass-accreting model for a 10 $M_{\odot}$ $\beta$ Cephei-type star
comment: 4 pages. Contribution to the conference "Binary and multiple stars in the era of big surveys," Litomysl, CZ, September 2024. Accepted for publication in Contributions of the Astronomical Observatory Skalnate Pleso
♻ ☆ The origin channels of hierarchical binary black hole mergers in the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA O1, O2, and O3 runs
We infer the origin channels of hierarchical mergers observed in the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) O1, O2, and O3 runs using a hierarchical Bayesian analysis under a parametric population model. By assuming the active galactic nucleus (AGN) disk and nuclear star cluster (NSC) channels, we find that NSCs likely dominate the hierarchical merger rate in the Universe, corresponding to a fraction of $f_{\rm NSC}=0.87_{-0.29}^{+0.10}$ at 90\% credible intervals in our fiducial model; AGN disks may contribute up to nearly half of hierarchical mergers detectable with LVK, specifically $f_{\rm det,AGN}=0.34_{-0.26}^{+0.38}$. We investigate the impact of the escape speed, along with other population parameters on the branching fraction, suggesting that the mass, mass ratio, and spin of the sources play significant roles in population analysis. We show that hierarchical mergers constitute at least $\sim$$10\%$ of the gravitational wave events detected by LVK during the O1-O3 runs. Furthermore, we demonstrate that it is challenging to effectively infer detailed information about the host environment based solely on the distribution of black hole merger parameters if multiple formation channels are considered.
comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables; accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal
♻ ☆ The neutrino luminosity and energy spectrum of nova outburst
The nova outburst can produce a large number of neutrinos, whether it is the nuclear reaction process during the explosion or the shock wave acceleration proton process. We study the low-energy nuclear and thermal neutrino luminosity of novae with CO white dwarf (WD) mass ranging from 0.6 to 1.1 $\rm M_{\odot}$ with different accretion rates $\dot{M}$, core temperatures $(T_{\mathrm{C}})$, and mixing degrees. We find that during the accretion phase, low-energy neutrinos are mainly produced by pp chains and plasma decay, and photon luminosity is greater than low-energy nuclear and thermal neutrino luminosity. During the thermonuclear runaway (TNR) phase, low-energy neutrinos are mainly produced by the CNO cycle and photon-neutrino, and the low-energy nuclear and thermal neutrino luminosity far exceeds the photon luminosity. We find that the more massive the WD, the shorter the cycle time and the higher the low-energy nuclear neutrino luminosity. The higher the accretion rate, the lower the low-energy nuclear neutrino luminosity. If the accretion mixing effect is not taken into account, the outburst interval becomes longer, the low-energy nuclear neutrino luminosity will be increased. And for the cooler nova model $(T_{\mathrm{C}}=1\times10^{7}\rm K)$, the low-energy nuclear neutrino luminosity will be lower during the accretion phase and higher at the TNR. We also predict the neutrino luminosity and energy spectrum of the upcoming recurrent nova T Coronae Borealis (T CrB). We estimate that the next T CrB outburst has a low-energy nuclear neutrino peak luminosity of $2.7\times10^{8}\ \rm L_{\nu,\odot}$ and a low-energy nuclear neutrino outburst duration of 88 days. In addition, we predict that the high-energy hadronic neutrino flux produced by T CrB nova can not be observed by the current-generation IceCube.
comment: 16 pages,11 figures, Accepted by PRD
♻ ☆ Comparison of methods used to derive the Galactic star formation history from white dwarf samples
We compare three methods of deriving the local Galactic star formation history, using as a benchmark the Gaia-defined 40 pc white dwarf sample, currently the largest volume complete sample of stellar remnants with medium-resolution spectroscopy. We create a population synthesis model to 1) reproduce the observed white dwarf luminosity function, 2) reproduce the observed absolute Gaia G magnitude distribution, and 3) directly calculate the ages of all individual white dwarfs in the 40 pc volume. We then compare the star formation histories determined from each method. Previous studies using these methods were based on different white dwarf samples and as such were difficult to compare. Uncertainties in each method such as the initial mass function, initial-final mass relation, main sequence lifetimes, stellar metallicity, white dwarf cooling ages and binary evolution are accounted for to estimate the precision and accuracy of each method. We conclude that no method is quantitatively better at determining the star formation history and all three produce star formation histories that agree within uncertainties of current external astrophysical relations.
comment: Submitted to MNRAS. Comments are welcome
♻ ☆ Three-dimensional dynamical evolution of cloud particle microphysics in sub-stellar atmospheres I. Description and exploring Y-dwarf atmospheric variability
Understanding of cloud microphysics and the evolution of cloud structures in sub-stellar atmospheres remains a key challenge in the JWST era. The abundance of new JWST data necessitates models that are suitable for coupling with large-scale simulations, such as general circulation models (GCMs), in order to fully understand and assess the complex feedback effects of clouds on the atmosphere, and their influence on observed spectral and variability characteristics. We aim to develop a 2-moment, time-dependent bulk microphysical cloud model that is suitable for GCMs of sub-stellar atmospheres. We derive a set of moment equations for the particle mass distribution and develop a microphysical cloud model employing a 2-moment approach. We include homogeneous nucleation, condensation, and collisional microphysical processes that evolve the moments of a particle size distribution in time. We couple our new 2-moment scheme with the Exo-FMS GCM to simulate the evolution of KCl clouds for a WISE 0359-54 Y-dwarf parameter regime, and examine the effect of cloud opacity on the atmospheric characteristics. Our results show a global KCl cloud structure, with a patchy coverage at higher latitudes, as well as an equatorial belt region that shows increased particle sizes and variations in longitude. Patchy regions are long lived, being present over many rotations of the brown dwarf. Our synthetic spectra conform well with JWST observations of WISE 0359-54, but more cloud opacity is required to dampen the spectral features at wavelengths below ~7um. Our GCM shows periodic and sub-rotational variability on the order of 0.5-1% in the Spitzer [3.6] and [4.5] micron bands, lower than that observed on other Y-dwarf objects.
comment: Accepted A&A (14 Feb 2025)
♻ ☆ The GALAH survey: Improving chemical abundances using star clusters
Large spectroscopic surveys aim to consistently compute stellar parameters of very diverse stars while minimizing systematic errors. We explore the use of stellar clusters as benchmarks to verify the precision of spectroscopic parameters in the 4. data release (DR4) of the GALAH survey. We examine 58 open and globular clusters and associations to validate measurements of temperature, gravity, chemical abundances, and stellar ages. We focus on identifying systematic errors and understanding trends between stellar parameters, particularly temperature and chemical abundances. We identify trends by stacking measurements of chemical abundances against effective temperature and modelling them with splines. We also refit spectra in three clusters with the Spectroscopy Made Easy and Korg packages to reproduce the trends in DR4 and to search for their origin by varying temperature and gravity priors, linelists, and spectral continuum. Trends are consistent between clusters of different ages and metallicities, can reach amplitudes of ~0.5 dex and differ for dwarfs and giants. We use the derived trends to correct the DR4 abundances of 24 and 31 chemical elements for dwarfs and giants, and publish a detrended catalogue. While the origin of the trends could not be pinpointed, we found that: i) photometric priors affect derived abundances, ii) temperature, metallicity, and continuum levels are degenerate in spectral fitting, and it is hard to break the degeneracy even by using independent measurements, iii) the completeness of the linelist used in spectral synthesis is essential for cool stars, and iv) different spectral fitting codes produce significantly different iron abundances for stars of all temperatures. We conclude that clusters can be used to characterise the systematic errors of parameters produced in large surveys, but further research is needed to explain the origin of the trends.
♻ ☆ Analysis of the Gaia Data Release 3 parallax bias at bright magnitudes
The combination of visual and spectroscopic orbits in binary systems enables precise distance measurements without additional assumptions, making them ideal for examining the parallax zero-point offset (PZPO) at bright magnitudes (G < 13) in Gaia. We compiled 249 orbital parallaxes from 246 binary systems and used Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulations to exclude binaries where orbital motion significantly impacts parallaxes. After removing systems with substantial parallax errors, large discrepancies between orbital and Gaia parallaxes, and selecting systems with orbital periods under 100 days, a final sample of 44 binaries was retained.The weighted mean PZPO for this sample is -38.9 $\pm$ 10.3 $\mu$as, compared to -58.0 $\pm$ 10.1 $\mu$as for the remaining systems, suggesting that orbital motion significantly affects parallax measurements. These formal uncertainties of the PZPO appear to be underestimated by a factor of approximately 2.0. For bright stars with independent trigonometric parallaxes from VLBI and HST, the weighted mean PZPOs are -14.8 $\pm$ 10.6 and -31.9 $\pm$ 14.1 $\mu$as, respectively. Stars with $G \leq 8$ exhibit a more pronounced parallax bias, with some targets showing unusually large deviations, likely due to systematic calibration errors in Gaia for bright stars. The orbital parallaxes dataset compiled in this work serves as a vital resource for validating parallaxes in future Gaia data releases.
comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, accepted by AJ
♻ ☆ The Eclipsing Binaries via Artificial Intelligence. II. Need for Speed in PHOEBE Forward Models
In modern astronomy, the quantity of data collected has vastly exceeded the capacity for manual analysis, necessitating the use of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to assist scientists with the most labor-intensive tasks. AI can optimize simulation codes where computational bottlenecks arise from the time required to generate forward models. One such example is PHOEBE, a modeling code for eclipsing binaries (EBs), where simulating individual systems is feasible, but analyzing observables for extensive parameter combinations is highly time-consuming. To address this, we present a fully connected feedforward artificial neural network (ANN) trained on a dataset of over one million synthetic light curves generated with PHOEBE. Optimization of the ANN architecture yielded a model with six hidden layers, each containing 512 nodes, provides an optimized balance between accuracy and computational complexity. Extensive testing enabled us to establish ANN's applicability limits and to quantify the systematic and statistical errors associated with using such networks for EB analysis. Our findings demonstrate the critical role of dilution effects in parameter estimation for EBs, and we outline methods to incorporate these effects in AI-based models. This proposed ANN framework enables a speedup of over four orders of magnitude compared to traditional methods, with systematic errors not exceeding 1\%, and often as low as 0.01\%, across the entire parameter space.
comment: 21 pages (26 pages in arXiv version), 21 figures, 3 tables
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena 33
☆ Ultra-high-energy event KM3-230213A constraints on Lorentz Invariance Violation in neutrino sector
We discuss the constraints on superluminal neutrino Lorentz Invariance Violation (LIV) parameters from the observation of the ultra-high-energy event KM3-230213A by KM3NeT collaboration in cases of linear $n=1$ and quadratic $n=2$ LIV scenarios. Assuming extragalactic origin of the event, we obtain the constraints on LIV mass scale $\Lambda_{n=1} = 5.4 \times 10^{30}\, \mbox{GeV}$ and $\Lambda_{n=2} = 3.5 \times 10^{19}\, \mbox{GeV}$ from the absence of neutrino splitting.
comment: 3 pages
☆ Cascaded Gamma-ray Emission Associated with the KM3NeT Ultra-High-Energy Event KM3-230213A
A neutrino-like event with an energy of $\sim 220 \,{\rm PeV}$ was recently detected by the KM3NeT/ARCA telescope. If this neutrino comes from an astrophysical source, or from the interaction of an ultra-high-energy cosmic ray in the intergalactic medium, the ultra-high-energy gamma rays that are co-produced with the neutrinos will scatter with the extragalactic background light, producing an electromagnetic cascade and resulting in emission at GeV-to-TeV energies. In this paper, we compute the gamma-ray flux from this neutrino source considering various source distances and strengths of the intergalactic magnetic field (IGMF). We find that the associated gamma-ray emission could be observed by existing imaging air cherenkov telescopes and air shower gamma-ray observatories, unless the strength of the IGMF is $B\gtrsim 3\times 10^{-13}$ G, or the ultra-high-energy gamma-rays are attenuated inside of the source itself. In the latter case, this source is expected to be radio-loud.
comment: 6 pages, 5 figures
☆ The main jet axis of the W49B supernova remnant
We identify an axis connecting two opposite `ears' in the supernova remnant W49B and morphological signatures of three arcs around this axis that we claim are sections of full circum-jet rings. Based on recent identifications of morphological signatures of jets in core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe), including ejecta-rich axes, we reexamine images of W49B and identify a heavy element-rich protrusion (ear) as a jet-inflated structure. We identify the opposite ear and a clump at its tip as the signature of the opposite jets. The line connecting the two clumps at the tips of the two opposite ears forms the main jet axis of W49B. We compare the three arcs around the main jet axis in W49B to the circum-jet rings of the jets in the Cygnus A galaxy and deduce that these arcs are sections of full circum-jet rings in W49B. In W49B, the jets are long gone, as in some planetary nebulae with circum-jet rings. Identifying the main jet axis is incompatible with a type Ia supernova. It leaves two possibilities: that jets exploded W49B as a CCSN, i.e., the jittering jets explosion mechanism where the pair of jets we identify is one of many that exploded the star, or that the explosion was a common envelope jet supernova with a thermonuclear outburst, i.e., both the pair of jets and thermonuclear outburst exploded the core of a red supergiant star as a pre-existing neutron star tidally destroyed it.
comment: Will be submitted in two days to allow for comments
☆ Discovery of large-scale radio emission enveloping the mini-halo in the most X-ray luminous galaxy cluster RX~J1347.5-1145
Diffuse radio sources, known as mini-halos and halos, are detected at the centres of galaxy clusters. These centralized diffuse sources are typically observed individually, with both appearing together only in rare cases. The origin of the diffuse radio sources in such systems remains unclear. We investigate the formation of large-scale radio emission in the most X-ray luminous, massive galaxy cluster RXJ~1347.5-1145 which is known to host a mini-halo at its centre and possibly additional more extended emission. We conduct deep multi-frequency observations of the galaxy cluster using the MeerKAT at 1.28 GHz and the uGMRT (upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope) at 1.26 GHz and 700 MHz. We characterize the brightness and spectral properties of the central diffuse sources and combine our radio observations with \textit{Chandra} X-ray data to explore the correlation between the cluster's non-thermal and thermal emissions. We confirm the presence of the diffuse emission and find that it extends up to 1~Mpc in size. Our multi-wavelength data reveal that the central diffuse emission consists of two distinct components: a mini-halo located in the cluster core and a larger radio halo extending around it. The correlation between radio and X-ray surface brightness in both sources indicates a strong connection between the non-thermal and thermal properties of the ICM. The differing slopes in the $I_R-I_X$ and $\alpha-I_X$ relations suggest that distinct mechanisms are responsible for the formation of the mini-halo and halo. The properties of the halo align with the turbulent model, while both turbulent and hadronic processes may contribute to the formation of the mini-halo.
☆ Single-Pulse Morphology of PSR J1935+1616 (B1933+16) Based on archival data from FAST
We utilized archived data from the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) to analyze the single-pulse profile morphology of PSR J1935$+$1616 (B1933$+$16). The results show that PSR J1935$+$1616 exhibits significant micropulses as well as various changes in single-pulse profile morphology. In the FAST archived data, a total of 969 single pulses with microstructure were identified, accounting for 9.69$\%$ of the total pulse sample, with characteristic widths of $127.63^{+70.74}_{-46.25}$ $\mu$s. About half of these pulses display quasiperiodic micropulses, with a periodicity of 231.77 $\pm$ 9.90 $\mu$s. Among the 520 single pulses with quasiperiodic microstructure, 208 also exhibit quasiperiodicity in circular polarization, with a characteristic period of $244.70^{+45.66}_{-21.05}$ $\mu$s. The micropulse characteristic width in circular polarization is 106.52 $\pm$ 46.14 $\mu$s. Compared to normal pulses, the relative energy (E/) of single pulse with microstructure follows a double Gaussian distribution, while that of normal pulses follows a single Gaussian distribution. Based on the intensity of the leading and trailing components in the single-pulse profile morphology of PSR J1935+1616, we classified the pulses into four morphological modes (A, B, C, and D). The relative energy distribution of pulses in mode A is significantly different from the others, following a double Gaussian distribution, while the relative energy distributions in modes B, C, and D follow a single Gaussian distribution. Our study also suggests a possible correlation between micropulses and single-pulse profile morphology. Single pulse with micropulses are most likely to occur in mode A, while their occurrence is least likely in mode D.
☆ Chinese Pulsar Timing Array upper limits on microhertz gravitational waves from supermassive black-hole binaries using PSR J1713+0747 FAST data
We derive the gravitational-wave (GW) strain upper limits from resolvable supermassive black-hole binaries using the data from the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), in the context of the Chinese Pulsar Timing Array project. We focus on circular orbits in the $\mu$Hz GW frequency band between $10^{-7}$ and $3\times10^{-6}$ Hz. This frequency band is higher than the traditional pulsar timing array band and is less explored. We used the data of the millisecond pulsar PSR J1713+5307 observed between August 2019 and April 2021. A dense observation campaign was carried out in September 2020 to allow for the $\mu$Hz band coverage. Our sky-average continuous source upper limit at the 95% confidence level at 1$\mu$Hz is 1.26$\times10^{-12}$, while the same limit in the direction of the pulsar is 4.77$\times10^{-13}$.
comment: Accepted by Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics (RAA)
☆ Spectral diversity in collisional neutrino-flavor conversion: flavor equipartition or swap
Quantum kinetics of neutrinos are known to potentially change the classical neutrino radiation field in high-energy astrophysical sources such as core-collapse supernovae and binary neutron-star mergers. However, the mixing phenomena still have open issues in the nonlinear dynamics and the asymptotic states, particularly for recently discovered collision-induced flavor conversion. In this paper, we investigate linear and nonlinear dynamics of collisional neutrino-flavor conversion (CFC) with multi-energy neutrino gases through numerical simulations, demonstrating that the asymptotic states dramatically change depending on unstable modes dominating the system. In one unstable mode, high-energy neutrinos reach a flavor equipartition, but low-energy neutrinos return back to almost their initial states. In contrast, in the other one, rather low-energy neutrinos achieve a full flavor swap, but high-energy neutrinos undergo less flavor conversion. We clarify the distinct spectral behaviors in two different ways based on stability analysis and flavor pendulum. Our result suggests that CFC with flavor swap can become crucial at deeper radii with low electron fraction and requires more detailed theoretical modeling of neutrino quantum kinetics.
comment: 12 pages, 8 figures; Submitted to PRD
☆ PSR J0952-0607: Probing the Stiffest Equations of State and r-Mode Suppression Mechanisms
We analyze PSR J0952-0607, the most massive and fastest spinning neutron star observed to date, to refine constraints on the neutron star equation of state (EoS) and investigate its robustness against r-mode instabilities. With a mass of \( 2.35 \pm 0.17 \, M_{\odot} \) and a spin frequency of 709.2 Hz, PSR J0952-0607 provides a unique opportunity to examine the effects of rapid rotation on the structure of a neutron star. Using a Bayesian framework, we incorporate the rotationally corrected mass of PSR J0952-0607, alongside PSR J0740+6620's static mass measurement, to constrain the EoS. Our findings demonstrate that neglecting rotational effects leads to biases in the inferred EoS, while including the neutron star spin produces tighter constraints on pressure-density and mass-radius relations. Additionally, we explore the r-mode instability window for PSR J0952-0607 under the assumption of both rigid and elastic crust models and find that a rigid crust allows a higher stable temperature range, whereas an elastic crust places the star within the instability window under certain thermal insulation conditions.
comment: 9 pages, 6 figures
☆ A new long gamma-ray burst formation pathway at solar metallicity
Context. Long gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs) are generally observed in low-metallicity environments. However, 10 to 20 per cent of LGRBs at redshift $z<2$ are associated with near-solar to super-solar metallicity environments, remaining unexplained by traditional LGRB formation pathways that favour low metallicity progenitors. Aims. In this work, we propose a novel formation channel for LGRBs that is dominant at high metallicities. We explore how a stripped primary star in a binary can be spun up by a second, stable reverse-mass-transfer phase, initiated by the companion star. Methods. We use POSYDON a state-of-the-art population synthesis code that incorporates detailed single- and binary-star mode grids, to investigate the metallicity dependence of the stable reverse-mass-transfer LGRB formation channel. We determine the available energy to power an LGRB from the rotational profile and internal structure of a collapsing star, and investigate how the predicted rate density of the proposed channel changes with different star formation histories and criteria for defining a successful LGRB. Results. Stable reverse mass transfer can produce rapidly rotating, stripped stars at collapse. These stars retain enough angular momentum to account for approximately 10-20% of the observed local LGRB rate density, under a reasonable assumption for the definition of a successful LGRB. However, the local rate density of LGRBs from stable reverse mass transfer can vary significantly, between 1 and 100 Gpc$^{-3}$ yr$^{-1}$, due to strong dependencies on cosmic star formation rate and metallicity evolution, as well as the assumed criteria for successful LGRBs.
comment: Submitted to A&A. Comments welcome. 18 pages, 13 figures
☆ Galactic Isolated Stellar-Mass Black Holes with the Magnetospheric Spark Gap as Possible GeV-TeV Gamma-ray Unidentified Sources
Billions of isolated stellar-mass black holes (IBHs) are thought to wander through the interstellar medium (ISM) in the Galaxy, yet only one has been detected. IBHs embedded in ISM would accrete gas via Bondi-Hoyle-Littleton accretion, and with efficient magnetic flux accumulation, the magnetosphere would be formed in the vicinity of IBHs. We explore the detectability of such IBHs through high-energy gamma rays from spark gaps in their magnetospheres based on our recent numerical simulation. The gap gamma rays can be bright at the GeV-TeV energies when IBHs are in the dense ISM. About $10^3$ and $10$ IBHs might be contained in unidentified objects of the $\textit{Fermi}$ Large Area Telescope and the High Energy Stereoscopic System, respectively. A future Galactic plane survey by the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory would lead to $\sim10^2$ detections. We also evaluate the combined gamma-ray emission of IBHs in the Galaxy and find that the IBHs may contribute to the Galactic diffuse gamma rays. IBHs will emit optical and X-ray photons from their accretion disk as counterparts, potentially useful for identifying candidates.
comment: 16 pages, 10figures, submitted to ApJ
☆ Globular Clusters GMRT Pulsar Search (GCGPS) I: Survey description, discovery and timing of the first pulsar in NGC 6093 (M80)
This paper describes the new Globular Clusters GMRT Pulsar Search (GCGPS) survey. This survey aims to find MSPs in the globular clusters (GCs) of the Milky Way using uGMRT. The observations use the uGMRT's Band-4 (550$-$750 MHz) and Band-3 (300$-$500 MHz) receivers, which are well suited for steep-spectral-index radio sources like MSPs; the survey will eventually cover the GCs accessible to the uGMRT sky (i.e. $\delta\:>\:\sim\:-\:53^\circ$), and that is South of $\delta = -17^\circ$ (FAST sky limit) and have not been targeted with the sensitivity of this survey. The observations started in May 2023, having so far resulted in seven new discoveries. In this paper, we present the discovery and follow-up study of the first pulsar from this survey, J1617$-$2258A, a 4.32 ms binary MSP that is also the first to be discovered in the globular cluster NGC 6093. We localised this MSP with arc-sec precision from imaging and obtained the unique timing solution from more than one year of timing observations with the Band-4 (550$-$750 MHz) receivers of the uGMRT. This revealed an unusual binary MSP, with a $\sim$ 19-hour, highly eccentric (e $\sim$ 0.54) orbit having a low-mass companion. This orbital eccentricity allowed the measurement of the rate of advance of periastron for this system, which led to the derivation of its total mass, $1.67 \, \pm \, 0.06 \, \rm M_{\odot}$; this together with the system's mass function implies, for the pulsar and the companion, $M_\mathrm{p} < 1.60 \, \rm M_{\odot}$ and $M_\mathrm{c} > 0.072 \, \rm M_{\odot}$. The system is likely a perturbed MSP-Helium WD system seen at a low orbital inclination.
comment: 19 pages, 11 figures, and 4 tables
☆ PSR J1231-1411 revisited: Pulse Profile Analysis of X-ray Observation
One of the primary goals of Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER)-like X-ray missions is to impose stringent constraints on the neutron star equation of state by precisely measuring their masses and radii. NICER has recently expanded the dataset of inferred mass-radius relations for neutron stars, including four rotation-powered millisecond pulsars PSR J0030+0451, PSR J0740+6620, PSR J0437-4715, and PSR J1231-1411. In this work, the mass-radius relation and X-ray emitting region properties of PSR J1231-1411 are inferred with an independent pulse profile modeling based on the spherical star Schwarzschild-spacetime and Doppler approximation. With one single-temperature elongated hot spot and one single-temperature crescent hot spot, the inferred gravitational mass is $M = 1.12 \pm 0.07 M_{\odot}$ and the inferred equatorial radius is $R_{eq} = 9.91_{-0.86}^{+0.88}$ km (68% credible intervals). It provides an alternative geometry configuration of the X-ray emitting region for PSR J1231-1411 to sufficiently explain the observation data of NICER and XMM-Newton. The inferred radius is smaller than that derived by \citet{salmi2024nicer} ($M = 1.04_{-0.03}^{+0.05} M_{\odot}$, $R_{eq} = 12.6 \pm 0.3$ km), and the inferred mass is slightly higher in this work. The inferred geometry configurations of the X-ray emitting region in both works are non-antipodal, which is not consistent with a centered dipole magnetic field and suggests a complex magnetic field structure.
☆ The Influence of Sun's and Moon's Shadows on Cosmic-Ray Anisotropy
Large-scale anisotropy, with amplitudes reaching approximately 0.1% at TeV energies, has been observed by multiple cosmic-ray experiments. The obstruction of cosmic rays by the Sun and Moon creates shadow effects, potentially impacting the observed cosmic ray anisotropy. To evaluate these effects, this study calculates the contributions of the Sun's and Moon's shadows to the overall cosmic-ray anisotropy in both local solar and sidereal time. The analysis reveals that in local sidereal time, the total 1D projection amplitude of the anisotropy is around 0.003%, which is significantly smaller than the observed cosmic-ray anisotropy. This indicates that the influence of the Sun's and Moon's shadows on cosmic-ray anisotropy analysis in local sidereal time is negligible. In contrast, in local solar time, the shadow-induced deficit appears in a very small time bin, with a magnitude comparable to that of the cosmic-ray solar anisotropy. This deficit could serve as a benchmark for validating anisotropy measurements in future facilities.
comment: 15 pages, 8 figures
☆ Deep Optical Images of the Ejecta Nebula Around the Wolf-Rayet Star WR 8 (HD 62910)
We report the results of deep H-alpha and [O III] images of the bright WN7/WC4 Wolf-Rayet star WR 8 (HD 62910). These data show considerably more surrounding nebulosity than seen in prior imaging. The brighter portions of the nebula span 6' in diameter and exhibit considerable fine-scale structure including numerous emission clumps and bright head-tail like features presumably due to the effects of the WR star's stellar winds. Due to the overlap of a relatively bright band of unrelated foreground diffuse interstellar H-alpha emission, WR 8's nebula is best viewed via its [O III] emission. A faint 9' x 13' diffuse outer nebulosity is detected surrounding the nebula's main ring of emission. The nebula's optical structure is substantially different from that of its thermal continuum dust emission seen in WISE 22 micron infrared images which show a smaller and sharply defined emission shell.
comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, 1 table
☆ $ν$SpaceSim: An end-to-end simulation package to model the sensitivity of UHECR experiments to upward-moving extensive air showers sourced by cosmic neutrinos interacting in the Earth
Neutrinos act as probes of hadronic processes and offer a distinctive view into their astrophysical origins at high energies. When reaching energies on the PeV scale, $\nu_\tau$ interactions within the Earth can produce a significant flux of $\tau$-leptons. These $\tau$-leptons subsequently decay, generating upward-moving extensive air showers (EAS). Using the Earth as a target for neutrinos and the atmosphere as a signal generator effectively creates a detector with a mass $\gg$ gigaton. $\nu$SpaceSim is a comprehensive simulation developed to model all the relevant physical processes that describe the neutrino-induced, Earth-emergent lepton chain. The simulation models neutrino interactions inside the Earth that produce leptons, the propagation of the leptons through the Earth into the atmosphere, and their decay, forming composite EAS. Next, it models the generation of air optical Cherenkov and radio signals from these showers, including the propagation and attenuation of these signals through the atmosphere, accounting for effects such as clouds and the ionosphere. Finally, the simulation models the detector response according to the parameters defined by the user (such as altitude, effective area, frequency band...). Through this end-to-end simulation, $\nu$SpaceSim aims to help design the next generation of balloon- and space-based experiments, to estimate the exposure of ground-based experiments to these showers, and to understand the data from recent experiments such as EUSO-SPB2 and ANITA.
comment: 8 pages, 8 figures
☆ Swift-XRT and NuSTAR Monitoring of Obscuration Variability in Mrk 477
We present the analysis of 15 X-ray observations of Mrk 477, a nearby Seyfert 2 active galactic nucleus, with the objective to monitor its obscuring column density variability. The full dataset consists of five archival observations, split into two XMM-Newton, two NuSTAR and one Chandra observation, plus two dedicated monitoring campaigns. The monitoring campaigns were performed with Swift-XRT and NuSTAR, containing five observations each. We performed a simultaneous analysis using self-consistent torus models, deriving geometric properties of the torus as well as the obscuration along the line of sight. Mrk 477 is best modeled with a torus with large covering factor yet low column density (on average). Its line of sight column density oscillates between $1.5-7\times10^{23}$~cm$^{-2}$. Mrk~477 presents frequent obscuring column density variability, on timescales as short as $\sim2$~weeks. The probability of drawing a pair of obscuration-variable observations for Mrk~477 when having 2, 3, and 4 observations is 40\%, 78\% and 95\%, respectively. Adding the results of this work to those of another 26 sources, we find a trend of increasing obscuration variability with time (from $\sim20$\% at $\Delta t<10$~days, to $\sim60-70$\% at timescales larger than 5 years). We discuss whether this is compatible with the majority of obscuration variability coming from broad line region clouds.
comment: 16 pages, 7 figures, 4 tables. Accepted to ApJ
☆ Long-rising Type II supernovae resembling supernova 1987A - II. A new analytical model to describe these events
With the aim of improving our knowledge on supernova (SN) 1987A-like objects and, more in general, on H-rich SNe, we have developed a new analytic model to describe their post-explosive evolution. The distinctive features of this model are the possibility to evaluate the emitted luminosity and the SN expansion velocity, taking into account the recombination of the ejected material, the heating effects due to the \chem{56}{Ni} decay in the computation of the recombination front position, and the presence of an outer thin shell not-homologously expanding. In this paper, we present the model and a comparison with observations of SN 1987A, showing that its bolometric light curve and expansion velocity are accurately reproduced by the model. We also investigate the modeling degeneration problem in H-rich SNe and the possibility to ``standardize'' the subgroup of SN 1987A-like objects. Moreover we present new Ni-dependent relationships, based on our model, which link some features of the bolometric light curve of 1987A-like SNe (namely, the peak luminosity and its width) with the main physical properties of their progenitor at the explosion (i.e.~the ejected mass, the explosion energy, the progenitor radius at the explosion, and the amount of \chem{56}{Ni} present in the ejecta), showing that such relations are in excellent agreement with observations of real SNe. From our model, we also deduce new scaling relations which may be used for estimating the main SN progenitor's physical properties at the explosion, once only the photometric behaviour of the SN 1987A-like object is known.
comment: 21 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Main Journal
☆ ZTF SN Ia DR2: Improved SN Ia colors through expanded dimensionality with SALT3+
Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are a key probe in modern cosmology, as they can be used to measure luminosity distances at gigaparsec scales. Models of their light-curves are used to project heterogeneous observed data onto a common basis for analysis. The SALT model currently used for SN Ia cosmology describes SNe as having two sources of variability, accounted for by a color parameter c, and a "stretch parameter" x1. We extend the model to include an additional parameter we label x2, to investigate the cosmological impact of currently unaddressed light-curve variability. We construct a new SALT model, which we dub "SALT3+". This model was trained by an improved version of the SALTshaker code, using training data combining a selection of the second data release of cosmological SNe Ia from the Zwicky Transient Facility and the existing SALT3 training compilation. We find additional, coherent variability in supernova light-curves beyond SALT3. Most of this variation can be described as phase-dependent variation in g-r and r-i color curves, correlated with a boost in the height of the secondary maximum in i-band. These behaviors correlate with spectral differences, particularly in line velocity. We find that fits with the existing SALT3 model tend to address this excess variation with the color parameter, leading to less informative measurements of supernova color. We find that neglecting the new parameter in light-curve fits leads to a trend in Hubble residuals with x2 of 0.039 +/- 0.005 mag, representing a potential systematic uncertainty. However, we find no evidence of a bias in current cosmological measurements. We conclude that extended SN Ia light-curve models promise mild improvement in the accuracy of color measurements, and corresponding cosmological precision. However, models with more parameters are unlikely to substantially affect current cosmological results.
☆ On the Jump Conditions for Shock Waves in Condensed Materials
In this article, we have proposed Rankine-Hugoniot (RH) boundary conditions at the normal shock front, which is passing through the condensed material. These RH conditions are quite general, and their convenient forms for the particle velocity, mass density, pressure, and temperature have been presented in terms of the upstream Mach number and the material parameters for the weak and the strong shocks, respectively. Finally, the effects on the mechanical quantities of the shock-compressed materials, e.g., titanium Ti6Al4V, stainless steel 304, aluminum 6061-T6, etc., have been discussed.
comment: 10 pages, 3 figures and 2 tables
♻ ☆ Binary neutron star mergers as the source of the highest energy cosmic rays
We propose that ultrahigh energy cosmic rays are produced in binary neutron star mergers. This scenario can account for the heretofore inexplicable narrow rigidity range of UHECRs, because the jets of BNS mergers are generated by a gravitationally-driven dynamo and thus are nearly identical due to the narrow range of BNS masses. Observed UHECRs with energies well beyond 100 EeV can be explained as $r$-process nuclei, without invoking an exotic source class. Evidence for this mechanism, and its prediction of coincidences between neutrinos above 10 PeV and gravitational waves, are discussed.
comment: Accepted PRL; revised; new material: 1) Evidence for a narrow rigidity distribution (Sec 1, SM). 2) Promising new mechanism: acceleration in the turbulent magnetized outflow; role of synchrotron emission in that context. 3) (Sec. 2, SM) Consistency with fluence limits on EHE neutrinos accompanying GW170817; estimate that next-generation neutrino and GW detectors may see EHEnu-GW coincidences
♻ ☆ Seeking the nearest neutron stars using a new local electron density map
Neutron stars provide a compelling testing ground for gravity, nuclear dynamics, and physics beyond the Standard Model, and so it will be useful to locate the neutron stars nearest to Earth. To that end, we revisit pulsar distance estimates extracted from the dispersion measure of pulsar radio waves scattering on electrons. In particular, we create a new electron density map for the local kiloparsec by fitting to parallax measurements of the nearest pulsars, which complements existing maps that are fit on the Galactic scale. This ``near-Earth'' electron density map implies that pulsars previously estimated to be 100-200 pc away may be as close as tens of parsecs away, which motivates a parallax-based measurement campaign to follow-up on these very-near candidate pulsars. Such nearby neutron stars would be valuable laboratories for testing fundamental physics phenomena, including several late-stage neutron star heating mechanisms, using current and forthcoming telescopes. We illustrate this by estimating the sensitivities of the upcoming Extremely Large Telescope and Thirty Meter Telescope to neutron stars heated by dark matter capture.
♻ ☆ Cosmic Ray Diffusion in the Turbulent Interstellar Medium: Effects of Mirror Diffusion and Pitch Angle Scattering
Cosmic rays (CRs) interact with turbulent magnetic fields in the intestellar medium, generating nonthermal emission. After many decades of studies, the theoretical understanding of their diffusion in the ISM continues to pose a challenge. This study numerically explores a recent prediction termed "mirror diffusion" and its synergy with traditional diffusion mechanism based on gyroresonant scattering. Our study combines 3D MHD simulations of star-forming regions with test particle simulations to analyze CR diffusion. We demonstrate the significance of mirror diffusion in CR diffusion parallel to the magnetic field, when the mirroring condition is satisfied. Our results support the theoretical expectation that the resulting particle propagation arising from mirror diffusion in combination with much faster diffusion induced by gyroresonant scattering resembles a Levy-flight-like propagation. Our study highlights the necessity to reevaluate the diffusion coefficients traditionally adopeted in the ISM based on gyroresonant scattering alone. For instance, our simulations imply a diffusion coefficient $\sim10^{27}cm^2/s$ for particles with a few hundred TeV within regions spanning a few parsecs around the source. This estimate is in agreement with gamma-ray observations, which shows the relevance of our results for understanding of diffuse gamma-ray emission in star-forming regions.
♻ ☆ Transition from adiabatic inspiral to plunge for eccentric binaries
Black hole binaries with small mass ratios will be critical targets for the forthcoming Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission. They also serve as useful tools for understanding the properties of binaries at general mass ratios. In its early stages, such a binary's gravitational-wave-driven inspiral can be modeled as the smaller body flowing through a sequence of geodesic orbits of the larger black hole's spacetime. Its motion through this sequence is determined by the rate at which backreaction changes an orbit's integrals of motion $E$, $L_z$, and $Q$. Key to the motion being close to a geodesic at any moment is the idea that the effect of backreaction is small compared to a ``restoring force'' arising from the potential which governs geodesic motion. This restoring force holds the small body on a geodesic trajectory as the backreaction causes that geodesic to slowly evolve. As the inspiraling body approaches the last stable orbit (LSO), the restoring force becomes weaker and the backreaction becomes stronger. Once the small body evolves past the LSO, its trajectory converges to a plunging geodesic. This work aims to smoothly connect these two disparate regimes: the slowly evolving adiabatic inspiral and the final plunge. Past work has focused on this transition to plunge for circular systems. Here, we study the transition for binaries with eccentricity. A well-defined eccentric transition will make it possible to develop small-mass-ratio binary waveform models that terminate in a physically reasonable way, rather than abruptly terminating as an inspiral-only model ends. A model that can explore the parameter space of eccentricity may also be useful for understanding the final cycles of eccentric binaries at less extreme mass ratios, such as those likely to be observed by ground-based detectors.
comment: 21 pages, 7 figures, updated in response to referee feedback; final version accepted to Physical Review D
♻ ☆ PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 I: X-ray exploration of a low-mass cluster with exceptionally-distant radio relics
Relics are diffuse, highly-polarized radio sources that trace merger-driven shocks at the periphery of merging galaxy clusters. The LOFAR survey recently discovered a rare example of double relics in the low-mass cluster PSZ2 G181.06+48.47. Through a detailed exploration of new Chandra and XMM-Newton observations, we reveal that PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 has a lower mass ($M_{500,X}=2.32^{+0.29}_{-0.25}\times10^{14}$ M$_{\odot}$) than previously thought. Despite its cool global temperature of $kT_{500}=3.62^{+0.15}_{-0.07}$ keV, PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 is one of the most disturbed clusters in the Planck sample, with a complex morphological and thermodynamic structure. We discover a set of three discontinuities within <500 kpc of the cluster center, and, from a surface brightness analysis, place $5\sigma$ upper limits of $M_{NE}<1.43$ and $M_{SW}<1.57$ for any shock associated with the relic locations. We also revise established scaling relations for double radio-relics by adding 12 new systems not included in previous work. The PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 relics have the widest separation (scaled for $r_{500}$) of all known double-relic systems. The exceptional distance from the cluster center ($>r_{200}$), indicates the relics may be associated with shocks in the ``run-away" phase. We propose that this late-stage, post-apocenter merger is captured as the two subclusters with a mass ratio of 1.2-1.4 fall back into each other. The outer relic shocks were likely produced at the first core passage, while the inner discontinuities are associated with the second infall.
comment: Accepted to ApJ on Feb 13, 2025. 28 pages, 10 figures. Companion paper discussing the radio properties can be found at arXiv:2501.08390. Companion weak-lensing reconstruction paper can be found at arXiv:2501.09067
♻ ☆ Rarity of precession and higher-order multipoles in gravitational waves from merging binary black holes
The latest binary black hole population estimates argue for a subpopulation of unequal component mass binaries with spins that are likely small but isotropically distributed. This implies a non-zero probability of detecting spin-induced orbital precession and higher order multipole moments in the observed gravitational-wave signals. In this work we directly calculate the probability for precession and higher-order multipoles in each significant gravitational-wave candidate observed by the LIGO--Virgo--KAGRA collaborations (LVK). We find that only one event shows substantial evidence for precession: GW200129_065458, and two events show substantial evidence for higher-order multipoles: GW190412 and GW190814; any evidence for precession and higher-order multipole moments in other gravitational-wave signals is consistent with random fluctuations caused by noise. We then compare our observations with expectations from population models, and confirm that current population estimates from the LVK accurately predict the number of observed events with significant evidence for precession and higher-order multipoles. In particular, we find that this population model predicts that a binary with significant evidence for precession will occur once in every $\sim 50$ detections, and a binary with significant evidence for higher-order multipoles will occur once in every $\sim 70$ observations. However, we emphasise that since substantial evidence for precession and higher-order multipoles have only been observed in three events, any population model that includes a subpopulation of binaries yielding $\sim 2\%$ of events with detectable precession and higher-order multipole moments will likely be consistent with the data.
comment: 13 pages, 5 figures. Matches version published in PRD
♻ ☆ Spin evolution and mass distribution of the Galactic Binary Neutron Stars
Binary neutron stars (BNSs) detected in the Milky Way have the total masses distributing narrowly around $\sim2.6-2.7M_\odot$, while the BNS merger GW190425 detected via gravitational wave has a significantly larger mass ($\sim3.4M_\odot$). This difference is not well understood, yet. In this paper, we investigate the BNS spin evolution via an improved binary star evolution model and its effects on the BNS observability, with implementation of various relevant astrophysical processes. We find that the first-born neutron star component in low-mass BNSs can be spun up to millisecond pulsars by the accretion of Roche-lobe overflow from its companion and its radio lifetime can be comparable to the Hubble time. However, most high-mass BNSs have substantially shorter radio lifetime than the low-mass BNSs, and thus smaller probability being detected via radio emission. Adopting the star formation and metal enrichment history of the Milky Way given by observations, we obtain the survived Galactic BNSs with pulsar components from our population synthesis model and find that their distributions on the diagrams of spin period versus spin-period-time-derivative ($P-\dot{P}$) and orbital period versus eccentricity ($P_{\rm orb}-e$) can well match those of the observed Galactic BNSs. The total mass distribution of the observed Galactic BNSs can also be matched by the model. A significant fraction ($\sim19\%-22\%$) of merging BNSs at redshift $z\sim0$ have masses $\gtrsim3M_\odot$, which seems compatible with the GW observations. Future radio observations may detect many more Galactic BNSs, which will put strong constraint on the spin evolution of BNSs during their formation processes.
comment: 19 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal; reference added
♻ ☆ Systematic biases due to waveform mismodeling in parametrized post-Einsteinian tests of general relativity: The impact of neglecting spin precession and higher modes
We study the robustness of parametrized post-Einsteinian (ppE) tests of General Relativity (GR) with gravitational waves, due to waveform inaccuracy. In particular, we determine the properties of the signal -- signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and source parameters -- such that we are led to falsely identify a ppE deviation in the post-Newtonian (PN) inspiral phase at -1PN, 1PN, or 2PN order, due to neglecting spin precession or higher models in the recovery model. To characterize the statistical significance of the biases, we compute the Bayes factor between the ppE and GR models, and the fitting factor of the ppE model. For highly-precessing, edge-on signals, we find that mismodeling the signal leads to a significant systematic bias in the recovery of the ppE parameters, even at an SNR of 30. However, these biased inferences are characterized by a significant loss of SNR and a weak preference for the ppE model. At a higher SNR, the biased inferences display a strong preference for the ppE model and a significant loss of SNR. For edge-on signals containing asymmetric masses, at an SNR of 30, we find that excluding higher modes does not impact the ppE tests as much as excluding spin precession. Our analysis, therefore, identifies the spin-precessing and mass-asymmetric systems for which parametrized tests of GR are robust. With a toy model and using the linear signal approximation, we illustrate these regimes of bias and characterize them by obtaining bounds on the ratio of systematic to statistical error and the effective cycles incurred due to mismodeling. As a by-product of our analysis, we connect various measures and techniques commonly used to estimate systematic errors -- linear-signal approximation, Laplace approximation, fitting factor, effective cycles, and Bayes factor -- that apply to all studies of systematic uncertainties in gravitational wave parameter estimation.
comment: 51 pages, 22 figures, 5 tables; Matches PRD version
♻ ☆ Exploring the Key Features of Repeating Fast Radio Bursts with Machine Learning
Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are enigmatic high-energy events with unknown origins, which are observationally divided into two categories, i.e., repeaters and non-repeaters. However, there are potentially a number of non-repeaters that may be misclassified, as repeating bursts are missed due to the limited sensitivity and observation periods, thus misleading the investigation of their physical properties. In this work, we propose a repeater identification method based on the t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (t-SNE) algorithm and apply the classification to the first Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment Fast Radio Burst (CHIME/FRB) catalog. We find that the spectral morphology parameters, specifically spectral running ($r$), represent the key features for identifying repeaters from the non-repeaters. Also, the results suggest that repeaters are more biased towards narrowband emission, whereas non-repeaters are inclined toward broadband emission. We provide a list of 163 repeater candidates, 5 of which are confirmed with an updated repeater catalog from CHIME/FRB. Our findings improve our understanding of the various properties underlying repeaters and non-repeaters, as well as guidelines for future FRB detection and categorization.
comment: 19 pages, 10 figures
♻ ☆ Spin-Orbit Alignment in Merging Binary Black Holes Following Collisions with Massive Stars
Merging binary black holes (BBHs) formed dynamically in dense star clusters are expected to have uncorrelated spin--orbit orientations since they are assembled through many random interactions. However, measured effective spins in BBHs detected by LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA hint at additional physical processes that may introduce anisotropy. Here we address this question by exploring the impact of stellar collisions, and accretion of collision debris, on the spin--orbit alignment in merging BBHs formed in dense star clusters. Through hydrodynamic simulations, we study the regime where the disruption of a massive star by a BBH causes the stellar debris to form individual accretion disks bound to each black hole. We show that these disks, which are randomly oriented relative to the binary orbital plane after the initial disruption of the star, can be reoriented by strong tidal torques in the binary near pericenter passages. Following accretion by the BHs on longer timescales, BBHs with small but preferentially positive effective spin parameters ($\chi_{\rm eff} \lesssim 0.2$) are formed. Our results indicate that BBH collisions in young massive star clusters could contribute to the observed trend toward small positive $\chi_{\rm eff}$, and we suggest that the standard assumption often made that dynamically assembled BBHs should have isotropically distributed BH spins is not always justified.
comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters
♻ ☆ Timing and noise analysis of five millisecond pulsars observed with MeerKAT
Millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in binary systems are precise laboratories for tests of gravity and the physics of dense matter. Their orbits can show relativistic effects that provide a measurement of the neutron star mass and the pulsars are included in timing array experiments that search for gravitational waves. Neutron star mass measurements are key to eventually solving the neutron star equation of state and these can be obtained by a measure of the Shapiro delay if the orbit is viewed near edge-on. Here we report on the timing and noise analysis of five MSPs observed with the MeerKAT radio telescope: PSRs J0900$-$3144, J0921$-$5202, J1216$-$6410, J1327$-$0755 and J1543$-$5149. We searched for the Shapiro delay in all of the pulsars and obtain weak detections for PSRs J0900$-$3144, J1216$-$6410, and J1327$-$0755. We report a higher significance detection of the Shapiro delay for PSR J1543$-$5149, giving a precise pulsar mass of $M_{\rm p} = 1.349^{+0.043}_{-0.061}\,$M$_\odot$ and companion white-dwarf mass $M_{\rm c} = 0.223^{+0.005}_{-0.007}\,$M$_\odot$. This is an atypically low mass measurement for a recycled MSP. In addition to these Shapiro delays, we also obtain timing model parameters including proper motions and parallax constraints for most of the pulsars.
comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in MNRAS
♻ ☆ Correlated spectro-polarimetric study along the Z track in XTE J1701-462 puts constraints on its coronal geometry
Context. In September 2022, the transient neutron star low-mass X-ray binary XTE J1701-462 went into a new outburst. Aims. The objective of this work is to examine the evolution of the accretion geometry of XTE J1701-462 by studying the spectro-polarimetric properties along the Z track of this source. The simultaneous observations archived by the Insight-Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT) and the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) give us the opportunity. Methods. We present a comprehensive X-ray spectro-polarimetric analysis of XTE J1701-462, using simultaneous observations from IXPE, Insight-HXMT and NuSTAR. For IXPE observations, two methods are employed to measure the polarization: a model-independent measurement with PCUBE and a model-dependent polarization-spectral analysis with XSPEC. The corresponding spectra from Insight-HXMT and NuSTAR are studied with two configurations that correspond to a slab-like corona and a spherical shell-like corona, respectively. Results. Significant polarization characteristics are detected in XTE J1701-462. The polarization degree shows a decreasing trend along the Z track, reducing from (4.84 $\pm$ 0.37)% to (3.76 $\pm$ 0.43)% on the horizontal branch and jumping to less than 1% on the normal branch. The simultaneous spectral analysis from Insight-HXMT and NuSTAR suggests that the evolution of the PD is closely linked to changes in the flux of the Comptonized component and its covering factor along the Z track, supporting a shrinking corona.
♻ ☆ Time-dependent models of AGN disks with radiation from embedded stellar-mass black holes
The brightest steady sources of radiation in the universe, active galactic nuclei (AGN), are powered by gas accretion onto a central supermassive black hole (SMBH). The large sizes and accretion rates implicated in AGN accretion disks are expected to lead to gravitational instability and fragmentation, effectively cutting off mass inflow to the SMBH. Radiative feedback from disk-embedded stars has been invoked to yield marginally stable, steady-state solutions in the outer disks. Here, we examine the consequences of this star formation with a semi-analytical model in which stellar-mass black hole (sBH) remnants in the disk provide an additional source of stabilizing radiative feedback. Assuming star formation seeds the embedded sBH population, we model the time-evolving feedback from both stars and the growing population of accreting sBHs. We find that in the outer disk, the luminosity of the sBHs quickly dominates that of their parent stars. However, because sBHs consume less gas than stars to stabilize the disk, the presence of the sBHs enhances the mass flux to the inner disk. As a result, star formation persists over the lifetime of the AGN, damped in the outer disk, but amplified in a narrow ring in the inner disk. Heating from the embedded sBHs significantly modifies the disk's temperature profile and hardens its spectral energy distribution, and direct emission from the sBHs adds a new hard X-ray component.
comment: 25 pages, 18 figures, 1 table. Version accepted for publication in MNRAS. Revisions include the addition of Section 8, in which we discuss the impact of viscosity and SMBH mass on our disk models. We thank the referee for their review
♻ ☆ Disclosing the catalog pulsars dominating the Galactic positron flux
The cosmic-ray flux of positrons is measured with high precision by the space-borne particle spectrometer AMS-02. The hypothesis that pulsars and their nebulae can significantly contribute to the excess of the AMS-02 positron flux has been consolidated after the observation of a $\gamma$-ray emission at GeV and TeV energies of a few degree size around a few sources, that provide indirect evidence that electron and positron pairs are accelerated to very high energies from these sources. By modeling the emission from pulsars in the ATNF catalog, we find that combinations of positron emission from cataloged pulsars and secondary production can fit the observed AMS-02 data. Our results show that a small number of nearby, middle-aged pulsars, particularly B1055-52, Geminga (J0633+1746), and Monogem (B0656+14), dominate the positron emission, contributing up to 80\% of the flux at energies above 100 GeV. From the fit to the data, we obtain a list of the most important sources for which we recommend multi-wavelength follow-up observations, particularly in the $\gamma$-ray and X-ray bands, to further constrain the injection and diffusion properties of positrons.
comment: 29 pages, 8 figures. Few comments and clarifications added, results unchanged. Matches version published by JCAP
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics 16
☆ Performance of the Stellar Abundances and atmospheric Parameters Pipeline adapted for M dwarfs I. Atmospheric parameters from the spectroscopic module
M dwarfs are important targets in the search for Earth-like exoplanets due to their small masses and low luminosities. Several ongoing and upcoming space missions are targeting M dwarfs for this reason, and the ESA PLATO mission is one of these. In order to fully characterise a planetary system the properties of the host star must be known. For M dwarfs we can derive effective temperature, surface gravity, metallicity, and abundances of various elements from spectroscopic observations in combination with photometric data. The Stellar Abundances and atmospheric Parameters Pipeline (SAPP) has been developed as a prototype for one of the stellar science softwares within the PLATO consortium, it is aimed at FGK stars. We have modified it to be able to analyse the M dwarf among the PLATO targets. The current version of the pipeline for M dwarfs mostly relies on spectroscopic observations. The data processing is based on the machine learning algorithm The Payne and fits a grid of model spectra to an observed spectrum to derive effective temperature and metallicity. We use spectra in the H-band, as the near-infrared region is beneficial for M dwarfs. A method based on synthetic spectra was developed for the continuum normalisation of the spectra, taking into account the pseudo-continuum formed by numerous lines of the water molecule. Photometry is used to constrain the surface gravity. We tested the modified SAPP on spectra of M dwarfs from the APOGEE survey. Our validation sample of 26 stars includes stars with interferometric observations and binaries. We found a good agreement between our values and reference values from a range of studies. The overall uncertainties in the derived effective temperature, surface gravity, and metallicity is 100 K, 0.1 dex, and 0.15 dex, respectively. We find that the modified SAPP performs well on M dwarfs and identify possible areas of future development.
comment: Accepted in A&A
☆ Accelerating Bayesian Sampling for Massive Black Hole Binaries with Prior Constraints from Conditional Variational Autoencoder
We employ a Conditional Variational Autoencoder (CVAE) for parameter inference on massive black hole binaries (MBHBs), considering joint observations from a network of three space-based gravitational wave detectors. Our result demonstrates that the trained CVAE model can estimate the posterior distribution of source parameters in approximately 0.5 seconds, while the standard Bayesian sampling method, utilizing parallel computation across 16 CPU cores, takes an average of 22 hours across 25 MBHB signals. While the CVAE model achieves remarkable efficiency, its estimated distributions exhibit slight differences in shape compared to the standard Bayesian results, particularly showing lighter tails with broader widths. By using CVAE result to constrain the prior range for Bayesian sampling, we reduce the sampling time to $14.0\%$ of the original runtime on average, while maintaining similar Bayesian result.
☆ Some problems of developing astrophysical equipment and combining it with optical telescopes
The results of a study of the accuracy characteristics and image quality on the SAO RAS optical telescopes, Zeiss-1000 and BTA, using the recently developed "Telescope Analyzer" device are described: a method for determining the coefficients of the pointing correction system, the position of the aberration axis along the coma in images of star fields, natural frequencies of vibrations of mechanical systems, prospects for the development of the device. Attention is paid to the thermal deformations of the BTA main mirror and measures to reduce them. Mention is made of systems being developed for partial correction of wavefront aberrations due to imperfect mechanics, and plans to modernize the control system of the BTA. The complex of 0.5-meter telescopes "Astro-M" has not been forgotten: hardware and software solutions for automating the first and second telescopes, plans for commissioning of telescopes No 3-5 are described. Links to repositories with developed software and hardware products are provided.
comment: 14 pages, 15 figures, 6 references. Reported on all-russian conference VAK-2024, 25-31 august 2024
☆ $ν$SpaceSim: An end-to-end simulation package to model the sensitivity of UHECR experiments to upward-moving extensive air showers sourced by cosmic neutrinos interacting in the Earth
Neutrinos act as probes of hadronic processes and offer a distinctive view into their astrophysical origins at high energies. When reaching energies on the PeV scale, $\nu_\tau$ interactions within the Earth can produce a significant flux of $\tau$-leptons. These $\tau$-leptons subsequently decay, generating upward-moving extensive air showers (EAS). Using the Earth as a target for neutrinos and the atmosphere as a signal generator effectively creates a detector with a mass $\gg$ gigaton. $\nu$SpaceSim is a comprehensive simulation developed to model all the relevant physical processes that describe the neutrino-induced, Earth-emergent lepton chain. The simulation models neutrino interactions inside the Earth that produce leptons, the propagation of the leptons through the Earth into the atmosphere, and their decay, forming composite EAS. Next, it models the generation of air optical Cherenkov and radio signals from these showers, including the propagation and attenuation of these signals through the atmosphere, accounting for effects such as clouds and the ionosphere. Finally, the simulation models the detector response according to the parameters defined by the user (such as altitude, effective area, frequency band...). Through this end-to-end simulation, $\nu$SpaceSim aims to help design the next generation of balloon- and space-based experiments, to estimate the exposure of ground-based experiments to these showers, and to understand the data from recent experiments such as EUSO-SPB2 and ANITA.
comment: 8 pages, 8 figures
☆ Altitude Estimation of Radio Frequency Interference Sources via Interferometric Near Field Corrections
Radio-frequency interference (RFI) presents a significant obstacle to current radio interferometry experiments aimed at the Epoch of Reionization. RFI contamination is often several orders of magnitude brighter than the astrophysical signals of interest, necessitating highly precise identification and flagging. Although existing RFI flagging tools have achieved some success, the pervasive nature of this contamination leads to the rejection of excessive data volumes. In this work, we present a way to estimate an RFI emitter's altitude using near-field corrections. Being able to obtain the precise location of such an emitter could shift the strategy from merely flagging to subtracting or peeling the RFI, allowing us to preserve a higher fraction of usable data. We conduct a preliminary study using a two-minute observation from the Murchison-Widefield Array (MWA) in which an unknown object briefly crosses the field of view, reflecting RFI signals into the array. By applying near-field corrections that bring the object into focus, we are able to estimate its approximate altitude and speed to be $11.7$ km and $792$ km/h, respectively. This allows us to confidently conclude that the object in question is in fact an airplane. We further validate our technique through the analysis of two additional RFI-containing MWA observations, where we are consistently able to identify airplanes as the source of the interference.
comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, 1 table
☆ $Λ$CDM and early dark energy in latent space: a data-driven parametrization of the CMB temperature power spectrum
Finding the best parametrization for cosmological models in the absence of first-principle theories is an open question. We propose a data-driven parametrization of cosmological models given by the disentangled 'latent' representation of a variational autoencoder (VAE) trained to compress cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature power spectra. We consider a broad range of $\Lambda$CDM and beyond-$\Lambda$CDM cosmologies with an additional early dark energy (EDE) component. We show that these spectra can be compressed into 5 ($\Lambda$CDM) or 8 (EDE) independent latent parameters, as expected when using temperature power spectra alone, and which reconstruct spectra at an accuracy well within the Planck errors. These latent parameters have a physical interpretation in terms of well-known features of the CMB temperature spectrum: these include the position, height and even-odd modulation of the acoustic peaks, as well as the gravitational lensing effect. The VAE also discovers one latent parameter which entirely isolates the EDE effects from those related to $\Lambda$CDM parameters, thus revealing a previously unknown degree of freedom in the CMB temperature power spectrum. We further showcase how to place constraints on the latent parameters using Planck data as typically done for cosmological parameters, obtaining latent values consistent with previous $\Lambda$CDM and EDE cosmological constraints. Our work demonstrates the potential of a data-driven reformulation of current beyond-$\Lambda$CDM phenomenological models into the independent degrees of freedom to which the data observables are sensitive.
comment: 17 pages, 12 figures, comments welcome
☆ ExoMiner++ on TESS with Transfer Learning from Kepler: Transit Classification and Vetting Catalog for 2-min Data
We present ExoMiner++, an enhanced deep learning model that builds on the success of ExoMiner to improve transit signal classification in 2-minute TESS data. ExoMiner++ incorporates additional diagnostic inputs, including periodogram, flux trend, difference image, unfolded flux, and spacecraft attitude control data, all of which are crucial for effectively distinguishing transit signals from more challenging sources of false positives. To further enhance performance, we leverage transfer learning from high-quality labeled data from the Kepler space telescope, mitigating the impact of TESS's noisier and more ambiguous labels. ExoMiner++ achieves high accuracy across various classification and ranking metrics, significantly narrowing the search space for follow-up investigations to confirm new planets. To serve the exoplanet community, we introduce new TESS catalogs containing ExoMiner++ classifications and confidence scores for each transit signal. Among the 147,568 unlabeled TCEs, ExoMiner++ identifies 7,330 as planet candidates, with the remainder classified as false positives. These 7,330 planet candidates correspond to 1,868 existing TESS Objects of Interest (TOIs), 69 Community TESS Objects of Interest (CTOIs), and 50 newly introduced CTOIs. 1,797 out of the 2,506 TOIs previously labeled as planet candidates in ExoFOP are classified as planet candidates by ExoMiner++. This reduction in plausible candidates combined with the excellent ranking quality of ExoMiner++ allows the follow-up efforts to be focused on the most likely candidates, increasing the overall planet yield.
☆ The Pandora SmallSat: A Low-Cost, High Impact Mission to Study Exoplanets and Their Host Stars
The Pandora SmallSat is a NASA flight project aimed at studying the atmospheres of exoplanets -- planets orbiting stars outside our Solar System. Pandora will provide the first dataset of simultaneous, multiband (visible and NIR), long-baseline observations of exoplanets and their host stars. Pandora is an ambitious project that will fly a 0.44 m telescope in a small form factor. To achieve the scientific goals, the mission requires a departure from the traditional cost-schedule paradigm of half-meter-class observatories. Pandora achieves this by leveraging existing capabilities that necessitate minimal engineering development, disruptive and agile management, trusted partnerships with vendors, and strong support from the lead institutions. The Pandora team has developed a suite of high-fidelity parameterized simulation and modeling tools to estimate the performance of both imaging channels. This has enabled a unique bottom-up approach to deriving trades and system requirements. Pandora is a partnership between NASA and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The project completed its Critical Design Review in October 2023 and is slated for launch into Sun-synchronous, low-Earth orbit in Fall 2025.
comment: Paper accepted to the IEEE Aerospace Conference 2025
☆ The fall of asteroid 2024 XA$_1$ and the location of possible meteorites
Asteroid 2024 XA$_1$ was discovered on 3 December 2024 at 05:54 UTC by the Bok telescope in Kitt Peak, Arizona, and impacted Earth about 10 hours later over a remote area of the Sakha Republic (Russia). The estimated size of the object was about one meter, and the atmospheric entry produced a bright fireball that was captured by a webcam and several eyewitnesses. The first impact alert was issued at 07:50 UTC by the Meerkat Asteroid Guard of the European Space Agency, which triggered subsequent follow-up observations that confirmed both the object to be real and the occurrence of the impact with Earth. Here we present the operations and results from the NEO Coordination Centre (NEOCC) upon the impact event. Because the entry likely dropped meteorites on the ground, we also estimate the possible strewn fields for future meteorite search campaigns.
comment: Accepted for publication on Icarus
☆ Managing target of opportunity (ToO) observations at Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre (OAJ)
The Observatorio Astrof\'isico de Javalambre (OAJ) is a Spanish astronomical ICTS (Unique Scientific and Technical Infrastructures) located in the Sierra de Javalambre in Teruel (Spain). It has been particularly conceived for carrying out large-sky multi-filter surveys. As an ICTS, the OAJ offers Open Time to the astronomical community, offering more than 25% through Legacy Surveys, Regular Programs (RP) and Director discretionary time (DDT). Regarding the RP, a new call for proposals is made public each semester accepting only proposals under the modality of Target of Opportunity (ToO). This contribution summarizes how ToOs are managed at OAJ presenting the different applications designed and implemented at the observatory to deal with them: the Proposal Preparation portal (to request observing time), the Phase2 Observing tool and the submitphase2 web service (to trigger the ToOs), the TAC Tracking portal (for telescope operators to support the observations) and the TACData portal (to publish and offer the images and their data products).
comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems XXXIV, 2024
♻ ☆ Call to Protect the Dark and Quiet Sky from Harmful Interference by Satellite Constellations
The growing number of satellite constellations in low Earth orbit (LEO) enhances global communications and Earth observation, and support of space commerce is a high priority of many governments. At the same time, the proliferation of satellites in LEO has negative effects on astronomical observations and research, and the preservation of the dark and quiet sky. These satellite constellations reflect sunlight onto optical telescopes, and their radio emission impacts radio observatories, jeopardising our access to essential scientific discoveries through astronomy. The changing visual appearance of the sky also impacts our cultural heritage and environment. Both ground-based observatories and space-based telescopes in LEO are affected, and there are no places on Earth that can escape the effects of satellite constellations given their global nature. The minimally disturbed dark and radio-quiet sky is crucial for conducting fundamental research in astronomy and important public services such as planetary defence, technology development, and high-precision geolocation. Some aspects of satellite deployment and operation are regulated by States and intergovernmental organisations. While regulatory agencies in some States have started to require operators to coordinate with their national astronomy agencies over impacts, mitigation of the impact of space objects on astronomical activities is not sufficiently regulated. To address this issue, the CPS urges States and the international community to take steps to protect the dark and quiet sky as specified in this paper.
comment: This position paper was developed by the IAU Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference (CPS). It can also be downloaded at the CPS website at https://cps.iau.org/news/cps-urges-action-in-first-recommendations-paper/
♻ ☆ Systematic biases due to waveform mismodeling in parametrized post-Einsteinian tests of general relativity: The impact of neglecting spin precession and higher modes
We study the robustness of parametrized post-Einsteinian (ppE) tests of General Relativity (GR) with gravitational waves, due to waveform inaccuracy. In particular, we determine the properties of the signal -- signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and source parameters -- such that we are led to falsely identify a ppE deviation in the post-Newtonian (PN) inspiral phase at -1PN, 1PN, or 2PN order, due to neglecting spin precession or higher models in the recovery model. To characterize the statistical significance of the biases, we compute the Bayes factor between the ppE and GR models, and the fitting factor of the ppE model. For highly-precessing, edge-on signals, we find that mismodeling the signal leads to a significant systematic bias in the recovery of the ppE parameters, even at an SNR of 30. However, these biased inferences are characterized by a significant loss of SNR and a weak preference for the ppE model. At a higher SNR, the biased inferences display a strong preference for the ppE model and a significant loss of SNR. For edge-on signals containing asymmetric masses, at an SNR of 30, we find that excluding higher modes does not impact the ppE tests as much as excluding spin precession. Our analysis, therefore, identifies the spin-precessing and mass-asymmetric systems for which parametrized tests of GR are robust. With a toy model and using the linear signal approximation, we illustrate these regimes of bias and characterize them by obtaining bounds on the ratio of systematic to statistical error and the effective cycles incurred due to mismodeling. As a by-product of our analysis, we connect various measures and techniques commonly used to estimate systematic errors -- linear-signal approximation, Laplace approximation, fitting factor, effective cycles, and Bayes factor -- that apply to all studies of systematic uncertainties in gravitational wave parameter estimation.
comment: 51 pages, 22 figures, 5 tables; Matches PRD version
♻ ☆ The NCORES Program: Precise planetary masses, null results, and insight into the planet mass distribution near the radius gap
NCORES was a large observing program on the ESO HARPS spectrograph, dedicated to measuring the masses of Neptune-like and smaller transiting planets discovered by the TESS satellite using the radial velocity technique. This paper presents an overview of the programme, its scientific goals and published results, covering 35 planets in 18 planetary systems. We present spectrally derived stellar characterisation and mass constraints for five additional TOIs where radial velocity observations found only marginally significant signals (TOI-510.01, $M_p=1.08^{+0.58}_{-0.55}M_\oplus$), or found no signal (TOIs 271.01, 641.01, 697.01 and 745.01). A newly detected non-transiting radial velocity candidate is presented orbiting TOI-510 on a 10.0d orbit, with a minimum mass of $4.82^{+1.29}_{-1.26}M_\oplus$, although uncertainties on the system architecture and true orbital period remain. Combining the NCORES sample with archival known planets we investigate the distribution of planet masses and compositions around and below the radius gap, finding that the population of planets below the gap is consistent with a rocky composition and ranges up to a sharp cut-off at $10M_\oplus$. We compare the observed distribution to models of pebble- and planetesimal-driven formation and evolution, finding good broad agreement with both models while highlighting interesting areas of potential discrepancy. Increased numbers of precisely measured planet masses in this parameter space are required to distinguish between pebble and planetesimal accretion.
comment: Accepted to MNRAS. Minor updates to text, references, affiliations
♻ ☆ Exploring the Key Features of Repeating Fast Radio Bursts with Machine Learning
Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are enigmatic high-energy events with unknown origins, which are observationally divided into two categories, i.e., repeaters and non-repeaters. However, there are potentially a number of non-repeaters that may be misclassified, as repeating bursts are missed due to the limited sensitivity and observation periods, thus misleading the investigation of their physical properties. In this work, we propose a repeater identification method based on the t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (t-SNE) algorithm and apply the classification to the first Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment Fast Radio Burst (CHIME/FRB) catalog. We find that the spectral morphology parameters, specifically spectral running ($r$), represent the key features for identifying repeaters from the non-repeaters. Also, the results suggest that repeaters are more biased towards narrowband emission, whereas non-repeaters are inclined toward broadband emission. We provide a list of 163 repeater candidates, 5 of which are confirmed with an updated repeater catalog from CHIME/FRB. Our findings improve our understanding of the various properties underlying repeaters and non-repeaters, as well as guidelines for future FRB detection and categorization.
comment: 19 pages, 10 figures
♻ ☆ Improving early detection of gravitational waves from binary neutron stars using CNNs and FPGAs
The detection of gravitational waves (GWs) from binary neutron stars (BNSs) with possible telescope follow-ups opens a window to ground-breaking discoveries in the field of multi-messenger astronomy. With the improved sensitivity of current and future GW detectors, more BNS detections are expected in the future. Therefore, enhancing low-latency GW search algorithms to achieve rapid speed, high accuracy, and low computational cost is essential. One innovative solution to reduce latency is the use of machine learning (ML) methods embedded in field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). In this work, we present a novel WaveNet-based method, leveraging the state-of-the-art ML model, to produce early-warning alerts for BNS systems. Using simulated GW signals embedded in Gaussian noise from the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors' third observing run (O3) as a proof-of-concept dataset, we demonstrate significant performance improvements. Compared to the current leading ML-based early-warning system, our approach enhances detection accuracy from 66.81% to 76.22% at a 1% false alarm probability. Furthermore, we evaluate the time, energy, and economical cost of our model across CPU, GPU, and FPGA platforms, showcasing its potential for deployment in real-time gravitational wave detection pipelines.
comment: 21 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables, submitted to Machine Learning Science and Technology
♻ ☆ First Result for Dark Matter Search by WINERED
The identity of dark matter has been a mystery in astronomy, cosmology, and particle theory for about a century. Bessho, Ikeda, and Yin (2022), three of the current authors, proposed using the state-of-the-art infrared spectrographs, including WINERED at $6.5$m Magellan Clay telescope and NIRSpec at James Webb Space Telescope, as efficient detectors for the indirect detection of dark matter with the mass around eV by measuring the line photons from the dark matter two body decays. Applying this concept, we have performed spectrographic observations of dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) Leo V and Tucana II using WINERED by utilizing an object-sky-object nodding observation technique for background subtraction. We present the first result from this dark matter search. Employing zero consistent flux data after the sky subtraction, we have established one of the most stringent limits to date on dark matter decaying into line photons in the mass range of $1.8-2.7\,$eV. Our data can also be applied to constrain other spectra of photons from the dSphs.
comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, 1 table, 6 data files attached, limits assuming NFW profile included, the effects from Earth rotation and revolution included in the Doppler shift analysis, conclusions unchanged, version appeared in PRL
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 30
☆ Projecting Unequal Time Fields and Correlators of Large Scale Structure
Many large scale structure surveys sort their observations into redshift bins and treat every tracer as being located at the mean redshift of its bin, a treatment which we refer to as the equal time approximation. Recently, a new method was developed which allows for the estimation and correction of errors introduced by this approximation, which we refer to as the unequal time correlator-level projection. For single tracer power spectra, corrections arise at second order and above in a series expansion, with first order terms surviving only in multi-tracer analyses. In this paper we develop a new method which we refer to as the unequal time field level projection. This formalism projects the fields individually onto the celestial sphere, displaced from individual reference times, before defining their correlators. This method introduces new, first order correction terms even in the case of single tracer power spectra. Specifically, new first order terms are introduced which apply to both cross-bin and single bin correlators. All of these new corrections originate with derivatives over combinations of a delta function, a cross-bin phase term, and the power spectrum itself and stem from the introduction of two unequal time Fourier transforms into the analysis. We analyse these corrections in the context of a linearly biased power spectrum divided between two redshift bins and find that they can lead to non-trivial corrections, particularly to cross-bin correlators. We also show that these terms can be replicated by appropriately extending the correlator-level analysis to include a second Fourier transform which allows for a full redshift bin integration.
comment: 16 pages, 4 figures
☆ Non-Perturbative Hamiltonian and Higher Loop Corrections in USR Inflation
Calculating the action and the interaction Hamiltonian at higher orders in cosmological perturbation theory is a cumbersome task. We employ the formalism of EFT of inflation in models of single field ultra slow-roll inflation and obtain a non-perturbative result for the Hamiltonian in terms of the Goldstone field $\pi$. To complete the dictionary, a non-linear relation between the curvature perturbations and $\pi$ is presented. Equipped with these non-linear results, we calculate the higher order loop corrections in USR models which are employed for PBHs formation. It is shown that the loop corrections on long CMB scales increase rapidly with the number of loop $L$ and the setup will go out of perturbative control at the four-loop level.
comment: 6 pages, 2 figures
☆ Intrinsic galaxy alignments in the KiDS-1000 bright sample: dependence on colour, luminosity, morphology and galaxy scale
The intrinsic alignment of galaxies is a major astrophysical contaminant to weak gravitational lensing measurements, and the study of its dependence on galaxy properties helps provide meaningful physical priors that aid cosmological analyses. This work studies for the first time the dependence of intrinsic alignments on galaxy structural parameters. We measure the intrinsic alignments of bright galaxies, selected on $r$-band magnitude $r<20$, in the Kilo-Degree Survey. Machine-learning-based photometric redshift estimates are available for this galaxy sample that help obtain a clean measurement of its intrinsic alignment signal. We supplement this sample with a catalogue of structural parameters from S\'ersic profile fits to the surface brightness profiles of the galaxies. We split the sample in galaxy intrinsic colour, luminosity and S\'ersic index, and we fit the non-linear linear alignment model to galaxy position - shape projected correlation function measurements at large scales. We observe a power-law luminosity dependence of the large-scale intrinsic alignment amplitude, $A_\mathrm{IA}$, for both the red and high S\'ersic index ($n_s>2.5$) samples, and find no significant difference between the two samples. We measure a $\sim1.5\sigma$ lower $A_\mathrm{IA}$ for red galaxies that also have a S\'ersic index $n_s<4$, compared to the expected amplitude predicted using sample's luminosity. We also probe the intrinsic alignment of red galaxies as a function of galaxy scale by varying the radial weight employed in the shape measurement. We find no significant difference on large scales but on small scales, alignments increase with galaxy scale. For intrinsically blue galaxies, we find $A_\mathrm{IA}=-0.67\pm1.00$, consistent with previous works. We also find alignments to be consistent with zero for the low S\'ersic index ($n_s<2.5$) sample.
comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, comments welcome!
☆ Photometric Objects Around Cosmic Webs (PAC) Delineated in a Spectroscopic Survey. VIII. Revisiting the Lensing is Low Effect
The issue of over-predicting the galaxy-galaxy lensing (GGL) signal using conventional galaxy-halo connection models has become well-known as the ``Lensing is Low'' problem, which has been extensively investigated using the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) galaxy samples. This issue is also tightly related to the so-called $S_8$ tension. By applying our Photometric objects Around Cosmic webs (PAC) method to the BOSS survey and the DESI deep photometric survey, we obtained hundreds of cross-correlation measurements to establish an accurate galaxy-halo connection for BOSS galaxies through the halo abundance matching technique (Paper IV). With this galaxy-halo connection, we show in this work that the predicted GGL signals for BOSS galaxies both in the Planck and WMAP Universes actually agree very well with the GGL measurements. We find the best-fitting value $S_8 = 0.8294 \pm 0.0110$, $0.8073 \pm 0.0372$ and $0.8189 \pm 0.0440$ for the CMASS samples with the source galaxies from HSC, DES and KiDS image surveys, respectively. Our work indicates that accurate modeling of the lens population is so critical to interpret the GGL observation. For the scale of $r_p < 0.6\,h^{-1}\rm{Mpc}$, our GGL prediction for LOWZ samples are also in good agreement with the observations of HSC and DES. However, the GGL observation of KiDS is much lower on the small scale. Our results indicate that no significant baryon feedback is needed to suppress the small scale clustering unless the the GGL observation of KiDS on the small scale will be confirmed.
comment: 13 pages, 8 figures
☆ Low-Acceleration Gravitational Anomaly from Bayesian 3D Modeling of Wide Binary Orbits: Methodology and Results with Gaia DR3
Isolated wide binary stars provide natural laboratories to directly test or measure weak gravity for Newtonian acceleration $g_{\rm{N}}\lesssim 10^{-9}$ m s$^{-2}$. Recent statistical analyses of wide binaries have been performed only with sky-projected relative velocities $v_p$ in the pairs. A new method of Bayesian orbit modeling exploiting three relative velocity components including the radial (line-of-sight) component $v_r$ is developed to measure a gravitational anomaly parameter $\Gamma\equiv\log_{10}\sqrt{G_{\rm{eff}}/G_{\rm{N}}}$ where $G_{\rm{eff}}$ is the effective gravitational constant for pseudo-Newtonian elliptical orbits, while $G_{\rm{N}}$ is Newton's constant. The method infers individual probability distributions of $\Gamma$ and then combines the independent distributions to obtain a consolidated distribution in a specific range of $g_{\rm{N}}$. Here the method is described and applied to a sample of 312 wide binaries in a broad dynamic range $10^{-11.0}\lesssim g_{\rm{N}}\lesssim 10^{-6.7}$ m s$^{-2}$ with $v_r$ uncertainties in the range $168<\sigma_{v_r}<380$ m s$^{-1}$ selected from the Gaia DR3 database. The following results are obtained: $\Gamma = 0.000\pm 0.011$ ($N_{\rm{binary}}=125$) for a high acceleration regime ($10^{-7.9} \lesssim g_{\rm{N}} \lesssim 10^{-6.7}$ m s$^{-2}$) agreeing well with Newton, but $\Gamma = 0.085\pm 0.040$ (35) for a MOND regime ($10^{-11.0}\lesssim g_{\rm{N}}\lesssim 10^{-9.5}$ m s$^{-2}$) and $\Gamma = 0.063\pm 0.015$ (111) for a MOND+transition regime ($10^{-11.0}\lesssim g_{\rm{N}}\lesssim 10^{-8.5}$ m s$^{-2}$). These results show that gravitational anomaly is evident for $g_{\rm{N}}\lesssim 10^{-9}$ m s$^{-2}$ and $\Gamma$ in the MOND regime ($\lesssim 10^{-9.5}$ m s$^{-2}$) agrees with the first-tier prediction ($\approx 0.07$) of MOND gravity theories.
comment: 34 pages, 24 figures, 3 tables (submitted to the AAS journals)
☆ Chinese Pulsar Timing Array upper limits on microhertz gravitational waves from supermassive black-hole binaries using PSR J1713+0747 FAST data
We derive the gravitational-wave (GW) strain upper limits from resolvable supermassive black-hole binaries using the data from the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), in the context of the Chinese Pulsar Timing Array project. We focus on circular orbits in the $\mu$Hz GW frequency band between $10^{-7}$ and $3\times10^{-6}$ Hz. This frequency band is higher than the traditional pulsar timing array band and is less explored. We used the data of the millisecond pulsar PSR J1713+5307 observed between August 2019 and April 2021. A dense observation campaign was carried out in September 2020 to allow for the $\mu$Hz band coverage. Our sky-average continuous source upper limit at the 95% confidence level at 1$\mu$Hz is 1.26$\times10^{-12}$, while the same limit in the direction of the pulsar is 4.77$\times10^{-13}$.
comment: Accepted by Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics (RAA)
☆ Accounting for motion of supernova host galaxy in statistical inference from SNIa data
We investigate the impact of peculiar motion of Type Ia supernova host galaxies on cosmological parameter estimation. This motion causes their redshift to deviate from that of the comoving observer at their position and is a source of noise. To this end, we develop an estimator for parameter estimation in models with errors in independent variables. Using the Bayesian framework, errors in independent variables are treated as nuisance parameters by making the independent variables parameters of the model. Our method applied to the Pantheon sample of Type Ia supernova indicates a few percent shift in the central values of inferred cosmological parameters. For the $w$CDM model, we find that accounting for peculiar velocities makes the data marginally more consistent with the cosmological constant model. By using simulated data, we show that not accounting for peculiar velocities will significantly impact parameter estimation from higher precision future data sets.
comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables
☆ Foreground Removal in Ground-Based CMB Observations Using a Transformer Model
We present a novel method for Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) foreground removal based on deep learning techniques. This method employs a Transformer model, referred to as \texttt{TCMB}, which is specifically designed to effectively process HEALPix-format spherical sky maps. \texttt{TCMB} represents an innovative application in CMB data analysis, as it is an image-based technique that has rarely been utilized in this field. Using simulated data with noise levels representative of current ground-based CMB polarization observations, the \texttt{TCMB} method demonstrates robust performance in removing foreground contamination. The mean absolute variance for the reconstruction of the noisy CMB Q/U map is significantly less than the CMB polarization signal. To mitigate biases caused by instrumental noise, a cross-correlation approach using two half-mission maps was employed, successfully recovering CMB EE and BB power spectra that align closely with the true values, and these results validate the effectiveness of the \texttt{TCMB} method. Compared to the previously employed convolutional neural network (CNN)-based approach, the \texttt{TCMB} method offers two significant advantages: (1) It demonstrates superior effectiveness in reconstructing CMB polarization maps, outperforming CNN-based methods. (2) It can directly process HEALPix spherical sky maps without requiring rectangular region division, a step necessary for CNN-based approaches that often introduces uncertainties such as boundary effects. This study highlights the potential of Transformer-based models as a powerful tool for CMB data analysis, offering a substantial improvement over traditional CNN-based techniques.
comment: 17 pages, 13 figures, 1 table
☆ Gauss-Bonnet-induced symmetry breaking/restoration during inflation
We propose a mechanism of symmetry breaking or restoration that can occur in the middle of inflation due to the coupling of the Gauss-Bonnet term to a charged scalar. The Gauss-Bonnet coupling results in an inflaton-dependent effective squared mass of the charged scalar, which can change its sign (around the symmetric point) during inflation. This can lead to spontaneous breaking of the symmetry, or to its restoration, if it is initially broken. We show the conditions under which the backreaction of the Gauss-Bonnet coupling on the inflationary background is negligible, such that the predictions of a given inflationary model are unaffected by the symmetry breaking/restoration process.
comment: 8 pages, 2 figures
☆ Semi-analytic modelling of Pop. III star formation and metallicity evolution - II. Impact on 21cm power spectrum
Simulating Population (Pop.) III star formation in mini-halos in a large cosmological simulation is an extremely challenging task but it is crucial to estimate its impact on the 21cm power spectrum. In this work, we develop a framework within the semi-analytical code meraxes to estimate the radiative backgrounds from Pop. III stars needed for the computation of the 21cm signal. We computed the 21cm global signal and power spectrum for different Pop. III models varying star formation efficiency, initial mass function (IMF) and specific X-ray luminosity per unit of star formation (LX/SFR). In all the models considered, we find Pop. III stars have little to no impact on the reionization history but significantly affect the thermal state of the intergalactic medium (IGM) due to the strong injection of X-ray photons from their remnants that heat the neutral IGM at $z \geq$ 15. This is reflected not only on the 21cm sky-averaged global signal during the Cosmic Dawn but also on the 21cm power spectrum at $z \leq$ 10 where models with strong Pop. III X-ray emission have larger power than models with no or mild Pop. III X-ray emission. We estimate observational uncertainties on the power spectrum using 21cmsense and find that models where Pop. III stars have a stronger X-ray emission than Pop. II are distinguishable from models with no or mild Pop. III X-ray emission with 1000 hours observations of the upcoming SKA1-low.
comment: Submitted to MNRAS. 14 pages, 17 figures, 1 appendix. Comments are welcome!
☆ Searching for axion dark matter gegenschein of the Vela supernova remnant with FAST
Axions are one of the leading dark matter candidates. If we are embedded in a Milky Way dark matter halo comprised of axions, their stimulated decay would enable us to observe a counterimage (``axion gegenschein") with a frequency equal to half the axion mass in the opposite direction of a bright radio source. This spectral line emission will be broadened to $\Delta \nu/\nu \sim \sigma_d/c \sim 10^{-3}$ due to the velocity dispersion of dark matter, $\sigma_d$. In this pilot study, we perform the first search for the expected axion gegenschein image of Vela supernova remnant (SNR) with 26.4 hours of effective ON-OFF data from the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) L-band (1.0 - 1.5~GHz) 19-beam receiver. Our null detection limits the axion-photon coupling strength to be $g_{a\gamma\gamma} \lesssim 2 \times 10^{-10} \mathrm{GeV}^{-1}$ in the mass ranges of $8.7\,\mu\mathrm{eV} \leq m_a \leq 9.44\,\mu\mathrm{eV}$ and $10.85\,\mu\mathrm{eV} \leq m_a \leq 12.01\,\mu\mathrm{eV} $. These results provide a stronger constraint on $g_{a\gamma\gamma}$ in this axion mass range than the current limits obtained by the direct search of axion decay signal from galaxy clusters which uses FAST observations, but is a factor of $\sim 3$ times weaker than the current CAST limit.Based on our observation strategy, data processing methods, and results, the expected sensitivity will reach $\sim 10^{-11}\mathrm{GeV}^{-1}$ with $\sim 2000$ hours of observation in the future.
comment: 20 pages, 23 figures
☆ DESI dark secrets
The first year results of DESI provide evidence that dark energy may not be quantum vacuum energy ($\Lambda$). If true, this would be an extraordinary development in the 25-year quest to understand cosmic acceleration. The best-fit DESI $w_0w_a$ models for dark energy, which underpin the claim, have very strange behavior. They achieve a maximum dark energy density around $z\simeq 0.4$ and rapidly decrease before and after. We explore physics-motivated models where the dark energy is a rolling scalar-field. Each of our four scalar-field models is characterized by one dimensionless parameter $\beta$, which in the limit of $\beta \rightarrow 0$ reduces to $\Lambda$CDM. While none of our models fit the DESI data significantly better than $\Lambda$CDM, for values of $\beta$ of order unity, they fit about as well as $\Lambda$CDM. Each scalar field model makes different predictions for the age of the Universe, which might be used to discriminate amongst them. For small values of $\beta$, the dimensionsless initial slope of the scalar field potential links the predictions of different scalar field models. And for small values of $\beta$, $w_0w_a$ models can marginally represent the predictions of a scalar-field model at the current precision needed. However, with increasingly precise distance measurements, over a larger redshift range, explicit modeling of the scalar-field evolution is already and will continue to be essential to testing alternatives to $\Lambda$.
☆ $Λ$CDM and early dark energy in latent space: a data-driven parametrization of the CMB temperature power spectrum
Finding the best parametrization for cosmological models in the absence of first-principle theories is an open question. We propose a data-driven parametrization of cosmological models given by the disentangled 'latent' representation of a variational autoencoder (VAE) trained to compress cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature power spectra. We consider a broad range of $\Lambda$CDM and beyond-$\Lambda$CDM cosmologies with an additional early dark energy (EDE) component. We show that these spectra can be compressed into 5 ($\Lambda$CDM) or 8 (EDE) independent latent parameters, as expected when using temperature power spectra alone, and which reconstruct spectra at an accuracy well within the Planck errors. These latent parameters have a physical interpretation in terms of well-known features of the CMB temperature spectrum: these include the position, height and even-odd modulation of the acoustic peaks, as well as the gravitational lensing effect. The VAE also discovers one latent parameter which entirely isolates the EDE effects from those related to $\Lambda$CDM parameters, thus revealing a previously unknown degree of freedom in the CMB temperature power spectrum. We further showcase how to place constraints on the latent parameters using Planck data as typically done for cosmological parameters, obtaining latent values consistent with previous $\Lambda$CDM and EDE cosmological constraints. Our work demonstrates the potential of a data-driven reformulation of current beyond-$\Lambda$CDM phenomenological models into the independent degrees of freedom to which the data observables are sensitive.
comment: 17 pages, 12 figures, comments welcome
☆ Gravitational Effects of a Small Primordial Black Hole Passing Through the Human Body
The gravitational effects of a primordial black hole (PBH) passing through the human body are examined, with the goal of determining the minimum mass necessary to produce significant injury or death. Two effects are examined: the damage caused by a shock wave propagating outward from the black hole trajectory, and the dissociation of brain cells from tidal forces produced by the black hole on its passage through the human body. It is found that the former is the dominant effect, with a cutoff mass for serious injury or death of approximately $M_{PBH} > 1.4 \times 10^{17} {\rm g}$. The number density of primordial black holes with a mass above this cutoff is far too small to produce any observable effects on the human population.
comment: 3 pages, no figures
☆ ZTF SN Ia DR2: Improved SN Ia colors through expanded dimensionality with SALT3+
Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are a key probe in modern cosmology, as they can be used to measure luminosity distances at gigaparsec scales. Models of their light-curves are used to project heterogeneous observed data onto a common basis for analysis. The SALT model currently used for SN Ia cosmology describes SNe as having two sources of variability, accounted for by a color parameter c, and a "stretch parameter" x1. We extend the model to include an additional parameter we label x2, to investigate the cosmological impact of currently unaddressed light-curve variability. We construct a new SALT model, which we dub "SALT3+". This model was trained by an improved version of the SALTshaker code, using training data combining a selection of the second data release of cosmological SNe Ia from the Zwicky Transient Facility and the existing SALT3 training compilation. We find additional, coherent variability in supernova light-curves beyond SALT3. Most of this variation can be described as phase-dependent variation in g-r and r-i color curves, correlated with a boost in the height of the secondary maximum in i-band. These behaviors correlate with spectral differences, particularly in line velocity. We find that fits with the existing SALT3 model tend to address this excess variation with the color parameter, leading to less informative measurements of supernova color. We find that neglecting the new parameter in light-curve fits leads to a trend in Hubble residuals with x2 of 0.039 +/- 0.005 mag, representing a potential systematic uncertainty. However, we find no evidence of a bias in current cosmological measurements. We conclude that extended SN Ia light-curve models promise mild improvement in the accuracy of color measurements, and corresponding cosmological precision. However, models with more parameters are unlikely to substantially affect current cosmological results.
☆ Cosmological information content of Betti curves and $k$-nearest neighbor distributions
We compare the cosmological constraints that can be obtained from halo clustering on non-linear scales ($2 h^{-1}$ Mpc < $r$ < $50 h^{-1}$ Mpc) using Betti curves, a topological summary statistic, and $k$-th nearest neighbor ($k$NN) distributions. We quantify the information content of each summary statistic through Fisher matrices computed from the Quijote simulations. Due to the use of simulation-based Fisher forecasts, we pay careful attention to the convergence of the Fisher matrices by looking at their eigendecompositions. We find that, in general, only two directions in the parameter space have constraints that are well converged given the number of Quijote simulations available. We then compare the information content of each summary statistic in the reduced parameter space $\{\Omega_m, \sigma_8\}$. We find that almost all of the information present in the Betti curves comes from the first two, $\beta_0$ and $\beta_1$, which track the number of connected components and one-dimensional loops respectively, and almost no constraining power comes from $\beta_2$ which tracks the number of topological voids. In comparison, we find that the $k$NNs provide very competitive constraints along with several potential advantages in regards to real data. Finally, we find that while the $k$NNs and Betti curves provide some complementary constraints, they are not fully independent, potentially indicating a connection between the two statistics.
comment: 9 pages, 12 figures
♻ ☆ Cosmological scalar perturbations in Horndeski-like gravity
Scalar-tensor theories are promising dark energy models. A promising scalar-tensor theory, called Horndeski-like gravity, is coming from the application of the Horndeski gravity in string theory and cosmology that takes into account two dilaton fields. In this work we study the stability of the scalar sector of this theory and compare it with that coming from the previously studied tensor sector. With the first-order formalism we investigate the allowed background solutions. Focusing on the background solution with a single scalar field, the entropy coming from particle production $S_{in}$ and that of the apparent horizon $S$ will be studied, which translates into \textit{entropy bounds}. These entropy bounds are compared with the stability of the scalar and tensor sector as well. The gravitational slip (minus one) to entropy ratio is also considered as a possible replacement for the usual shear viscosity to entropy ratio for black holes.
comment: 12 pages, 3 figures
♻ ☆ Negative neutrino masses as a mirage of dark energy
The latest cosmological constraints on the sum of the neutrino masses depend on prior physical assumptions about the mass spectrum. To test the accordance of cosmological and laboratory constraints in the absence of such priors, we introduce an effective neutrino mass parameter that extends consistently to negative values. For the $\Lambda$CDM model, we analyze data from Planck, ACT, and DESI and find a $2.8-3.3\sigma$ tension with the constraints from oscillation experiments. Motivated by recent hints of evolving dark energy, we analyze the $w_0w_a$ and mirage dark energy models, showing that they favour larger masses consistent with laboratory data, respectively $\sum m_{\nu,\mathrm{eff}} = 0.06_{-0.10}^{+0.15}\,\mathrm{eV}$ and $\sum m_{\nu,\mathrm{eff}} = 0.04_{-0.11}^{+0.15}\,\mathrm{eV}$ (both at 68%).
comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, minor revisions expanding on the implementation and model fits
♻ ☆ The cosmic trimmer: Black-hole hair in scalar-Gauss-Bonnet gravity is altered by cosmology
Static black holes in general relativity modified by a linear scalar coupling to the Gauss-Bonnet invariant always carry hair. We show that the same mechanism that creates the hair makes it incompatible with a cosmological horizon. Other scalar-tensor models do not have this problem when time dependence of the scalar provides a natural matching to cosmology. Scalar-Gauss-Bonnet gravity is particularly rigid, and such a scenario does not help. An extra operator makes the theory behave like the other models, and the cosmological horizon can be accommodated. The hair, however, is drastically altered.
comment: 6 pages. Published version
♻ ☆ QCD-sourced tachyonic phase transition in a supercooled Universe
We propose a novel gravitational wave production mechanism in the context of quasi-conformal Standard Model extensions, which provide a way to dynamically generate the electroweak scale. In these models, the cosmic thermal history is modified by a substantial period of thermal inflation, potentially supercooling the Universe below the QCD scale. The exit from supercooling is typically realized through a strong, first-order phase transition. By employing the classically conformal $U(1)_{\tiny\rm B-L}$ model as a representative example, we show that a large parameter space exists where bubble percolation is inefficient. In this case, the top quark condensate triggers a tachyonic phase transition driven by classical rolling of the new scalar field towards the true vacuum. As the field crosses a region where its effective mass is negative, long-wavelength scalar field fluctuations are exponentially amplified, preheating the supercooled Universe. We study the dynamics of this scenario and estimate the peak of the associated gravitational wave signal, which is detectable by future observatories in almost the entire available parameter space.
comment: 12 pages, 5 figures. v2: references added, accepted for publication in JCAP
♻ ☆ PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 I: X-ray exploration of a low-mass cluster with exceptionally-distant radio relics
Relics are diffuse, highly-polarized radio sources that trace merger-driven shocks at the periphery of merging galaxy clusters. The LOFAR survey recently discovered a rare example of double relics in the low-mass cluster PSZ2 G181.06+48.47. Through a detailed exploration of new Chandra and XMM-Newton observations, we reveal that PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 has a lower mass ($M_{500,X}=2.32^{+0.29}_{-0.25}\times10^{14}$ M$_{\odot}$) than previously thought. Despite its cool global temperature of $kT_{500}=3.62^{+0.15}_{-0.07}$ keV, PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 is one of the most disturbed clusters in the Planck sample, with a complex morphological and thermodynamic structure. We discover a set of three discontinuities within <500 kpc of the cluster center, and, from a surface brightness analysis, place $5\sigma$ upper limits of $M_{NE}<1.43$ and $M_{SW}<1.57$ for any shock associated with the relic locations. We also revise established scaling relations for double radio-relics by adding 12 new systems not included in previous work. The PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 relics have the widest separation (scaled for $r_{500}$) of all known double-relic systems. The exceptional distance from the cluster center ($>r_{200}$), indicates the relics may be associated with shocks in the ``run-away" phase. We propose that this late-stage, post-apocenter merger is captured as the two subclusters with a mass ratio of 1.2-1.4 fall back into each other. The outer relic shocks were likely produced at the first core passage, while the inner discontinuities are associated with the second infall.
comment: Accepted to ApJ on Feb 13, 2025. 28 pages, 10 figures. Companion paper discussing the radio properties can be found at arXiv:2501.08390. Companion weak-lensing reconstruction paper can be found at arXiv:2501.09067
♻ ☆ Dynamical de Sitter conjecture and quintessence
The de Sitter conjecture yields a severe bound on possible vacua for a consistent quantum gravity. We extend the de Sitter conjecture by taking into account dynamics of the scalar field. We then apply such an extended de Sitter conjecture to a quintessence model of inflation for which dynamics of the scalar field is essential, and obtain an allowed region of parameters of the scalar potential wider than previously considered cases with the conventional de Sitter conjecture. The new bounds in the swampland conjecture could have implications in several situations to construct compactification models.
comment: 17 pages, 1 figure, typos corrected, references are improved
♻ ☆ The properties of magnetised cold filaments in a cool-core galaxy cluster
Filaments of cold gas ($T\leq 10^{4}$ K) are found in the inner regions of many cool-core clusters. These structures are thought to play a major role in the regulation of feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN). We study the morphology of the filaments, their formation, and their impact on the propagation of the outflowing AGN jets. We present a set of GPU-accelerated 3D (magneto)hydrodynamical simulations of an idealized Perseus-like cluster using the performance portable code AthenaPK. We include radiative cooling, and a self-regulated AGN feedback model that redistributes accreted material through kinetic, thermal and magnetic feedback. We confirm that magnetic fields play an important role in both the formation and evolution of the cold material. These suppress the formation of massive cold discs and favour magnetically supported filaments over clumpy structures. Achieving resolutions of $25-50$ pc, we find that filaments are not monolithic as they contain numerous and complex magnetically supported sub-structures. We find that the mass distribution of these clumps follows a $\mathrm{d}N/\mathrm{d}M \propto M^{-1.6}$ power-law for all investigated filaments. Studying the evolution of individual filaments, we find that their formation pathways can be diverse. We find examples of filaments forming through a combination of gas uplifting and condensation, as well as systems of purely infalling clumps condensing out of the intracluster medium. The density contrast between the cold gas and the outflowing hot material leads to recurring deflections of the jets, favouring inflation of bubbles.
comment: 20 pages, 21 figures, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, with corrections detailed in an accompanying erratum
♻ ☆ Comprehensive Study of $k$-essence Model: Dynamical System Analysis and Observational Constraints from Latest Type Ia Supernova and BAO Observations
We constrain the parameters of the $k$-essence scalar field model with inverse square and exponential potentials using data sets including Pantheon+SHOES and the Dark Energy Survey (DES) of Type Ia supernovae, Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) data from SDSS and DESI surveys, and direct measurements of the Hubble parameter and redshift obtained from the differential age method (CC). We also provide a brief perspective on the dynamical evolution of both models and derive stability constraints on the model parameters, which are then used to set appropriate priors. We adopt a Bayesian inference procedure to estimate the model parameters that best fit the data. A comprehensive analysis in light of observational data shows that the $k$-essence model fits well across all data combinations. However, according to the BIC criterion, the $\Lambda$CDM model provides a slightly better fit compared to the $k$-essence model.
comment: 35 pages, 17 figures, 8 tables, Included critical points analysis at infinity, Accepted for the publication in JCAP
♻ ☆ BOSS Constraints on Massive Particles during Inflation: The Cosmological Collider in Action
Massive particles leave imprints on primordial non-Gaussianity via couplings to the inflaton, even despite their exponential dilution during inflation: practically, the Universe acts as a Cosmological Collider. We present the first dedicated search for spin-zero particles using BOSS redshift-space galaxy power spectrum and bispectrum multipoles, as well as Planck CMB non-Gaussianity data. We demonstrate that some Cosmological Collider models are well approximated by the standard equilateral and orthogonal parametrization; assuming negligible inflaton self-interactions, this facilitates us translating Planck non-Gaussianity constraints into bounds on Collider models. Many models have signatures that are not degenerate with equilateral and orthogonal non-Gaussianity and thus require dedicated searches. Here, we constrain such models using BOSS three-dimensional redshift-space galaxy clustering data, focusing on spin-zero particles in the principal series (i.e. with mass $m\geq 3H/2$) and constraining their couplings to the inflaton at varying speed and mass, marginalizing over the unknown inflaton self-interactions. This is made possible through an improvement in Cosmological Bootstrap techniques and the combination of perturbation theory and halo occupation distribution models for galaxy clustering. Our work sets the standard for inflationary spectroscopy with cosmological observations, providing the ultimate link between physics on the largest and smallest scales.
comment: 35 pages, 15 figures, 6 tables. Matches PRD accepted version
♻ ☆ ZTF SN Ia DR2: Environmental dependencies of stretch and luminosity of a volume limited sample of 1,000 Type Ia Supernovae
To get distances, Type Ia Supernovae magnitudes are corrected for their correlation with lightcurve width and colour. Here we investigate how this standardisation is affected by the SN environment, with the aim to reduce scatter and improve standardisation. We first study the SN Ia stretch distribution, as well as its dependence on environment, as characterised by local and global (g-z) colour and stellar mass. We then look at the standardisation parameter $\alpha$, which accounts for the correlation between residuals and stretch, along with its environment dependence and linearity. We finally compute magnitude offsets between SNe in different astrophysical environments after colour and stretch standardisation, aka steps. This analysis is made possible due to the unprecedented statistics of the ZTF SN Ia DR2 volume-limited sample. The stretch distribution exhibits a bimodal behaviour, as previously found in literature. However, we find the distribution means to decrease with host stellar mass at a 9.2$\sigma$ significance. We demonstrate, at the 13.4$\sigma$ level, that the stretch-magnitude relation is non-linear, challenging the usual linear stretch-residuals relation. Fitting for a broken-$\alpha$ model, we indeed find two different slopes between stretch regimes ($x_1<-0.48\pm0.08$): $\alpha_{low}=0.27\pm0.01$ and $\alpha_{high}=0.08\pm0.01$, a $\Delta_{\alpha}=-0.19\pm0.01$ difference. As the relative proportion of SNe Ia in the high-/low-stretch modes evolves with redshift and environment, this implies that a linear $\alpha$ also evolves with redshift and environment. Concerning the environmental magnitude offset $\gamma$, we find it to be greater than 0.12 mag regardless of the considered environmental tracer used (local or global colour and stellar mass), all measured at the $\geq 5\sigma$ level, increased to $\sim0.17\pm0.01$ mag when accounting for the stretch-non linearity.
comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, accepted by Astronomy and Astrophysics
♻ ☆ First Result for Dark Matter Search by WINERED
The identity of dark matter has been a mystery in astronomy, cosmology, and particle theory for about a century. Bessho, Ikeda, and Yin (2022), three of the current authors, proposed using the state-of-the-art infrared spectrographs, including WINERED at $6.5$m Magellan Clay telescope and NIRSpec at James Webb Space Telescope, as efficient detectors for the indirect detection of dark matter with the mass around eV by measuring the line photons from the dark matter two body decays. Applying this concept, we have performed spectrographic observations of dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) Leo V and Tucana II using WINERED by utilizing an object-sky-object nodding observation technique for background subtraction. We present the first result from this dark matter search. Employing zero consistent flux data after the sky subtraction, we have established one of the most stringent limits to date on dark matter decaying into line photons in the mass range of $1.8-2.7\,$eV. Our data can also be applied to constrain other spectra of photons from the dSphs.
comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, 1 table, 6 data files attached, limits assuming NFW profile included, the effects from Earth rotation and revolution included in the Doppler shift analysis, conclusions unchanged, version appeared in PRL
♻ ☆ One-loop corrections to the E-type $α$-attractor models of inflation and primordial black hole production
The one-loop corrections (1LC) to the power spectrum of scalar perturbations arising from cubic interactions in the single-field E-type $\alpha$-attractor models of inflation and primordial black hole (PBH) production are numerically calculated. The results demonstrate the 1LC contributes merely a few percent to the tree-level power spectrum. The model parameters are chosen to predict the PBH masses in the asteroid-mass range, while maintaining consistency with the cosmic microwave background (CMB) observations within 1$\sigma$ confidence levels, and obeying the upper limits on $\mu$-distortions. The PBHs formed on scales smaller than the inflation scale can constitute a significant fraction of the present dark matter (DM). The PBH-induced gravitational waves (GW) may be detectable by the future space-based gravitational interferometers. We also consider a reconstruction of the scalar potential from possible GW observations and present a numerical approach tested in the model parameter space.
comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, LaTeX; references added
♻ ☆ Primordial neutrinos and new physics: novel approach to solving neutrino Boltzmann equation
Understanding how new physics influences the dynamics of cosmic neutrinos during their decoupling is crucial in light of upcoming precise cosmological observations and the need to reconcile cosmological and laboratory probes. Existing approaches to solving the neutrino Boltzmann equation are often model-dependent, computationally inefficient, and yield contradictory results. To solve this problem, we introduce a novel method to comprehensively study neutrino dynamics. We apply this method to several case studies, resolving the discrepancy in the literature about the impact of non-thermal neutrinos on $N_{\rm eff}$ and providing important insights about the role of decaying new physics particles on MeV plasma.
comment: Version accepted for the publication in PRL
♻ ☆ How new physics affects primordial neutrinos decoupling: Direct Simulation Monte Carlo approach
Cosmological observations from Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) offer crucial insights into the Early Universe, enabling us to trace its evolution back to lifetimes as short as 0.01 seconds. Upcoming CMB spectrum measurements will achieve unprecedented precision, allowing for more accurate extraction of information about the primordial neutrinos. This provides an opportunity to test whether their properties align with the predictions of the standard cosmological model or indicate the presence of new physics that influenced the evolution of the MeV-temperature plasma. A key component in understanding how new physics may have affected primordial neutrinos is solving the neutrino Boltzmann equation. In this paper, we address this question by developing a novel approach -- neutrino Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC). We discuss it in-depth, highlighting its model independence, transparency, and computational efficiency -- features that current state-of-the-art methods lack. Then, we introduce a proof-of-concept implementation of the neutrino DSMC and apply it to several toy scenarios, showcasing key aspects of the primordial plasma's evolution in the presence of new physics.
comment: Version accepted for the publication in PRD
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 12
☆ Performance of the Stellar Abundances and atmospheric Parameters Pipeline adapted for M dwarfs I. Atmospheric parameters from the spectroscopic module
M dwarfs are important targets in the search for Earth-like exoplanets due to their small masses and low luminosities. Several ongoing and upcoming space missions are targeting M dwarfs for this reason, and the ESA PLATO mission is one of these. In order to fully characterise a planetary system the properties of the host star must be known. For M dwarfs we can derive effective temperature, surface gravity, metallicity, and abundances of various elements from spectroscopic observations in combination with photometric data. The Stellar Abundances and atmospheric Parameters Pipeline (SAPP) has been developed as a prototype for one of the stellar science softwares within the PLATO consortium, it is aimed at FGK stars. We have modified it to be able to analyse the M dwarf among the PLATO targets. The current version of the pipeline for M dwarfs mostly relies on spectroscopic observations. The data processing is based on the machine learning algorithm The Payne and fits a grid of model spectra to an observed spectrum to derive effective temperature and metallicity. We use spectra in the H-band, as the near-infrared region is beneficial for M dwarfs. A method based on synthetic spectra was developed for the continuum normalisation of the spectra, taking into account the pseudo-continuum formed by numerous lines of the water molecule. Photometry is used to constrain the surface gravity. We tested the modified SAPP on spectra of M dwarfs from the APOGEE survey. Our validation sample of 26 stars includes stars with interferometric observations and binaries. We found a good agreement between our values and reference values from a range of studies. The overall uncertainties in the derived effective temperature, surface gravity, and metallicity is 100 K, 0.1 dex, and 0.15 dex, respectively. We find that the modified SAPP performs well on M dwarfs and identify possible areas of future development.
comment: Accepted in A&A
☆ The EBLM project -- XIV. TESS light curves for eclipsing binaries with very low mass companions
Accurate limb-darkening models are needed for accurate characterisation of eclipsing binary stars and transiting exoplanets from the analysis of their light curves. The limb-darkening observed in solar-type stars from the analysis of light curves for transiting hot-Jupiter exoplanets are systematically less steep than predicted by stellar model atmospheres that do not account for the stellar magnetic field. Hot-Jupiter host stars tend to be metal rich ([Fe/H] ~0.25) leading to a lack of low- and solar-metallicity targets in previous studies, so we have analysed the TESS light curves for a sample of 19 stars with transiting M-dwarf companions to extend the range of limb-darkening measurements to [Fe/H] values more typical for solar-type stars. We find that the systematic offset between the observed and predicted limb-darkening profiles observed in metal-rich hot-Jupiter systems is also observed for these solar-type stars at lower metallicity. These observations provide additional measurements to explore the impact of magnetic fields on the atmospheres of solar-type stars. We have also used the TESS light curves to make precise estimates of the radius and effective temperature of the M-dwarf companions in these 19 binary systems. We confirm the results from previous studies that find very low mass stars tend to be about 3 per cent larger than predicted by stellar models that use a mixing length prescription calibrated on the Sun.
comment: 12 pages, 5 Figures. This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in MNRAS following peer review
☆ New Models of Jupiter's Magnetopause and Bow Shock through the $Juno$ Prime Mission: Probabilistic Location, Shape, and Internally-driven Variation
The interaction between Jupiter's magnetosphere and the solar wind is not well-constrained: while internal energetic plasma processes are thought to dominate plasma circulation, the solar wind nonetheless exerts significant control over the shape and scale of the whole structure. To better constrain this interaction, we derive new functional forms for Jupiter's magnetopause and bow shock using data from the $Ulysses$, $Galileo$, $Cassini$, and $Juno$ missions and calibrated solar wind estimates from the Multi-Model Ensemble System for the Heliosphere (MMESH). We design an empirical Bayesian model to estimate the locations of the boundaries using a Markov-chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm, expanding our model to sample all times, not only boundary crossing events. The boundary surfaces which best describe the data are thus estimated without the need for a full, physics-based magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) treatment of the Jovian magnetosphere and the additional assumptions required for such. The new magnetopause model exhibits significant polar flattening and dawn-dusk asymmetry, and includes a narrowing of the magnetotail when compared to previous models. The new bow shock model is largely axisymmetric. Both boundary models describe surfaces which lie closer to Jupiter than previous models, which has important implications for the modern picture of Jupiter's dynamic magnetosphere and the expected science results of current and upcoming Jupiter-bound spacecraft. Applying these models to $Juno$'s trajectory, we estimate that the spacecraft should be expected to spend ${\sim}19\%$ of each orbit in the magnetosheath and ${\sim}4\%$ of each orbit in the solar wind starting from Perijove 64 (PJ64, 21 July 2021).
comment: 34 pages, 11 figures
☆ Solving for the 2D Water Snowline with Hydrodynamic Simulations. Emergence of gas outflow, water cycle and temperature plateau
In protoplanetary disks, the water snowline marks the location where ice-rich pebbles sublimate, releasing silicate grains and water vapor. These processes can trigger pile-ups of solids, making the water snowline a promising site for forming planetesimals. However, previous studies exploring the pile-up conditions typically employ 1D, vertically-averaged and isothermal assumptions. In this work, we investigate how a 2D flow pattern and realistic temperature structure affect the pile-up of pebbles at the snowline and how latent heat effects can leave observational imprints. We perform 2D (R-Z) multifluid hydrodynamic simulations, tracking chemically heterogeneous pebbles and the released vapor. With a recent-developed phase change module, the mass transfer and latent heat exchange during ice sublimation are calculated self-consistently. The temperature is calculated by a two-stream radiation transfer method under various opacities and stellar luminosity. We find that vapor injection at the snowline drives a previously unrecognized outflow, leading to a pile-up of ice outside the snowline. Vapor injection also decreases the headwind velocity in the pile-up, promoting planetesimal formation and pebble accretion. In active disks, we identify a water-cycle: after ice sublimates in the hotter midplane, vapor recondenses onto pebbles in the upper, cooler layers, which settle back to the midplane. This cycle promotes ice-trapping at snowline. Latent heat exchange flattens the temperature gradient across the snowline, broadening the width while reducing the peak solid-to-gas ratio of pile-ups. Due to the water cycle, active disks are more conducive to planetesimal formation than passive disks. The significant temperature dip (~ 40K) caused by latent heat cooling manifests as an intensity dip in the dust continuum, presenting a new channel to identify the water snowline in outbursting systems.
comment: Accepted for publication in A&A
☆ ExoMiner++ on TESS with Transfer Learning from Kepler: Transit Classification and Vetting Catalog for 2-min Data
We present ExoMiner++, an enhanced deep learning model that builds on the success of ExoMiner to improve transit signal classification in 2-minute TESS data. ExoMiner++ incorporates additional diagnostic inputs, including periodogram, flux trend, difference image, unfolded flux, and spacecraft attitude control data, all of which are crucial for effectively distinguishing transit signals from more challenging sources of false positives. To further enhance performance, we leverage transfer learning from high-quality labeled data from the Kepler space telescope, mitigating the impact of TESS's noisier and more ambiguous labels. ExoMiner++ achieves high accuracy across various classification and ranking metrics, significantly narrowing the search space for follow-up investigations to confirm new planets. To serve the exoplanet community, we introduce new TESS catalogs containing ExoMiner++ classifications and confidence scores for each transit signal. Among the 147,568 unlabeled TCEs, ExoMiner++ identifies 7,330 as planet candidates, with the remainder classified as false positives. These 7,330 planet candidates correspond to 1,868 existing TESS Objects of Interest (TOIs), 69 Community TESS Objects of Interest (CTOIs), and 50 newly introduced CTOIs. 1,797 out of the 2,506 TOIs previously labeled as planet candidates in ExoFOP are classified as planet candidates by ExoMiner++. This reduction in plausible candidates combined with the excellent ranking quality of ExoMiner++ allows the follow-up efforts to be focused on the most likely candidates, increasing the overall planet yield.
☆ The Pandora SmallSat: A Low-Cost, High Impact Mission to Study Exoplanets and Their Host Stars
The Pandora SmallSat is a NASA flight project aimed at studying the atmospheres of exoplanets -- planets orbiting stars outside our Solar System. Pandora will provide the first dataset of simultaneous, multiband (visible and NIR), long-baseline observations of exoplanets and their host stars. Pandora is an ambitious project that will fly a 0.44 m telescope in a small form factor. To achieve the scientific goals, the mission requires a departure from the traditional cost-schedule paradigm of half-meter-class observatories. Pandora achieves this by leveraging existing capabilities that necessitate minimal engineering development, disruptive and agile management, trusted partnerships with vendors, and strong support from the lead institutions. The Pandora team has developed a suite of high-fidelity parameterized simulation and modeling tools to estimate the performance of both imaging channels. This has enabled a unique bottom-up approach to deriving trades and system requirements. Pandora is a partnership between NASA and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The project completed its Critical Design Review in October 2023 and is slated for launch into Sun-synchronous, low-Earth orbit in Fall 2025.
comment: Paper accepted to the IEEE Aerospace Conference 2025
☆ The fall of asteroid 2024 XA$_1$ and the location of possible meteorites
Asteroid 2024 XA$_1$ was discovered on 3 December 2024 at 05:54 UTC by the Bok telescope in Kitt Peak, Arizona, and impacted Earth about 10 hours later over a remote area of the Sakha Republic (Russia). The estimated size of the object was about one meter, and the atmospheric entry produced a bright fireball that was captured by a webcam and several eyewitnesses. The first impact alert was issued at 07:50 UTC by the Meerkat Asteroid Guard of the European Space Agency, which triggered subsequent follow-up observations that confirmed both the object to be real and the occurrence of the impact with Earth. Here we present the operations and results from the NEO Coordination Centre (NEOCC) upon the impact event. Because the entry likely dropped meteorites on the ground, we also estimate the possible strewn fields for future meteorite search campaigns.
comment: Accepted for publication on Icarus
☆ Habitable Zone and Atmosphere Retention Distance (HaZARD) Stellar-evolution-dependent loss models of secondary atmospheres
A major open question in exoplanet research is whether secondary atmospheres are rare around Earth-sized rocky exoplanets. In this work we determine the distance at which an Earth-sized planet orbiting a variety of stellar hosts could retain a CO2- or N2-dominated atmosphere and compare this atmospheric retention distance (ARD) with that of the liquid-water HZ. We combined planetary atmosphere models with stellar evolution models. The atmospheric models produced by the thermochemical Kompot code allowed us to calculate the Jeans escape rates for different stellar masses, rotation rates, and ages. These loss rates allowed us to determine the closest distance a planet is likely to retain a CO2- or N2-dominated atmosphere. Using stellar rotation evolution models, we modelled how these retention distances evolve as the X-ray and ultraviolet activity of the star evolves. We find that the overlap of the HZ and the ARD occurs earlier around slowly rotating stars. Additionally, we find that HZ planets orbiting stars with masses under 0.4 M_\odot are unlikely to retain any atmosphere, due to the lower spin-down rate of these fully convective stars. We also show that the initial rotation rate of the star can impact the likelihood of a planet retaining an atmosphere, as an initially fast-rotating star maintains high levels of short-wavelength irradiance for much longer. The orbits of all Earth-like rocky exoplanets observed by JWST in cycles 1 and 2, including HZ planets, fall outside the ARD. Our results will have implications for future target selections of small exoplanet observing programmes with JWST or future instruments such as the Ariel space mission.
comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in A&A
♻ ☆ BOWIE-ALIGN: JWST reveals hints of planetesimal accretion and complex sulphur chemistry in the atmosphere of the misaligned hot Jupiter WASP-15b
We present a transmission spectrum of the misaligned hot Jupiter WASP-15b from 2.8-5.2 microns observed with JWST's NIRSpec/G395H grating. Our high signal to noise data, which has negligible red noise, reveals significant absorption by H$_2$O ($4.2\sigma$) and CO$_2$ ($8.9\sigma$). From independent data reduction and atmospheric retrieval approaches, we infer that WASP-15b's atmospheric metallicity is super-solar ($\gtrsim 15\times$ solar) and its carbon-to-oxygen ratio is consistent with solar, that together imply planetesimal accretion. Our general circulation model simulations for WASP-15b suggest that the carbon-to-oxygen we measure at the limb is likely representative of the entire photosphere due to the mostly uniform spatial distribution of H$_2$O, CO$_2$ and CO. We additionally see evidence for absorption by SO$_2$ and absorption at 4.9$\mu$m, for which the current leading candidate is OCS, albeit with several caveats. If confirmed, this would be the first detection of OCS in an exoplanet atmosphere and point towards complex photochemistry of sulphur-bearing species in the upper atmosphere. These are the first observations from the BOWIE-ALIGN survey which is using JWST's NIRSpec/G395H instrument to compare the atmospheric compositions of aligned/low-obliquity and misaligned/high-obliquity hot Jupiters around F stars above the Kraft break. The goal of our survey is to determine whether the atmospheric composition differs across two populations of planets that have likely undergone different migration histories (disc versus disc-free) as evidenced by their obliquities (aligned versus misaligned).
comment: 27 pages, 25 figures, 6 tables. Accepted to MNRAS on 30th January 2025
♻ ☆ The NCORES Program: Precise planetary masses, null results, and insight into the planet mass distribution near the radius gap
NCORES was a large observing program on the ESO HARPS spectrograph, dedicated to measuring the masses of Neptune-like and smaller transiting planets discovered by the TESS satellite using the radial velocity technique. This paper presents an overview of the programme, its scientific goals and published results, covering 35 planets in 18 planetary systems. We present spectrally derived stellar characterisation and mass constraints for five additional TOIs where radial velocity observations found only marginally significant signals (TOI-510.01, $M_p=1.08^{+0.58}_{-0.55}M_\oplus$), or found no signal (TOIs 271.01, 641.01, 697.01 and 745.01). A newly detected non-transiting radial velocity candidate is presented orbiting TOI-510 on a 10.0d orbit, with a minimum mass of $4.82^{+1.29}_{-1.26}M_\oplus$, although uncertainties on the system architecture and true orbital period remain. Combining the NCORES sample with archival known planets we investigate the distribution of planet masses and compositions around and below the radius gap, finding that the population of planets below the gap is consistent with a rocky composition and ranges up to a sharp cut-off at $10M_\oplus$. We compare the observed distribution to models of pebble- and planetesimal-driven formation and evolution, finding good broad agreement with both models while highlighting interesting areas of potential discrepancy. Increased numbers of precisely measured planet masses in this parameter space are required to distinguish between pebble and planetesimal accretion.
comment: Accepted to MNRAS. Minor updates to text, references, affiliations
♻ ☆ Estimating the Mass Escaping Rates of Radius-valley-spanning Planets in the TOI-431 System via X-Ray and Ultraviolet Evaporation
TOI-431 system has 3 close-in exoplanets, which gives an ideal lab to study gas escape. In this study, we measure the XUV luminosity for TOI-431 with XMM-Newton/EPIC-pn and OM data, then calculate the fluxes for the planets in the system. We find that, TOI-431 b's $\rm F_{XUV,b}=$$70286^{+12060}_{-2611}$$\rm \ erg\ cm^{-2}s^{-1}$ is 75 times of TOI-431 d $\rm F_{XUV,d}=$$935^{+160}_{-35}$$\rm \ erg\ cm^{-2}s^{-1}$. Adopting the energy limit method and hydrodynamic code $ATES$ with a set of He/H ratios, we obtain the mass-loss rates of $10^{10.51^{+0.07}_{-0.02}}$ g s$^{-1}$ for TOI-431 b, $10^{9.14^{+0.07}_{-0.02}}$ and $10^{9.84\sim 9.94}$ g s$^{-1}$ for TOI-431 d. We predict the $2.93\sim 7.91 \%$ H I Ly$\alpha$ and $0.19\sim 10.65\%$ He I triplet absorption depths for TOI-431 d, thus its gas escaping is detectable in principle. For both TOI-431 b and d, we select similar planets from the New Generation Planetary Population Synthesis (NGPPS) data. Then show that considering the mass-loss rates, TOI-431 b should be a naked solid planet, and TOI-431 d will likely maintain its gas envelope until the host star dies. According to the formation and evolution tracks, we find that TOI-431 b's potential birthplace (0.1-2 AU) should be inner than TOI-431 d (2-12 AU). Our results are consistent with the interpretation of the radius valley being caused by atmospheric escape. The intrinsic reason may be their birthplace, which will determine how close they can migrate to the host star, then lose mass and result in the Fulton gap.
comment: 16 pages, 14 figures, 4 tabels. Published by ApJ
♻ ☆ Probing Conditions for Strong Clumping by the Streaming Instability: Small Dust Grains and Low Dust-to-gas Density Ratio
The streaming instability (SI) is a leading mechanism for concentrating solid particles into regions dense enough to form planetesimals. Its efficiency in clumping particles depends primarily on the dimensionless stopping time ($\tau_s$, a proxy for particle size) and dust-to-gas surface density ratio ($Z$). Previous simulations identified a critical $Z$ ($Z_{\rm{crit}}$) above which strong clumping occurs, where particle densities exceed the Hill density (thus satisfying a condition for gravitational collapse), over a wide range of $\tau_s$. These works found that for $\tau_s \leq 0.01$, $Z_{\rm{crit}}$ was above the ISM value $(\sim 0.01)$. In this work, we reexamine the clumping threshold using 2D axisymmetric, stratified simulations at high resolution and with relatively large (compared to many previous simulations) domain sizes. Our main results are as follows: First, when $\tau_s = 0.01$, strong clumping occurs even at $Z \lesssim 0.01$, lower than $Z_{\rm{crit}}$ found in all previous studies. Consequently, we revise a previously published fit to the $Z_{\rm{crit}}$ curve to account for this updated $Z_{\rm{crit}}$. Second, higher resolution results in a thicker dust layer, which may result from other instabilities manifesting, such as the vertical shearing streaming instability. Third, despite this thicker layer, higher resolution can lead to strong clumping even with lower midplane dust-to-gas density ratios (which results from the thicker particle layer) so long as $Z \gtrsim Z_{\rm{crit}}$. Our results demonstrate the efficiency of the SI in clumping small particles at $Z \sim 0.01$, which is a significant refinement of the conditions for planetesimal formation by the SI.
comment: 26 pages, 13 figures, Accepted to the Astrophysical Journal
Astrophysics of Galaxies 41
☆ Morphological Classification of Galaxies
The morphological classification of galaxies provides vital physical information about the orbital motions of stars in galaxies, and correlates in interesting ways with star formation history, and other physical properties. Galaxy morphological classification is a field with a history of more than 100 years of development, and many scientists have introduced new classification schemes, resulting in a sometimes confusing array of terminologies and overlapping classes. In this article I provide a brief historical review of galaxy classification, but focus mostly on providing a summary of how the morphological variety of galaxies seen in our expanding Universe are described. I review traditional visual classification, morphometric measurements, crowd-sourcing for large scale visual classifications (Galaxy Zoo), and of course the recent explosion of interest in making use of machine learning techniques for galaxy morphology classification. A look up table is provided for cross matching of various terminologies currently in use for galaxy morphology classification as well as brief definitions of the main morphological types.
comment: This is a pre-print of a chapter for the Encyclopedia of Astrophysics (edited by I. Mandel, section editor S. McGee) to be published by Elsevier as a Reference Module
☆ The role of triple evolution in the formation of LISA double white dwarfs
Galactic double white dwarfs will be prominent gravitational-wave sources for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). While previous studies have primarily focused on formation scenarios in which binaries form and evolve in isolation, we present the first detailed study of the role of triple stellar evolution in forming the population of LISA double white dwarfs. In this work, we present the first detailed study of the role of triple stellar evolution in forming the population of LISA double white dwarfs. We use the multiple stellar evolution code (MSE) to model the stellar evolution, binary interactions, and the dynamics of triple star systems then use a Milky Way-like galaxy from the TNG50 simulations to construct a representative sample of LISA double white dwarfs. In our simulations about $7\times10^6$ Galactic double white dwarfs in the LISA frequency bandwidth originate from triple systems, whereas $\sim4\times10^6$ form from isolated binary stars. The properties of double white dwarfs formed in triples closely resemble those formed from isolated binaries, but we also find a small number of systems $\sim\mathcal{O}(10)$ that reach extreme eccentricities $(>0.9)$, a feature unique to the dynamical formation channels. Our population produces $\approx 10^{4} $ individually resolved double white dwarfs (from triple and binary channels) and an unresolved stochastic foreground below the level of the LISA instrumental noise. About $57\,\%$ of double white dwarfs from triple systems retain a bound third star when entering the LISA frequency bandwidth. However, we expect the tertiary stars to be too distant to have a detectable imprint in the gravitational-wave signal of the inner binary.
comment: 16 pages, 13 figures
☆ Star-crossed Clusters: Asteroseismic Ages for Individual Stars are in Tension with the Ages of their Host Clusters
A meta-analysis of seismic ages determined for individual stars in the well-studied open and globular clusters NGC 6819, NGC 6791, M67, M4, M19, M80, and M9 reveals both high variance across measurements and significant discrepancy with independent, isochrone-based age determinations for the clusters in which these stars reside. The scatter among asteroseismic ages for individual stars in any one of these clusters far surpasses both the absolute age uncertainty computed for reference cluster M92 (5.4\%) and the model-to-model systematic uncertainties in isochrones (roughly 10\%). This suggests that either binary processes are significantly altering the masses of stars in these clusters, or some additional corrections, perhaps as a function of mass, metallicity, or surface gravity, are required to bring the asteroseismic age scale into concordance with ages inferred from isochrone or similar model fitting.
comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, submitted to AAS journals. Comments Welcome. Happy Valentine's/Galentine's Day!
☆ Comparison of methods used to derive the Galactic star formation history from white dwarf samples
We compare three methods of deriving the local Galactic star formation history, using as a benchmark the Gaia-defined 40 pc white dwarf sample, currently the largest volume complete sample of stellar remnants with medium-resolution spectroscopy. We create a population synthesis model to 1) reproduce the observed white dwarf luminosity function, 2) reproduce the observed absolute Gaia G magnitude distribution, and 3) directly calculate the ages of all individual white dwarfs in the 40 pc volume. We then compare the star formation histories determined from each method. Previous studies using these methods were based on different white dwarf samples and as such were difficult to compare. Uncertainties in each method such as the initial mass function, initial-final mass relation, main sequence lifetimes, stellar metallicity, white dwarf cooling ages and binary evolution are accounted for to estimate the precision and accuracy of each method. We conclude that no method is quantitatively better at determining the star formation history and all three produce star formation histories that agree within uncertainties of current external astrophysical relations.
comment: Comments are welcome
☆ Rosette Nebula Outburst Gaia 24djk from the Young Stellar Object V557 Mon
A previously faint young stellar object (YSO), V557 Mon, rapidly brightened in late 2024 and is currently at least $\Delta G=3.3$ magnitudes brighter than its typical pre-outburst brightness. The ongoing outburst is identified in the Gaia Alerts system as Gaia24djk. We obtained a 1-2.5 $\mu$m spectrum of the object and find the spectrum is dominated by line emission and continuum excess consistent with rapid YSO accretion, similar to the star EX Lup during its outburst state. We speculate that the burst, which has not yet reached its peak brightness, may become an FU Ori outburst, which would be evidenced by the emission spectrum turning into an absorption spectrum.
comment: 3 pages, 1 figure, accepted to RNAAS
☆ HI-MaNGA: Results from (21cm-HI) single-dish observations of MaNGA Survey Galaxies
In a poster presentation for IAU Symposium 392: "Neutral hydrogen in and around galaxies in the SKA era", we gave an overview of the HI-MaNGA project which is working to obtain complementary information about the cold gas (neutral hydrogen traced by the radio 21cm line) content of Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) sample galaxies. MaNGA, part of the fourth incarnation of the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys (SDSS-IV), obtained spatially resolved spectral maps for 10,000 nearby galaxies selected to create a representative sample out of the SDSS Main Galaxy Sample. MaNGA data have provided a census of the stellar and ionized gas content of these galaxies, as well as kinematics of both stars and gas. Adding HI information via the HI-MaNGA program, which has observed or collected 21cm line data for 70% of the full MaNGA sample, has been crucial for a number of applications, but especially understanding the physical mechanisms that regulate gas accretion, and through that star formation and quenching of star formation. This conference proceedings article accompanies the release of the DR3 version of HI-MaNGA data.
comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. Part of International Astronomical Union Proceedings Series for IAU Symposium 392: Neutral hydrogen in and around galaxies in the SKA era
☆ Intrinsic galaxy alignments in the KiDS-1000 bright sample: dependence on colour, luminosity, morphology and galaxy scale
The intrinsic alignment of galaxies is a major astrophysical contaminant to weak gravitational lensing measurements, and the study of its dependence on galaxy properties helps provide meaningful physical priors that aid cosmological analyses. This work studies for the first time the dependence of intrinsic alignments on galaxy structural parameters. We measure the intrinsic alignments of bright galaxies, selected on $r$-band magnitude $r<20$, in the Kilo-Degree Survey. Machine-learning-based photometric redshift estimates are available for this galaxy sample that help obtain a clean measurement of its intrinsic alignment signal. We supplement this sample with a catalogue of structural parameters from S\'ersic profile fits to the surface brightness profiles of the galaxies. We split the sample in galaxy intrinsic colour, luminosity and S\'ersic index, and we fit the non-linear linear alignment model to galaxy position - shape projected correlation function measurements at large scales. We observe a power-law luminosity dependence of the large-scale intrinsic alignment amplitude, $A_\mathrm{IA}$, for both the red and high S\'ersic index ($n_s>2.5$) samples, and find no significant difference between the two samples. We measure a $\sim1.5\sigma$ lower $A_\mathrm{IA}$ for red galaxies that also have a S\'ersic index $n_s<4$, compared to the expected amplitude predicted using sample's luminosity. We also probe the intrinsic alignment of red galaxies as a function of galaxy scale by varying the radial weight employed in the shape measurement. We find no significant difference on large scales but on small scales, alignments increase with galaxy scale. For intrinsically blue galaxies, we find $A_\mathrm{IA}=-0.67\pm1.00$, consistent with previous works. We also find alignments to be consistent with zero for the low S\'ersic index ($n_s<2.5$) sample.
comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, comments welcome!
☆ Multiwavelength investigations of PKS 2300-18: S-shaped radio quasar with precessing jets and double-peaked broad emission-line spectrum
S-shaped radio galaxy jets are prime sources for investigating the dynamic interplay between the central active galactic nucleus, the jets, and the ambient intergalactic medium. These sources are excellent candidates for studying jet precession, as their S-shaped inversion symmetry strongly indicates underlying precession. We present a multiwavelength analysis of the giant inversion-symmetric S-shaped radio galaxy PKS 2300-18, which spans 0.76 Mpc. The host is a quasar at a redshift of 0.128, displaying disturbed optical morphology due to an ongoing merger with a companion galaxy. We conducted a broadband radio spectral study using multifrequency data ranging from 183 MHz to 6 GHz, incorporating dedicated observations with the uGMRT and JVLA alongside archival radio data. A particle injection model was fitted to the spectra of different regions of the source to perform ageing analysis, which was supplemented with a kinematic jet precession model. The ageing analysis revealed a maximum plasma age of ~ 40 Myr, while the jet precession model indicated a precession period of ~ 12 Myr. ROSAT data revealed an X-ray halo of Mpc size, and from Chandra the AGN X-ray spectrum was modelled using thermal and power-law components. The optical spectrum displaying double-peaked broad emission lines was modelled, indicating complex broad-line region kinematics at the centre with the possibility of a binary SMBH. We present the results of our multiwavelength analysis of the source, spanning scales from a few light-days to a few Mpc, and discuss its potential evolutionary path.
comment: 21 pages, 16 figures, Published in MNRAS
☆ ALMA-IMF XVII - Census and lifetime of high-mass prestellar cores in 14 massive protoclusters
High-mass prestellar cores are extremely rare. The search for such objects has long been hindered by small sample sizes, leading to large uncertainties in their lifetimes and the conditions in which high-mass stars ($> 8\,M_{\odot}$) form. We leverage the large sample ($\sim 580$ cores) detected in the ALMA-IMF survey to identify both protostellar and prestellar cores and estimate their relative lifetimes. We use CO and SiO outflows to identify protostellar cores and introduce a new automated method based on aperture line emission and background subtraction to systematically detect outflows associated with each of the 141 most massive cores. Massive cores that do not drive an outflow in either tracer are classified as prestellar. Our method enables efficient outflow detection with performance comparable to more traditional techniques. We identify 30 likely prestellar cores with $M > 8\,M_{\odot}$, including 12 with $M > 16\,M_{\odot}$, the best candidates for high-mass star precursors. Most of these 12 cores reside in the crowded central regions of protoclusters, where high-mass stars are expected to form. Using prestellar-to-protostellar core ratios and a 300 kyr protostellar lifetime, we estimate prestellar lifetimes of 120 to 240 kyr for $8\,M_{\odot} < M < 16\,M_{\odot}$ and 50 to 100 kyr for $30\,M_{\odot} < M < 55\,M_{\odot}$. These timescales, which depend on different mass reservoir evolution scenarios, significantly exceed the 4 to 15 kyr free-fall time of the cores, suggesting that high-mass cores persist for 10 to 30 free-fall times. This indicates that collapse is slowed by turbulence, magnetic fields, or rotation at or below the observed scale.
☆ Predicting the detectability of sulphur-bearing molecules in the solid phase with simulated spectra of JWST instruments
To date, gas phase observations of sulphur in dense interstellar environments have only constrained the molecular carriers of 1% of its predicted cosmic abundance. An additional 5% is known to be locked up in molecular solids in dense clouds, leaving the main reservoir of depleted sulphur in the solid phase unknown. The spectral resolution and sensitivity of the JWST could make a substantial difference in detecting part of this missing sulphur, with its wavelength coverage that includes vibrational absorption features of the S-carriers H2S, OCS, SO2, CS2, SO, CS, and S8. The aim of this study is to determine whether these molecules may be viable candidates for detection. We carried out new laboratory measurements of the IR absorption spectra of CS2 and S8 to update the IR band strength of the most intense CS2 absorption feature at 6.8 {\mu}m, as well as to determine that of S8 at 20.3 {\mu}m for the first time. These data, along with values previously reported in the literature, allow us to evaluate which S-bearing species could be potentially detected with JWST in interstellar ices. Taking the literature abundances of the major ice species determined by previous IR observations towards starless cores, LYSOs and MYSOs, we generated simulated IR spectra using the characteristics of the instruments on the JWST. Thus, we have been able to establish a case study for three stages of the star formation process. We conclude that the detection of S-bearing molecules remains challenging. Despite these obstacles, the detection of H2S and potentially SO2 should be possible in regions with favourable physical and chemical conditions. In contrast, S8 would remain undetected. Although the sensitivity of JWST is insufficient to determine the sulphur budget in the solid state, the detection of an additional icy sulphur compound (H2S, SO2) would enable us to elevate our knowledge of sulphur chemistry.
☆ Low-Acceleration Gravitational Anomaly from Bayesian 3D Modeling of Wide Binary Orbits: Methodology and Results with Gaia DR3
Isolated wide binary stars provide natural laboratories to directly test or measure weak gravity for Newtonian acceleration $g_{\rm{N}}\lesssim 10^{-9}$ m s$^{-2}$. Recent statistical analyses of wide binaries have been performed only with sky-projected relative velocities $v_p$ in the pairs. A new method of Bayesian orbit modeling exploiting three relative velocity components including the radial (line-of-sight) component $v_r$ is developed to measure a gravitational anomaly parameter $\Gamma\equiv\log_{10}\sqrt{G_{\rm{eff}}/G_{\rm{N}}}$ where $G_{\rm{eff}}$ is the effective gravitational constant for pseudo-Newtonian elliptical orbits, while $G_{\rm{N}}$ is Newton's constant. The method infers individual probability distributions of $\Gamma$ and then combines the independent distributions to obtain a consolidated distribution in a specific range of $g_{\rm{N}}$. Here the method is described and applied to a sample of 312 wide binaries in a broad dynamic range $10^{-11.0}\lesssim g_{\rm{N}}\lesssim 10^{-6.7}$ m s$^{-2}$ with $v_r$ uncertainties in the range $168<\sigma_{v_r}<380$ m s$^{-1}$ selected from the Gaia DR3 database. The following results are obtained: $\Gamma = 0.000\pm 0.011$ ($N_{\rm{binary}}=125$) for a high acceleration regime ($10^{-7.9} \lesssim g_{\rm{N}} \lesssim 10^{-6.7}$ m s$^{-2}$) agreeing well with Newton, but $\Gamma = 0.085\pm 0.040$ (35) for a MOND regime ($10^{-11.0}\lesssim g_{\rm{N}}\lesssim 10^{-9.5}$ m s$^{-2}$) and $\Gamma = 0.063\pm 0.015$ (111) for a MOND+transition regime ($10^{-11.0}\lesssim g_{\rm{N}}\lesssim 10^{-8.5}$ m s$^{-2}$). These results show that gravitational anomaly is evident for $g_{\rm{N}}\lesssim 10^{-9}$ m s$^{-2}$ and $\Gamma$ in the MOND regime ($\lesssim 10^{-9.5}$ m s$^{-2}$) agrees with the first-tier prediction ($\approx 0.07$) of MOND gravity theories.
comment: 34 pages, 24 figures, 3 tables (submitted to the AAS journals)
☆ A jet-driven bipolar outflow in NGC 1125
To study the role of the feedback from the Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) in the evolution of its host galaxy, we need observational constraints on 100 pc scales. We used the Gemini Near Infrared Integral Field Spectrograph in the J and K bands at a spatial resolution of 100 pc and spectral resolution of 45 km\,s$^{-1}$ to observe the central region of the Seyfert galaxy NGC1125. Emission-line flux distributions in ionized and molecular gas extends up to $\approx$ 300\,pc from the nucleus, where they are found to peak. The Pa$\beta$ and [Fe\,{\sc ii}]$\lambda$1.2570$\mu$m emission-lines show two components: a narrow and a broad. The narrow component is preferably extended from the north-east to the south-west, while the broad component is perpendicular to it. Their kinematics are also different, with the narrow component showing a rotation pattern, with low velocity dispersion values ($\sigma$ $\approx$ 140 km s$^{-1}$) and the broad component a disturbed velocity field and high values of $\sigma$ ($\approx$ 250 km s$^{-1}$). We interpreted the narrow component velocity fields as due to gas rotating in the galaxy plane and fitted rotation velocity models to it, plus an outflow component in the ionized gas. The broad component is interpreted as an outflow, with mass outflow rate in the range of 0.6 to 1.1 M$_{\sun}$ yr$^{-1}$, with an outflow power ranging from 3.9$\times$10$^{40}$ to 1.1$\times$10$^{41}$ erg\,s$^{-1}$, which represents 0.07\% and 0.2\% of the bolometric luminosity of the AGN. There is an explicit relation between the shock ionized outflow and the low-luminosity radio source.
comment: 13 pages, 10 figures
☆ Pulsar scattering as a probe for structures in the interstellar medium
Due to the inhomogeneity of electron number density, radio waves emitted by pulsars undergo scattering as they pass through the interstellar medium (ISM). However, a connection between large-scale pulsar scattering data and the structure of the Galactic ISM has yet to be established. In this paper, we explore the capability of pulsar scattering time data in discovering structures in the ISM. Using a large dataset of scattering time measurements for 473 pulsars, we fit the pulsar reduced scattering intensity as a function of Galactic latitude and distance, constructing a smooth model of the Galactic pulsar scattering distribution. By comparing this smooth distribution with observational data, we identify two ISM structures responsible for pulsar scattering, one is associated with the Vela supernova remnant region within the Gum Nebula, while the other is a newly discovered structure -- a distant superbubble, G38, located at a distance of 2.3 kpc with a size of ~50 pc. Analysis of the correlation coefficient of the pulsar scattering distribution shows that the correlation is dominated by structures smaller than 0.15 kpc -- the closest separation approachable by the current dataset. As measurements of the pulsar scattering time continue to increase in the future, they can potentially become an independent tool for exploring structures in the ISM.
☆ Stellar populations from H-band VLT spectroscopy in a sample of seven active galaxies
The relationship between an active galactic nucleus (AGN) and its host galaxy is still far from being understood. Properties of the host galaxies of Seyfert nuclei, such as luminosity concentration, morphological type, metallicity, and age of the stellar population are expected to be related with nuclear activity -- either at the epoch of galaxy formation or in the present days via feeding of the central black-hole. In this paper we investigate whether stellar ages and metallicities are linked to the activity within the nucleus in a sample of AGN of various types. Our sample includes seven AGN, from Seyfert 1 to LINERs, observed with VLT/ISAAC and VLT/SINFONI. Based on an inverse method using a stellar library, we analyse H band infrared spectra, in a wavelength region devoid of emission lines, at a spectral resolution of about 3000, in the central few 100 pc. HST images are used to visualise the regions defined in each galaxy. For each galaxy, we give the results of the spectral synthesis, in particular the percentages of the stellar, power law and blackbody continua, and the percentages of various stellar types that account for the stellar lines. Out of the seven galaxies, three show strong and recent star formation in the inner 100 pc, while no star formation is detected in the three genuine Seyfert 2 galaxies. Beyond a radius of 100 pc, all show more or less recent star formation. Moreover we can conclude that the star formation history of the inner nucleus is highly heterogeneous.
comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics
☆ The [NII] 205 $μ$m line emission from high-z SMGs and QSOs
We present [NII] 205 $\mu$m fine structure line observations of three submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) and three quasar host galaxies at 4$\lesssim$z$\lesssim$6 using the Institut de radioastronomie millimetrique (IRAM) interferometer. The [NII] emission is detected in three sources, and we report detections of the underlying dust continuum emission in all sources. The observed [NII]-to-infrared luminosity ratio spans at least 0.5 dex for our sources. Comparing our estimates with sources detected in the [NII] 205 $\mu$m at similar redshifts shows that the overall [NII]-to-IR luminosity ratio spans over a dex in magnitude from L$_{[NII]}$/L$_{IR}$ ~ 10$^{-4}$ - 10$^{-5}$ and follows the trend of the so-called [NII] fine structure line deficit observed in (ultra)-luminous infrared galaxies in the local Universe. The [CII]-to-[NII] luminosity ratio is >10 for most of our sources, indicating that the bulk of the [CII] 158 $\mu$m line emission (f([CII]$^{PDR}$)>75%) arises from the neutral medium. From our analysis, we do not find significant differences in the [NII] 205 $\mu$m emission and the respective ratios between SMGs and QSOs, suggesting a negligible contribution to the boosting of [NII] 205 $\mu$m emission due to the active galactic nucleus (AGN) photoionization. Future investigations involving other fine structure lines and optical diagnostics will provide further insight into a suite of ionized medium properties and reveal the diversity between AGN and non-AGN environments.
comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in A&A
☆ Semi-analytic modelling of Pop. III star formation and metallicity evolution - II. Impact on 21cm power spectrum
Simulating Population (Pop.) III star formation in mini-halos in a large cosmological simulation is an extremely challenging task but it is crucial to estimate its impact on the 21cm power spectrum. In this work, we develop a framework within the semi-analytical code meraxes to estimate the radiative backgrounds from Pop. III stars needed for the computation of the 21cm signal. We computed the 21cm global signal and power spectrum for different Pop. III models varying star formation efficiency, initial mass function (IMF) and specific X-ray luminosity per unit of star formation (LX/SFR). In all the models considered, we find Pop. III stars have little to no impact on the reionization history but significantly affect the thermal state of the intergalactic medium (IGM) due to the strong injection of X-ray photons from their remnants that heat the neutral IGM at $z \geq$ 15. This is reflected not only on the 21cm sky-averaged global signal during the Cosmic Dawn but also on the 21cm power spectrum at $z \leq$ 10 where models with strong Pop. III X-ray emission have larger power than models with no or mild Pop. III X-ray emission. We estimate observational uncertainties on the power spectrum using 21cmsense and find that models where Pop. III stars have a stronger X-ray emission than Pop. II are distinguishable from models with no or mild Pop. III X-ray emission with 1000 hours observations of the upcoming SKA1-low.
comment: Submitted to MNRAS. 14 pages, 17 figures, 1 appendix. Comments are welcome!
☆ The Multi-wavelength Extinction Law and its Variation in the Coalsack Molecular Cloud Based on the Gaia, APASS, SMSS, 2MASS, GLIMPSE, and WISE Surveys
Accurate interpretation of observations relies on the interstellar dust extinction law, which also serves as a powerful diagnostic for probing dust properties. In this study, we investigate the multi-wavelength extinction law of the quiescent, starless molecular cloud Coalsack and explore its potential variation across different interstellar environments: the surrounding region, the nearby high Galactic latitude region, the inner dense region, and the inner diffuse region. Using a sample of 368,524 dwarf stars selected from Gaia DR3 as tracers, we establish the effective temperature Teff-intrinsic color relations to derive the intrinsic color indices and optical-mid-infrared (MIR) color excess (CE) for 20 bands. Linear fits to the CE-CE diagrams provide color excess ratios (CERs), which are subsequently converted into relative extinction. The resulting extinction curves for different environments exhibit steep slopes in the near-infrared (NIR) and flat profiles in the MIR. In the optical-NIR range, the Coalsack extinction law is consistent with R_V = 3.1 while in the MIR it follows R_V= 5.5 similar to the results of active star-forming clouds. At an angular resolution of 1.3', our extinction map reveals fine cloud structures. No correlation is found between R_V and E(B-V) for E(B-V) > 0.3 mag, implying a uniform optical extinction law in the Coalsack cloud. The derived average R_V value is 3.24.
comment: 24 pages, 13 figures
☆ Deep Optical Images of the Ejecta Nebula Around the Wolf-Rayet Star WR 8 (HD 62910)
We report the results of deep H-alpha and [O III] images of the bright WN7/WC4 Wolf-Rayet star WR 8 (HD 62910). These data show considerably more surrounding nebulosity than seen in prior imaging. The brighter portions of the nebula span 6' in diameter and exhibit considerable fine-scale structure including numerous emission clumps and bright head-tail like features presumably due to the effects of the WR star's stellar winds. Due to the overlap of a relatively bright band of unrelated foreground diffuse interstellar H-alpha emission, WR 8's nebula is best viewed via its [O III] emission. A faint 9' x 13' diffuse outer nebulosity is detected surrounding the nebula's main ring of emission. The nebula's optical structure is substantially different from that of its thermal continuum dust emission seen in WISE 22 micron infrared images which show a smaller and sharply defined emission shell.
comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, 1 table
☆ Morphological Demographics of Galaxies at $z\sim 10-16$: Log-Normal Size Distribution and Exponential Profiles Consistent with the Disk Formation Scenario
We homogeneously investigate the morphological properties of $169$ galaxies at $z\sim10-16$ with deep JWST NIRCam images employing our established techniques of GALFIT modeling and uncertainty evaluation (systematics+statistics). We obtain effective radii $r_{\rm e}$ ranging $20-500$ pc, with a distribution significantly broader than the scatter made by the uncertainties. We find that the $r_{\rm e}$ distribution is well described by a log-normal distribution with a mean of $r_{\rm e}=133^{+13}_{-12}$ pc and a standard deviation of $\sigma_{{\rm ln}r_{\rm e}} = 0.52 \pm 0.08$. The standard deviation is comparable to that of local galaxies, indicating no significant evolution over $z\sim 0-10$. We estimate the virial radius $r_{\rm vir}$ from the stellar masses via the star-formation main sequence and stellar-to-halo mass relation, obtaining a stellar-to-halo size ratio $r_{\rm e}/r_{\rm vir} = 0.015^{+0.015}_{-0.005}$, which is comparable to those of star-forming galaxies in the local and low-$z$ Universe. Our results of 1) the log-normal $r_{\rm e}$ distribution, 2) the standard deviation value, and 3) a mean radial profile consistent with an exponential profile ($n=1.3\pm0.6$) suggest that galaxies at $z\sim10-16$ generally follow the classical galaxy disk formation scenario with a specific disk angular momentum fraction of $j_{\rm d} / m_{\rm d} \sim 0.5-1$. Interestingly, we identify two remarkable outliers GN-z11 ($z_{\rm spec}=10.60$) and GHZ2 ($z_{\rm spec}=12.34$) with $r_{\rm e}=55^{+5}_{-6}$ pc and $39\pm11$ pc, respectively, that may not be explained by disk structures but by AGN or compact star-forming galaxies merging underway in short periods of time, as reproduced in numerical simulations.
comment: 34 pages, 21 figures, submitted to ApJ
☆ Density fluctuation-Mach number scaling in compressible, high plasma beta turbulence: in-situ space observations and high-Reynolds number simulations
Understanding the nature of compressible fluctuations in a broad range of turbulent plasmas, from the intracluster medium to the solar wind, has been an active field of research in the past decades. Theoretical frameworks for weakly compressible MHD turbulence in an inhomogeneous background magnetic field predict a linear scaling of the normalized mass density fluctuation ($\delta \rho / \rho_0$), as a function of the turbulent Mach number ($\mathcal{M}_t$), $\delta \rho / \rho_0 \propto \mathcal{M}_t$. However, so far the scaling relation has been tested only using moderate to low plasma beta ($\beta \lesssim 1$) solar wind observational data where the compressibility is weak $\delta \rho / \rho_0 \sim 0.1$. Here, we combine NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission data in Earth's magnetosheath, where $\beta \sim 10$ is high, and $\beta \sim 1$ highly-compressible magnetohydrodynamic turbulence simulations at unprecedented resolutions. Both show that $\delta \rho / \rho_0 \propto \mathcal{M}_t$ holds across a broad range of $\delta \rho / \rho_0$, $\mathcal{M}_t$ and $\beta$, demonstrating that $\delta \rho / \rho_0 \propto \mathcal{M}_t$ is a robust compressible turbulence relation, going beyond the asymptotics of the weakly compressible theory. We discuss the findings in the context of understanding the nature of strongly compressible turbulent fluctuations and the driving parameter in astrophysical and space plasmas.
comment: Submitted to ApJ
☆ Euclid: Finding strong gravitational lenses in the Early Release Observations using convolutional neural networks
The Early Release Observations (ERO) from Euclid have detected several new galaxy-galaxy strong gravitational lenses, with the all-sky survey expected to find 170,000 new systems, greatly enhancing studies of dark matter, dark energy, and constraints on the cosmological parameters. As a first step, visual inspection of all galaxies in one of the ERO fields (Perseus) was carried out to identify candidate strong lensing systems and compared to the predictions from Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). However, the entire ERO data set is too large for expert visual inspection. In this paper, we therefore extend the CNN analysis to the whole ERO data set, using different CNN architectures and methodologies. Using five CNN architectures, we identified 8,469 strong gravitational lens candidates from IE-band cutouts of 13 Euclid ERO fields, narrowing them to 97 through visual inspection, including 14 grade A and 31 grade B candidates. We present the spectroscopic confirmation of a strong gravitational lensing candidate, EUCLJ081705.61+702348.8. The foreground lensing galaxy, an early-type system at redshift z = 0.335, and the background source, a star-forming galaxy at redshift z = 1.475 with [O II] emission, are both identified. Lens modeling using the Euclid strong lens modeling pipeline reveals two distinct arcs in a lensing configuration, with an Einstein radius of 1.18 \pm 0.03 arcseconds, confirming the lensing nature of the system. These findings highlight the importance of a broad CNN search to efficiently reduce candidates, followed by visual inspection to eliminate false positives and achieve a high-purity sample of strong lenses in Euclid.
☆ Deep in the Fields of the Andromeda Halo: Discovery of the Pegasus VII dwarf galaxy in UNIONS
We present the newly discovered dwarf galaxy Pegasus VII (Peg VII), a member of the M31 sub-group which has been uncovered in the $ri$ photometric catalogs from the Ultraviolet Near-Infrared Optical Northern Survey and confirmed with follow-up imaging from both the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and the Gemini-North Telescope. This system has an absolute $V$-band magnitude of $-5.7 \pm 0.2$ mag and a physical half-light radius of $177^{+36}_{-34}$ pc, which is characteristic of dynamically-confirmed Milky Way satellite dwarf galaxies and about 5 times more extended than the most extended M31 globular clusters. Peg VII lies at a three-dimensional separation from M31 of $331^{+15}_{-4}$ kpc and a significant elongation ($\epsilon \sim 0.5$) towards the projected direction of M31 could be indicative of a past tidal interaction, but additional investigation into the orbit, star formation history, and whether any gas remains in the galaxy is needed to better understand the evolution of Peg VII.
comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
☆ Swift-XRT and NuSTAR Monitoring of Obscuration Variability in Mrk 477
We present the analysis of 15 X-ray observations of Mrk 477, a nearby Seyfert 2 active galactic nucleus, with the objective to monitor its obscuring column density variability. The full dataset consists of five archival observations, split into two XMM-Newton, two NuSTAR and one Chandra observation, plus two dedicated monitoring campaigns. The monitoring campaigns were performed with Swift-XRT and NuSTAR, containing five observations each. We performed a simultaneous analysis using self-consistent torus models, deriving geometric properties of the torus as well as the obscuration along the line of sight. Mrk 477 is best modeled with a torus with large covering factor yet low column density (on average). Its line of sight column density oscillates between $1.5-7\times10^{23}$~cm$^{-2}$. Mrk~477 presents frequent obscuring column density variability, on timescales as short as $\sim2$~weeks. The probability of drawing a pair of obscuration-variable observations for Mrk~477 when having 2, 3, and 4 observations is 40\%, 78\% and 95\%, respectively. Adding the results of this work to those of another 26 sources, we find a trend of increasing obscuration variability with time (from $\sim20$\% at $\Delta t<10$~days, to $\sim60-70$\% at timescales larger than 5 years). We discuss whether this is compatible with the majority of obscuration variability coming from broad line region clouds.
comment: 16 pages, 7 figures, 4 tables. Accepted to ApJ
☆ The Bullseye: HST, Keck/KCWI, and Dragonfly Characterization of a Giant Nine-Ringed Galaxy
We report the discovery and multiwavelength followup of LEDA 1313424 ("Bullseye"), a collisional ring galaxy (CRG) with nine readily-identified rings -- the most so far reported for a CRG. These data shed new light on the rapid, multi-ring phase of CRG evolution. Using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging, we identify and measure nine ring structures, several of which are "piled up" near the center of the galaxy, while others extend to tens of kpc scales. We also identify faint patches of emission at large radii ($\sim$70 kpc) in the HST imaging, and confirm the association of this emission with the galaxy via spectroscopy. Deep ground based imaging using the Dragonfly Telephoto Array finds evidence that this patch of emission is part of an older, fading ring from the collision. We find that the locations of the detected rings are an excellent match to predictions from analytic theory, if the galaxy was a 10-ring system whose outermost ring has faded away. We identify the likely impacting galaxy via Keck/KCWI spectroscopy, finding evidence for gas extending between it and the Bullseye. The overall size of this galaxy rivals that of known Giant Low Surface Brightness Galaxies (GLSBs) such as Malin I, lending credence to the hypothesis that CRGs can evolve into GLSBs as their rings expand and fade. Analysis of the HI content in this galaxy from ALFALFA finds significantly elevated neutral hydrogen with respect to the galaxy's stellar mass, another feature in alignment with GLSB systems.
comment: Published in ApJL
☆ The Pristine survey: XXVIII. The extremely metal-poor stream C-19 stretches over more than 100 degrees
The discovery of the most metal-poor stream, C-19, provides us with a fossil record of a stellar structure born very soon after the Big Bang. In this work, we search for new C-19 members over the whole sky by combining two complementary stream-searching algorithms, STREAMFINDER and StarGO,, and utilizing low-metallicity star samples from the Pristine survey as well as Gaia BP/RP spectro-photometric catalogues. We confirm twelve new members, spread over more than 100$^\circ$, using velocity and metallicity information from a set of spectroscopic follow-up programs that targeted a quasi-complete sample of our bright candidates ($G \lesssim 16.0$). From the updated set of stream members, we confirm that the stream is wide, with a stream width of $\sim200$ pc, and dynamically hot, with a derived velocity dispersion of $11.1^{+1.9}_{-1.6}$ km/s. The tension remains between these quantities and a purely baryonic scenario in which the relatively low-mass stream (even updated to a few $10^4M_{\odot}$) stems from a globular cluster progenitor, as suggested by its chemical abundances. Some heating mechanism, such as preheating of the cluster in its own dark matter halo or through interactions with halo sub-structures appears necessary to explain the tension. The impact of binaries on the measured dispersion also remains unknown. Detailed elemental abundances of more stream members as well as multi-epoch radial velocities from spectroscopic observations are therefore crucial to fully understand the nature and past history of the most metal-poor stream of the Milky Way.
comment: submitted to A&A
☆ SDSS-IV MaStar: Quantification and Abatement of Interstellar Absorption in the Largest Empirical Stellar Spectral Library SP
We assess the impact of CaII 3934,3969 and NaI 5891,5897 absorption arising in the interstellar medium (ISM) on the SDSS-IV MaNGA Stellar Library (MaStar) and produce corrected spectroscopy for 80% of the 24,162-star catalog. We model the absorption strength of these transitions as a function of stellar distance, Galactic latitude, and dust reddening based upon high-spectral resolution studies. With this model, we identify 6342 MaStar stars that have negligible ISM absorption ($W^\mathrm{ISM}$(CaII K) $<0.07$ Ang and $W^\mathrm{ISM}$(NaI 5891) $<0.05$ Ang). For 12,110 of the remaining stars, we replace their NaI D profile (and their CaII profile for effective temperatures $T_{\rm eff}>9000$ K) with a coadded spectrum of low-ISM stars with similar $T_{\rm eff}$, surface gravity, and metallicity. For 738 additional stars with $T_{\rm eff}>9000$ K, we replace these spectral regions with a matching ATLAS9-based BOSZ model. This results in a mean reduction in $W$(CaII K) ($W$(NaI D)) of $0.4-0.7$ Ang ($0.6-1.1$ Ang) for hot stars ($T_{\rm eff}>7610$ K), and a mean reduction in $W$(NaI D) of $0.1-0.2$ Ang for cooler stars. We show that interstellar absorption in simple stellar population (SSP) model spectra constructed from the original library artificially enhances $W$(CaII K) by $\gtrsim20\%$ at young ages ($<400$ Myr); dramatically enhances the strength of stellar NaI D in starbursting systems (by ${\gtrsim}50\%$); and enhances stellar NaI D in older stellar populations (${\gtrsim}10$ Gyr) by ${\gtrsim}10\%$. We provide SSP spectra constructed from the cleaned library, and discuss the implications of these effects for stellar population synthesis analyses constraining stellar age, [Na/Fe] abundance, and the initial mass function.
comment: 45 pages, 25 figures, 2 appendices. Accepted to ApJ. Cleaned MaStar stellar library spectra are available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14014915 . SSP spectra constructed from the cleaned library are available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14807331 . A subset are available for use with the MaNGA DAP at https://github.com/sdss/mangadap/tree/4.2.0/mangadap/data/spectral_templates
☆ Tracing high-z Galaxies in X-rays with JWST and Chandra
We leverage JWST data from the COSMOS-Web Survey in order to provide updated measurements on the auto-power spectrum of the now resolved Cosmic Infrared Background (CIB) and its coherence with the unresolved soft Cosmic X-ray Background (CXB) observed by Chandra at z > 6. Maps of the CIB in the F277W and F444W NIRCam filters are constructed with sources fainter than AB mag = 25 and cross-correlated with the CXB in the [0.5-2] keV band. We find that on scales between 1 and 1000'' the CIB-CXB cross-power in both NIRCam filters is statistically significant with signal-to-noise ratios (S/N) of 4.80 and 6.20 respectively from redshifts 0 < z < 13. In our high-z (6 < z < 13) interval we find coherence in both filters with a S/N of 7.32 and 5.39 respectively. These results suggest that there are X-ray emitting galaxies resolved by JWST, including star-forming galaxies (SFGs) and active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We fit the large-scale biasing of the IR sources producing the CIB as a function of z with results consistent with prior measurements and place constraints on the CXB flux and biasing at low- and high-z. The CXB flux measurements presented in this study suggest that approximately 94% of the [0.5-2] keV CXB is resolved, and this value is consistent within 2$\sigma$ with the complete resolution of the [0.5-2] keV CXB.
comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, 1 table. Submitted to ApJ
☆ Stellar Ages: A Code to Infer Properties of Stellar Populations
We present a novel statistical algorithm, Stellar Ages, which currently infers the age, metallicity, and extinction posterior distributions of stellar populations from their magnitudes. While this paper focuses on these parameters, the framework is readily adaptable to include additional properties, such as rotation, in future work. Historical age-dating techniques either model individual stars or populations of stars, often sacrificing population context or precision for individual estimates. Stellar Ages does both, combining the strengths of these approaches to provide precise individual ages for stars while leveraging population-level constraints. We verify the algorithm's capabilities by determining the age of synthetic stellar populations and actual stellar populations surrounding a nearby supernova, SN 2004dj. In addition to inferring an age, we infer a progenitor mass consistent with direct observations of the precursor star. The median age inferred from the brightest nearby stars is $\log_{10}$(Age/yr) = $7.19^{+0.10}_{-0.13}$, and its corresponding progenitor mass is $13.95^{+3.33}_{-1.96}$ $\text{M}_{\odot}$.
comment: 15 pages, 12 figures, figures 7 and 12 are most important
☆ The bright, dusty aftermath of giant eruptions & H-rich supernovae. Late interaction of supernova shocks & dusty circumstellar shells
The late-stage evolution of massive stars is marked by intense instability as they approach core-collapse. During these phases, giant stellar eruptions lead to exceptionally high mass-loss rates, forming significant amounts of dust. However, the survival of these dust grains is challenged by the powerful shock waves generated when the progenitor explodes as a supernova (SN). We explore the impact of hydrogen-rich SN explosions from 45, 50, and 60 M$_\odot$ progenitors on dust formed after these eruptions, focusing on interactions with circumstellar shells occurring from a few years to centuries after the event. Using 3D hydrodynamical simulations, we track the evolution of dust particles in a scenario that includes the progenitor's stellar wind, a giant eruption, and the subsequent SN explosion, following the mass budgets predicted by stellar evolution models. For a standard SN ejecta mass of 10 M$_\odot$ and kinetic energy of $10^{51}$ erg, only 25% of the dust mass survives 250 years post-explosion in a spherical circumstellar medium (CSM), while merely 2% remains a century after the explosion in a bipolar CSM. If the SN follows the eruption within a dozen years, 75% of the dust survives for a standard explosion, dropping to 20% for more massive ejecta (15-20 M$_\odot$) with kinetic energy of $5 \times 10^{51}$ erg. The geometry of the CSM and the early transition of the SN remnant into a radiative phase significantly influence dust survival. As the shock wave weakens and efficiently converts kinetic energy into thermal radiation (up to half of the injected kinetic energy) the likelihood of dust survival increases, affecting not only pre-existing dust in the CSM but also SN-condensed dust and ambient interstellar dust. Contrary to expectations, a larger fraction of the dust mass can survive if the SN occurs only a few years after the eruption.
comment: 15 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics
MeerKAT view of Hickson Compact Groups:I. Data description and release
Context: Hickson Compact Groups (HCGs) are dense gravitationally-bound collections of 4-10 galaxies ideal for studying gas and star formation quenching processes. Aims: We aim to understand the transition of HCGs from possessing complex HI tidal structures (so-called phase 2 groups) to a phase where galaxies have lost most or all their HI (phase 3). We also seek to detect diffuse H i gas that was previously missed by the Very Large Array (VLA). Methods: We observed three phase 2 and three phase 3 HCGs with MeerKAT and reduced the data using the Containerized Automated Radio Astronomy Calibration (CARACal) pipeline. We produced data cubes, moment maps, integrated spectra, and compared our findings with previous VLA and Green Bank Telescope (GBT) observations. Results: Compared with previous VLA observations, MeerKAT reveals much more extended tidal features in phase 2 and some new high surface brightness features in phase 3 groups. However, no diffuse HI component was found in phase 3 groups. We also detected many surrounding galaxies for both phase 2 and phase 3 groups, most of which are normal disk galaxies. Conclusions: The difference between phase 2 and phase 3 groups is still substantial, supporting previous findings that the transition between the two phases must be abrupt.
comment: 37 pages, 34 figures, 4 tables - Accepted for publication in A&A
♻ ☆ Measuring the ISM Content of Nearby, Luminous, Type 1 and Type 2 QSOs through CO and [C II]
We present observations of CO(1--0) and CO(2--1) lines from the Institut de radioastronomie millim\'etrique (IRAM) 30m telescope toward 20 nearby, optically luminous type 2 quasars (QSO2s) and observations of [C II] 158$\mu$m line from the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) for 5 QSO2s in the CO sample and 5 type 1 quasars (QSO1s). In the traditional evolutionary scenario explaining different types of QSOs, obscured QSO2s emerge from gas-rich mergers observed as luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) and then turn into unobscured QSO1s as the black holes clear out the obscuring material in a blow-out phase. We test the validity of this theoretical prediction by comparing the gas fractions and star formation efficiencies among LIRGs and QSOs. We find that CO luminosity, CO-derived gas masses and gas fractions in QSO1s are consistent with those estimated for QSO2s, while LIRGs exhibit a closer resemblance to QSO2s in terms of CO-derived gas masses and gas fractions. Comparisons between [C II] luminosity and star formation tracers such as the CO and infrared luminosity imply additional sources of [C II] emission in QSO1s likely tracing neutral atomic or ionized gas with the caveat of a small sample size. All three types of galaxies have statistically indistinguishable distributions of star formation efficiency. Our results are consistent with part of the evolutionary scenario where nearby QSO2s could emerge from LIRGs, but they may not be the precursors of nearby QSO1s.
comment: 33 pages, 10 figures, 7 tables; the complete set of Figure 1 is appended to the end of document. Accepted for publication by ApJ
♻ ☆ Like a candle in the wind: The embers of once aflame, now smouldering galaxies at $5 < z < 8$
We develop a photometric search method for identifying smouldering galaxies at $5< z < 8$, which are defined to have weak emission lines and thus generally have low specific star formation rates and may even be in a state of (temporary) quiescence. The deep NIRCam imaging (${\sim}29.5$ AB mag, 5$\sigma$) from the JADES second data release is essential for finding these systems, as they are faint, relatively quiescent dwarf galaxies ($M_* \sim 10^{8}$-$10^9$ $\mathrm{M}_\odot)$ in the Epoch of Reionisation (EoR). Moreover, medium-band imaging is key, enabling a clear identification of the lack of emission lines in these galaxies, thus betraying their dormant flame. Owing to the young age of the Universe, combined with the likely bursty star formation in these first dwarf galaxies, conventional colour-selection methods like the UVJ diagram likely miss a large fraction of the quiescent population in the EoR. Indeed, we find that smouldering galaxies constitute a considerable fraction (0.05-0.35) of the EoR dwarf galaxy population ($M_* \sim 10^{8}$-$10^{9}$ $\mathrm{M}_\odot$). As predicted by simulations, these first dwarf galaxies are fragile, the star formation in their shallow potential wells easily snuffed out by feedback-driven winds triggered by secular or merger-driven starbursts, with the smouldering fraction increasing with decreasing stellar mass. Finally, we provide observational constraints on the smouldering galaxy comoving number density (${\sim}10^{-4}$-$10^{-5}$ dex$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-3}$), which, although hampered by incompleteness, should aid in our understanding of the primordial baryon cycle, as current simulations greatly disagree on whether these systems are rare (${\sim}1\%$) or common (${\sim}50\%$) in the EoR.
comment: 24 pages, 19 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRAS. SED-fitting process has been rerun, with derived galaxy parameters listed in tables and denoted in figures updated accordingly
♻ ☆ The UNCOVER Survey: First Release of Ultradeep JWST/NIRSpec PRISM spectra for ~700 galaxies from z~0.3-13 in Abell 2744 SP
We present the design and observations of low resolution JWST/NIRSpec PRISM spectroscopy from the Ultradeep NIRSpec and NIRCam ObserVations before the Epoch of Reionization (UNCOVER) Cycle 1 JWST Treasury program. Targets are selected using JWST/NIRCam photometry from UNCOVER and other programs, and cover a wide range of categories and redshifts to ensure the legacy value of the survey. These categories include the first galaxies at $z\gtrsim10$, faint galaxies during the Epoch of Reionization ($z\sim6-8$), high redshift AGN ($z\gtrsim6$), Population III star candidates, distant quiescent and dusty galaxies ($1\lesssim{}z\lesssim 6$), and filler galaxies sampling redshift--color--magnitude space from z~0.1-13. Seven NIRSpec MSA masks across the extended Abell 2744 cluster were observed, along with NIRCam parallel imaging in 8 filters (F090W, F115W, F150W, F200W, F277W, F356W, F410M, F444W, F480M) over a total area of ~26 arcmin$^2$, overlapping existing HST coverage from programs including the Hubble Frontier Fields and BUFFALO. We successfully observed 553 objects down to $m_{\mathrm{F444W}}\sim30\mathrm{AB}$, and by leveraging mask overlaps, we reach total on-target exposure times ranging from 2.4-16.7h. We demonstrate the success rate and distribution of confirmed redshifts, and also highlight the rich information revealed by these ultradeep spectra for a subset of our targets. An updated lens model of Abell 2744 is also presented, including 14 additional spectroscopic redshifts and finding a total cluster mass of $M_{\mathrm{SL}}=(2.1\pm0.3)\times10^{15}\,\mathrm{M}_{\odot}$. We publicly release reduced 1D and 2D spectra for all objects observed in Summer 2023 along with a spectroscopic redshift catalog and the updated lens model of the cluster (https://jwst-uncover.github.io/DR4.html).
comment: 20 pages, 9 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ. Data available at: https://jwst-uncover.github.io/DR4.html. DR4 now includes updated stellar population catalogs: https://jwst-uncover.github.io/DR4.html#SPSCatalogs
♻ ☆ PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 I: X-ray exploration of a low-mass cluster with exceptionally-distant radio relics
Relics are diffuse, highly-polarized radio sources that trace merger-driven shocks at the periphery of merging galaxy clusters. The LOFAR survey recently discovered a rare example of double relics in the low-mass cluster PSZ2 G181.06+48.47. Through a detailed exploration of new Chandra and XMM-Newton observations, we reveal that PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 has a lower mass ($M_{500,X}=2.32^{+0.29}_{-0.25}\times10^{14}$ M$_{\odot}$) than previously thought. Despite its cool global temperature of $kT_{500}=3.62^{+0.15}_{-0.07}$ keV, PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 is one of the most disturbed clusters in the Planck sample, with a complex morphological and thermodynamic structure. We discover a set of three discontinuities within <500 kpc of the cluster center, and, from a surface brightness analysis, place $5\sigma$ upper limits of $M_{NE}<1.43$ and $M_{SW}<1.57$ for any shock associated with the relic locations. We also revise established scaling relations for double radio-relics by adding 12 new systems not included in previous work. The PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 relics have the widest separation (scaled for $r_{500}$) of all known double-relic systems. The exceptional distance from the cluster center ($>r_{200}$), indicates the relics may be associated with shocks in the ``run-away" phase. We propose that this late-stage, post-apocenter merger is captured as the two subclusters with a mass ratio of 1.2-1.4 fall back into each other. The outer relic shocks were likely produced at the first core passage, while the inner discontinuities are associated with the second infall.
comment: Accepted to ApJ on Feb 13, 2025. 28 pages, 10 figures. Companion paper discussing the radio properties can be found at arXiv:2501.08390. Companion weak-lensing reconstruction paper can be found at arXiv:2501.09067
♻ ☆ Spin evolution and mass distribution of the Galactic Binary Neutron Stars
Binary neutron stars (BNSs) detected in the Milky Way have the total masses distributing narrowly around $\sim2.6-2.7M_\odot$, while the BNS merger GW190425 detected via gravitational wave has a significantly larger mass ($\sim3.4M_\odot$). This difference is not well understood, yet. In this paper, we investigate the BNS spin evolution via an improved binary star evolution model and its effects on the BNS observability, with implementation of various relevant astrophysical processes. We find that the first-born neutron star component in low-mass BNSs can be spun up to millisecond pulsars by the accretion of Roche-lobe overflow from its companion and its radio lifetime can be comparable to the Hubble time. However, most high-mass BNSs have substantially shorter radio lifetime than the low-mass BNSs, and thus smaller probability being detected via radio emission. Adopting the star formation and metal enrichment history of the Milky Way given by observations, we obtain the survived Galactic BNSs with pulsar components from our population synthesis model and find that their distributions on the diagrams of spin period versus spin-period-time-derivative ($P-\dot{P}$) and orbital period versus eccentricity ($P_{\rm orb}-e$) can well match those of the observed Galactic BNSs. The total mass distribution of the observed Galactic BNSs can also be matched by the model. A significant fraction ($\sim19\%-22\%$) of merging BNSs at redshift $z\sim0$ have masses $\gtrsim3M_\odot$, which seems compatible with the GW observations. Future radio observations may detect many more Galactic BNSs, which will put strong constraint on the spin evolution of BNSs during their formation processes.
comment: 19 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal; reference added
♻ ☆ The properties of magnetised cold filaments in a cool-core galaxy cluster
Filaments of cold gas ($T\leq 10^{4}$ K) are found in the inner regions of many cool-core clusters. These structures are thought to play a major role in the regulation of feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN). We study the morphology of the filaments, their formation, and their impact on the propagation of the outflowing AGN jets. We present a set of GPU-accelerated 3D (magneto)hydrodynamical simulations of an idealized Perseus-like cluster using the performance portable code AthenaPK. We include radiative cooling, and a self-regulated AGN feedback model that redistributes accreted material through kinetic, thermal and magnetic feedback. We confirm that magnetic fields play an important role in both the formation and evolution of the cold material. These suppress the formation of massive cold discs and favour magnetically supported filaments over clumpy structures. Achieving resolutions of $25-50$ pc, we find that filaments are not monolithic as they contain numerous and complex magnetically supported sub-structures. We find that the mass distribution of these clumps follows a $\mathrm{d}N/\mathrm{d}M \propto M^{-1.6}$ power-law for all investigated filaments. Studying the evolution of individual filaments, we find that their formation pathways can be diverse. We find examples of filaments forming through a combination of gas uplifting and condensation, as well as systems of purely infalling clumps condensing out of the intracluster medium. The density contrast between the cold gas and the outflowing hot material leads to recurring deflections of the jets, favouring inflation of bubbles.
comment: 20 pages, 21 figures, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, with corrections detailed in an accompanying erratum
♻ ☆ Investigating photometric and spectroscopic variability in the multiply-imaged Little Red Dot A2744-QSO1
JWST observations have uncovered a new population of red, compact objects at high redshifts dubbed 'Little Red Dots' (LRDs), which typically show broad emission lines and are thought to be dusty Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). Some of their other features, however, challenge the AGN explanation, such as prominent Balmer breaks and extremely faint or even missing metal high-ionization lines, X-ray, or radio emission, including in deep stacks. Time variability is a unique test of AGN activity. Here, we exploit the $z=7.045$ multiply-imaged LRD A2744-QSO1, which offers a unique test of variability due to lensing-induced time delays between the three images spanning 22 yr (2.7 yr in the rest-frame), to investigate its photometric and spectroscopic variability. We find the equivalent widths (EWs) of the broad H$\alpha$ and H$\beta$ lines, which are independent of magnification and other systematics, to exhibit significant variations, up to $18\pm3$ % for H$\alpha$ and up to $22\pm8$ % in H$\beta$, on a timescale of 875 d (2.4 yr) in the rest-frame. This suggests that A2744-QSO1 is indeed an AGN. We find no significant photometric variability beyond the limiting systematic uncertainties, so it currently cannot be determined whether the EW variations are due to line-flux or continuum variability. These results are consistent with a typical damped random walk (DRW) variability model for an AGN like A2744-QSO1 ($M_{\mathrm{BH}}=4\times10^7 \mathrm{M}_{\odot}$) given the sparse sampling of the light-curve with the available data. Our results therefore support the AGN interpretation of this LRD, and highlight the need for further photometric and spectroscopic monitoring in order to build a detailed and reliable light-curve.
comment: Submitted to A&A. v2 updated to match the submitted version
♻ ☆ Formation and evolution of binary black holes in $N$-body simulations of star clusters with up to two million stars
Understanding binary black hole (BBH) dynamics in dense star clusters is key to interpreting the gravitational wave detections by LIGO and Virgo. Here, we perform $N$-body simulations of star clusters, focusing on BBH formation mechanisms, dynamical evolution and merging properties. We explore a wide parameter space of initial conditions, with cluster masses ranging from $10^{4}$ to $10^{6}~\mathrm{M_{\odot}}$, densities from $10^{3}$ to $10^{5}~\rm M_{\odot}pc^{-3}$, and up to $100\%$ of massive stars in binaries. We show that most BBH mergers originate from the primordial binary population rather than being dynamically assembled, and that the evolution towards merger for most of these binaries is not significantly altered by dynamical encounters. As a result, the overall number of BBH mergers from the $N$-body simulations is nearly identical to that obtained when the same stellar population is evolved in isolation. Contrary to theoretical expectations, nearly all dynamically formed BBH mergers occur when the binary is still bound to its host cluster, with $\simeq 90\%$ of all dynamical mergers occurring within the cluster core region. In about half of these mergers the binary is part of a stable black hole-triple system. In one model, stellar mergers lead to the formation of a $\simeq 200\,\mathrm{M_\odot}$ black hole, which then grows to $\simeq 300\,\mathrm{M_\odot}$ through black hole mergers. Our study highlights the importance of detailed $N$-body simulations in capturing the evolution of black hole populations in dense clusters and challenges conclusions based on semi-analytical and Monte Carlo methods.
comment: Accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
♻ ☆ Dynamical Models of the Milky Way in Action Space with LAMOST DR8 and GAIA EDR3
This work explores dynamical models of the Milky Way (MW) by analyzing a sample of 86,109 K giant stars selected through cross-matching the LAMOST DR8 and Gaia EDR3 surveys. Our earlier torus models in Wang et al. (2017) did not include Gaia data, making them incompatible with the new proper motion distributions of samples. Here, we refine the construction of action-based, self-consistent models to constrain the three-dimensional velocity distribution of K giants over a larger parameter space, drawing on a series of existing MW models. This approach produces several new MW models. Our best-fit model for the local kinematics near the Sun indicates a MW virial mass of 1.35 $\times 10^{12} M_\odot$, a local stellar density of 0.0696 $\rm M_\odot pc^{-3}$, and a local dark matter density of 0.0115 $\rm M_\odot pc^{-3}$. Our main conclusion supports a thicker and more extended thick disk, alongside a cooler thin disk, compared to the best-fitting model in Wang et al. (2017). Near the Sun, our model aligns well with observations, but is less satisfactory at distances far from the Galactic center, perhaps implying unidentified structures. Further high-precision observations will be critical for understanding the dynamics in these outer Galactic regions, and will require a more realistic model.
comment: 27 pages, 27 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication in ApJ
♻ ☆ First Result for Dark Matter Search by WINERED
The identity of dark matter has been a mystery in astronomy, cosmology, and particle theory for about a century. Bessho, Ikeda, and Yin (2022), three of the current authors, proposed using the state-of-the-art infrared spectrographs, including WINERED at $6.5$m Magellan Clay telescope and NIRSpec at James Webb Space Telescope, as efficient detectors for the indirect detection of dark matter with the mass around eV by measuring the line photons from the dark matter two body decays. Applying this concept, we have performed spectrographic observations of dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) Leo V and Tucana II using WINERED by utilizing an object-sky-object nodding observation technique for background subtraction. We present the first result from this dark matter search. Employing zero consistent flux data after the sky subtraction, we have established one of the most stringent limits to date on dark matter decaying into line photons in the mass range of $1.8-2.7\,$eV. Our data can also be applied to constrain other spectra of photons from the dSphs.
comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, 1 table, 6 data files attached, limits assuming NFW profile included, the effects from Earth rotation and revolution included in the Doppler shift analysis, conclusions unchanged, version appeared in PRL
♻ ☆ Time-dependent models of AGN disks with radiation from embedded stellar-mass black holes
The brightest steady sources of radiation in the universe, active galactic nuclei (AGN), are powered by gas accretion onto a central supermassive black hole (SMBH). The large sizes and accretion rates implicated in AGN accretion disks are expected to lead to gravitational instability and fragmentation, effectively cutting off mass inflow to the SMBH. Radiative feedback from disk-embedded stars has been invoked to yield marginally stable, steady-state solutions in the outer disks. Here, we examine the consequences of this star formation with a semi-analytical model in which stellar-mass black hole (sBH) remnants in the disk provide an additional source of stabilizing radiative feedback. Assuming star formation seeds the embedded sBH population, we model the time-evolving feedback from both stars and the growing population of accreting sBHs. We find that in the outer disk, the luminosity of the sBHs quickly dominates that of their parent stars. However, because sBHs consume less gas than stars to stabilize the disk, the presence of the sBHs enhances the mass flux to the inner disk. As a result, star formation persists over the lifetime of the AGN, damped in the outer disk, but amplified in a narrow ring in the inner disk. Heating from the embedded sBHs significantly modifies the disk's temperature profile and hardens its spectral energy distribution, and direct emission from the sBHs adds a new hard X-ray component.
comment: 25 pages, 18 figures, 1 table. Version accepted for publication in MNRAS. Revisions include the addition of Section 8, in which we discuss the impact of viscosity and SMBH mass on our disk models. We thank the referee for their review
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 20
☆ The role of triple evolution in the formation of LISA double white dwarfs
Galactic double white dwarfs will be prominent gravitational-wave sources for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). While previous studies have primarily focused on formation scenarios in which binaries form and evolve in isolation, we present the first detailed study of the role of triple stellar evolution in forming the population of LISA double white dwarfs. In this work, we present the first detailed study of the role of triple stellar evolution in forming the population of LISA double white dwarfs. We use the multiple stellar evolution code (MSE) to model the stellar evolution, binary interactions, and the dynamics of triple star systems then use a Milky Way-like galaxy from the TNG50 simulations to construct a representative sample of LISA double white dwarfs. In our simulations about $7\times10^6$ Galactic double white dwarfs in the LISA frequency bandwidth originate from triple systems, whereas $\sim4\times10^6$ form from isolated binary stars. The properties of double white dwarfs formed in triples closely resemble those formed from isolated binaries, but we also find a small number of systems $\sim\mathcal{O}(10)$ that reach extreme eccentricities $(>0.9)$, a feature unique to the dynamical formation channels. Our population produces $\approx 10^{4} $ individually resolved double white dwarfs (from triple and binary channels) and an unresolved stochastic foreground below the level of the LISA instrumental noise. About $57\,\%$ of double white dwarfs from triple systems retain a bound third star when entering the LISA frequency bandwidth. However, we expect the tertiary stars to be too distant to have a detectable imprint in the gravitational-wave signal of the inner binary.
comment: 16 pages, 13 figures
☆ Star-crossed Clusters: Asteroseismic Ages for Individual Stars are in Tension with the Ages of their Host Clusters
A meta-analysis of seismic ages determined for individual stars in the well-studied open and globular clusters NGC 6819, NGC 6791, M67, M4, M19, M80, and M9 reveals both high variance across measurements and significant discrepancy with independent, isochrone-based age determinations for the clusters in which these stars reside. The scatter among asteroseismic ages for individual stars in any one of these clusters far surpasses both the absolute age uncertainty computed for reference cluster M92 (5.4\%) and the model-to-model systematic uncertainties in isochrones (roughly 10\%). This suggests that either binary processes are significantly altering the masses of stars in these clusters, or some additional corrections, perhaps as a function of mass, metallicity, or surface gravity, are required to bring the asteroseismic age scale into concordance with ages inferred from isochrone or similar model fitting.
comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, submitted to AAS journals. Comments Welcome. Happy Valentine's/Galentine's Day!
☆ Comparison of methods used to derive the Galactic star formation history from white dwarf samples
We compare three methods of deriving the local Galactic star formation history, using as a benchmark the Gaia-defined 40 pc white dwarf sample, currently the largest volume complete sample of stellar remnants with medium-resolution spectroscopy. We create a population synthesis model to 1) reproduce the observed white dwarf luminosity function, 2) reproduce the observed absolute Gaia G magnitude distribution, and 3) directly calculate the ages of all individual white dwarfs in the 40 pc volume. We then compare the star formation histories determined from each method. Previous studies using these methods were based on different white dwarf samples and as such were difficult to compare. Uncertainties in each method such as the initial mass function, initial-final mass relation, main sequence lifetimes, stellar metallicity, white dwarf cooling ages and binary evolution are accounted for to estimate the precision and accuracy of each method. We conclude that no method is quantitatively better at determining the star formation history and all three produce star formation histories that agree within uncertainties of current external astrophysical relations.
comment: Comments are welcome
☆ Rosette Nebula Outburst Gaia 24djk from the Young Stellar Object V557 Mon
A previously faint young stellar object (YSO), V557 Mon, rapidly brightened in late 2024 and is currently at least $\Delta G=3.3$ magnitudes brighter than its typical pre-outburst brightness. The ongoing outburst is identified in the Gaia Alerts system as Gaia24djk. We obtained a 1-2.5 $\mu$m spectrum of the object and find the spectrum is dominated by line emission and continuum excess consistent with rapid YSO accretion, similar to the star EX Lup during its outburst state. We speculate that the burst, which has not yet reached its peak brightness, may become an FU Ori outburst, which would be evidenced by the emission spectrum turning into an absorption spectrum.
comment: 3 pages, 1 figure, accepted to RNAAS
☆ Insights into Solar Wind Flow Speeds from the Coronal Radio occultation Experiment: Findings from the Indian Mars Orbiter Mission
Using data collected by the Indian Mars Orbiter Mission in October 2021, we investigated coronal regions of the Sun by analyzing the Doppler spectral width of radio signals to estimate solar wind velocity. A simplified equation is introduced to directly relate these two parameters. The study focuses on observations conducted from October 2 to October 14, 2021, a relatively quiet phase of solar cycle 25. The analysis targeted the coronal region within heliocentric distances of 5-8 RSun, near the ecliptic plane. In this region, solar wind velocities ranged from 100 to 150 kms^-1, while electron densities were on the order of 10^10 m^(-3). We also compared our results with electron density observations and models derived from previous studies. Though the decrease in the electron densities with respect to increasing helio-centric distance matches quite well with the theoretical models, MOM estimates fall at the lower edge of the distribution. This difference may be attributed to the prolonged weak solar activity during the MOM observations, in contrast to prior studies conducted during periods of comparatively higher solar activity in earlier solar cycles.
comment: 27 pages, 7 figures, Accepted for publication in ApJ
☆ The Effect of Rotation on Triggering S Doradus Instabilities in Luminous Blue Variables
Luminous blue variables are an intermediate stage in the evolution of high-mass stars characterized by extreme mass loss and substantial variability. The stars show large irregular episodic variations on timescales of years to decades in these stars' effective temperatures (called "S Dor variations"). Observations show that these variations are triggered when the stars are in a well-defined strip in the HRD that corresponds to the Modified Eddington Limit, where the atmospheric radiation pressure almost balances gravity. In this work we consider the role that rotation plays in the instability that leads to the triggering of S Dor variations in luminous post-main sequence LBVs. We adopt the existing instability criterion that the effective surface gravity is reduced to 10% of the Newtonian gravity due to radiation pressure in the atmosphere of non-rotating stars. We then specifically describe how rotation impacts this instability. By carrying out numerical simulations of model LBVs at both solar and sub-solar metallicities, we confirm that most LBVs should be unstable at both the equator and the poles, and that rotation exacerbates this effect; some models also produce enhanced mass loss at the pole or equator. Our numerical models also predict dense equatorial disks or rings and high-velocity bipolar outflows, in agreement with existing observations of LBV circumstellar nebulae.
comment: 27 pages, 13 figures; accepted for publication in ApJ
☆ Then and now: A new look at the eclipse timing variations of hierarchical triple star candidates in the primordial $Kepler$-field, revisited by TESS
In this paper we reanalyze the extended ETV curves of the formerly identified triple star candidates and many other $Kepler$ EBs. Besides the confirmations of the former findings and/or the improvements of the triple systems' orbital properties, the extended time-base allows us to identify several new, longer outer period triple systems, and it also makes possible a more detailed study of the dynamical perturbations in the tightest triple stars. We extend the ETV curves of the $Kepler$ triples with those mid-eclipse times which can be deduced from the TESS observations and, moreover, from targeted ground-based follow up observations for a number of the objects. In general, we use the same methods that were applied for the older studies, which are described in the literature. Due to the lower quality of the TESS observations, however, for the fainter systems we average light curves of the EBs for 5-20 consecutive cycles, and thereby calculate `normal' minima from these averaged light curves. In conclusion, we identified 243 hierarchical triple star candidates in the $Kepler$ sample. This sample strongly overlaps our former, nine-year-old sample, confirming the older results, or providing new solutions for 193 systems of the 2016 sample. For the remaining 28 hierarchical triple candidates of that former study, we were unable to find new solutions either because of the disappearance of the eclipses due to orbital plane precession, or due to instrumental reasons. On the other hand, due to the extended time series, we were able to identify 50 new, longer period triple star candidates, as well. We briefly discuss the main properties of each individual system and present statistical studies of the results, as well.
comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics
☆ Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe: Multi-viewpoint messengers of the inner heliosphere
NASA's Parker Solar Probe and ESA/NASA's Solar Orbiter are encounter missions that are currently both in their nominal science phases, venturing closer to the Sun than ever before. These complementary spacecraft are operating together in order to combine in situ measurements of solar wind plasma in the inner heliosphere with high-resolution remote sensing observations of their source regions in the solar atmosphere. This paper highlights the synergetic science that these multi-viewpoint messengers of the inner heliosphere enable and how they are working together to significantly advance our understanding of the physical processes that are important for solar wind formation, the eruption of coronal mass ejections and their space weather effects.
comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, Proceedings IAU Symposium 390
☆ The orbital parameters of the binary BLAP HD133729 : advantages of the frequency modulation method
We derive all the orbital parameters of the blue large-amplitude pulsator (BLAP) in the binary system HD133729 by exploiting the frequency modulation (FM) method, which is based on the analytical relations between the orbital parameters and a multiplet separated by the orbital frequency in the frequency spectrum of the light curve. Because the FM method uses the entire data through the Fourier transform, it is the most effective use of high-precision photometry data, taken over a long timespan by the TESS space mission, for determining orbital parameters.
comment: 3 pages
☆ ALMA-IMF XVII - Census and lifetime of high-mass prestellar cores in 14 massive protoclusters
High-mass prestellar cores are extremely rare. The search for such objects has long been hindered by small sample sizes, leading to large uncertainties in their lifetimes and the conditions in which high-mass stars ($> 8\,M_{\odot}$) form. We leverage the large sample ($\sim 580$ cores) detected in the ALMA-IMF survey to identify both protostellar and prestellar cores and estimate their relative lifetimes. We use CO and SiO outflows to identify protostellar cores and introduce a new automated method based on aperture line emission and background subtraction to systematically detect outflows associated with each of the 141 most massive cores. Massive cores that do not drive an outflow in either tracer are classified as prestellar. Our method enables efficient outflow detection with performance comparable to more traditional techniques. We identify 30 likely prestellar cores with $M > 8\,M_{\odot}$, including 12 with $M > 16\,M_{\odot}$, the best candidates for high-mass star precursors. Most of these 12 cores reside in the crowded central regions of protoclusters, where high-mass stars are expected to form. Using prestellar-to-protostellar core ratios and a 300 kyr protostellar lifetime, we estimate prestellar lifetimes of 120 to 240 kyr for $8\,M_{\odot} < M < 16\,M_{\odot}$ and 50 to 100 kyr for $30\,M_{\odot} < M < 55\,M_{\odot}$. These timescales, which depend on different mass reservoir evolution scenarios, significantly exceed the 4 to 15 kyr free-fall time of the cores, suggesting that high-mass cores persist for 10 to 30 free-fall times. This indicates that collapse is slowed by turbulence, magnetic fields, or rotation at or below the observed scale.
☆ First Doppler image and starspot-corrected orbit for $λ$ Andromedae: A multifaceted activity analysis
We quantify the effect of starspots for the orbital elements of the spotted RS CVn binary $\lambda$ Andromedae ($\lambda$ And) and present an empirical correction. The aim is to obtain a more precise orbital solution that can be used to better study the system's severe orbital-rotational asynchronism. Phase-resolved high-resolution optical spectra were recorded over the course of 522 days in 2021-2022. We employed two facilities with medium and high resolution spectroscopy for the multiple activity analyses. Doppler imaging is used to reconstruct $\lambda$ And's starspots with a high resolution (R= 250 000) and high signal-to-noise ratio spectra. Optimized cross-correlation functions were used to measure precise radial velocities at a level of a few ten's of m/s. The spot-corrected radial velocities enable, on average, a threefold increase in precision of the individual orbital elements. The residual velocity jitter with a full range of 500 m/s is modulated by the rotation period of $\lambda$ And of 54.4$\pm$0.3 days. Our logarithmic gravity from spectrum synthesis of 2.8$\pm$0.2 together with the interferometrically determined stellar radius suggest a most-likely mass of the primary of $\approx$1.4 Msun. The small orbital mass function then implies a secondary mass of just $\approx$0.1 Msun, which is appropriate for an L-class brown dwarf. The Doppler image reconstructs a dominating cool spot with an umbral temperature difference of $\approx$1000 K with respect to the photosphere of 4660 K and is likely surrounded by a moat-like velocity field. Three more weaker spots add to the total surface spottedness, which is up to 25% of the visible surface. Seven optical chromospheric tracers show rotational modulation of their emission line fluxes in phase with the cool spots. This surface configuration appears to have been stable for the 522 days of our observations.
☆ Performance of the Stellar Abundances and atmospheric Parameters Pipeline adapted for M dwarfs I. Atmospheric parameters from the spectroscopic module
M dwarfs are important targets in the search for Earth-like exoplanets due to their small masses and low luminosities. Several ongoing and upcoming space missions are targeting M dwarfs for this reason, and the ESA PLATO mission is one of these. In order to fully characterise a planetary system the properties of the host star must be known. For M dwarfs we can derive effective temperature, surface gravity, metallicity, and abundances of various elements from spectroscopic observations in combination with photometric data. The Stellar Abundances and atmospheric Parameters Pipeline (SAPP) has been developed as a prototype for one of the stellar science softwares within the PLATO consortium, it is aimed at FGK stars. We have modified it to be able to analyse the M dwarf among the PLATO targets. The current version of the pipeline for M dwarfs mostly relies on spectroscopic observations. The data processing is based on the machine learning algorithm The Payne and fits a grid of model spectra to an observed spectrum to derive effective temperature and metallicity. We use spectra in the H-band, as the near-infrared region is beneficial for M dwarfs. A method based on synthetic spectra was developed for the continuum normalisation of the spectra, taking into account the pseudo-continuum formed by numerous lines of the water molecule. Photometry is used to constrain the surface gravity. We tested the modified SAPP on spectra of M dwarfs from the APOGEE survey. Our validation sample of 26 stars includes stars with interferometric observations and binaries. We found a good agreement between our values and reference values from a range of studies. The overall uncertainties in the derived effective temperature, surface gravity, and metallicity is 100 K, 0.1 dex, and 0.15 dex, respectively. We find that the modified SAPP performs well on M dwarfs and identify possible areas of future development.
comment: Accepted in A&A
☆ The EBLM project -- XIV. TESS light curves for eclipsing binaries with very low mass companions
Accurate limb-darkening models are needed for accurate characterisation of eclipsing binary stars and transiting exoplanets from the analysis of their light curves. The limb-darkening observed in solar-type stars from the analysis of light curves for transiting hot-Jupiter exoplanets are systematically less steep than predicted by stellar model atmospheres that do not account for the stellar magnetic field. Hot-Jupiter host stars tend to be metal rich ([Fe/H] ~0.25) leading to a lack of low- and solar-metallicity targets in previous studies, so we have analysed the TESS light curves for a sample of 19 stars with transiting M-dwarf companions to extend the range of limb-darkening measurements to [Fe/H] values more typical for solar-type stars. We find that the systematic offset between the observed and predicted limb-darkening profiles observed in metal-rich hot-Jupiter systems is also observed for these solar-type stars at lower metallicity. These observations provide additional measurements to explore the impact of magnetic fields on the atmospheres of solar-type stars. We have also used the TESS light curves to make precise estimates of the radius and effective temperature of the M-dwarf companions in these 19 binary systems. We confirm the results from previous studies that find very low mass stars tend to be about 3 per cent larger than predicted by stellar models that use a mixing length prescription calibrated on the Sun.
comment: 12 pages, 5 Figures. This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in MNRAS following peer review
☆ Deep Optical Images of the Ejecta Nebula Around the Wolf-Rayet Star WR 8 (HD 62910)
We report the results of deep H-alpha and [O III] images of the bright WN7/WC4 Wolf-Rayet star WR 8 (HD 62910). These data show considerably more surrounding nebulosity than seen in prior imaging. The brighter portions of the nebula span 6' in diameter and exhibit considerable fine-scale structure including numerous emission clumps and bright head-tail like features presumably due to the effects of the WR star's stellar winds. Due to the overlap of a relatively bright band of unrelated foreground diffuse interstellar H-alpha emission, WR 8's nebula is best viewed via its [O III] emission. A faint 9' x 13' diffuse outer nebulosity is detected surrounding the nebula's main ring of emission. The nebula's optical structure is substantially different from that of its thermal continuum dust emission seen in WISE 22 micron infrared images which show a smaller and sharply defined emission shell.
comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, 1 table
☆ Density fluctuation-Mach number scaling in compressible, high plasma beta turbulence: in-situ space observations and high-Reynolds number simulations
Understanding the nature of compressible fluctuations in a broad range of turbulent plasmas, from the intracluster medium to the solar wind, has been an active field of research in the past decades. Theoretical frameworks for weakly compressible MHD turbulence in an inhomogeneous background magnetic field predict a linear scaling of the normalized mass density fluctuation ($\delta \rho / \rho_0$), as a function of the turbulent Mach number ($\mathcal{M}_t$), $\delta \rho / \rho_0 \propto \mathcal{M}_t$. However, so far the scaling relation has been tested only using moderate to low plasma beta ($\beta \lesssim 1$) solar wind observational data where the compressibility is weak $\delta \rho / \rho_0 \sim 0.1$. Here, we combine NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission data in Earth's magnetosheath, where $\beta \sim 10$ is high, and $\beta \sim 1$ highly-compressible magnetohydrodynamic turbulence simulations at unprecedented resolutions. Both show that $\delta \rho / \rho_0 \propto \mathcal{M}_t$ holds across a broad range of $\delta \rho / \rho_0$, $\mathcal{M}_t$ and $\beta$, demonstrating that $\delta \rho / \rho_0 \propto \mathcal{M}_t$ is a robust compressible turbulence relation, going beyond the asymptotics of the weakly compressible theory. We discuss the findings in the context of understanding the nature of strongly compressible turbulent fluctuations and the driving parameter in astrophysical and space plasmas.
comment: Submitted to ApJ
☆ Stellar Ages: A Code to Infer Properties of Stellar Populations
We present a novel statistical algorithm, Stellar Ages, which currently infers the age, metallicity, and extinction posterior distributions of stellar populations from their magnitudes. While this paper focuses on these parameters, the framework is readily adaptable to include additional properties, such as rotation, in future work. Historical age-dating techniques either model individual stars or populations of stars, often sacrificing population context or precision for individual estimates. Stellar Ages does both, combining the strengths of these approaches to provide precise individual ages for stars while leveraging population-level constraints. We verify the algorithm's capabilities by determining the age of synthetic stellar populations and actual stellar populations surrounding a nearby supernova, SN 2004dj. In addition to inferring an age, we infer a progenitor mass consistent with direct observations of the precursor star. The median age inferred from the brightest nearby stars is $\log_{10}$(Age/yr) = $7.19^{+0.10}_{-0.13}$, and its corresponding progenitor mass is $13.95^{+3.33}_{-1.96}$ $\text{M}_{\odot}$.
comment: 15 pages, 12 figures, figures 7 and 12 are most important
☆ Habitable Zone and Atmosphere Retention Distance (HaZARD) Stellar-evolution-dependent loss models of secondary atmospheres
A major open question in exoplanet research is whether secondary atmospheres are rare around Earth-sized rocky exoplanets. In this work we determine the distance at which an Earth-sized planet orbiting a variety of stellar hosts could retain a CO2- or N2-dominated atmosphere and compare this atmospheric retention distance (ARD) with that of the liquid-water HZ. We combined planetary atmosphere models with stellar evolution models. The atmospheric models produced by the thermochemical Kompot code allowed us to calculate the Jeans escape rates for different stellar masses, rotation rates, and ages. These loss rates allowed us to determine the closest distance a planet is likely to retain a CO2- or N2-dominated atmosphere. Using stellar rotation evolution models, we modelled how these retention distances evolve as the X-ray and ultraviolet activity of the star evolves. We find that the overlap of the HZ and the ARD occurs earlier around slowly rotating stars. Additionally, we find that HZ planets orbiting stars with masses under 0.4 M_\odot are unlikely to retain any atmosphere, due to the lower spin-down rate of these fully convective stars. We also show that the initial rotation rate of the star can impact the likelihood of a planet retaining an atmosphere, as an initially fast-rotating star maintains high levels of short-wavelength irradiance for much longer. The orbits of all Earth-like rocky exoplanets observed by JWST in cycles 1 and 2, including HZ planets, fall outside the ARD. Our results will have implications for future target selections of small exoplanet observing programmes with JWST or future instruments such as the Ariel space mission.
comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in A&A
☆ The bright, dusty aftermath of giant eruptions & H-rich supernovae. Late interaction of supernova shocks & dusty circumstellar shells
The late-stage evolution of massive stars is marked by intense instability as they approach core-collapse. During these phases, giant stellar eruptions lead to exceptionally high mass-loss rates, forming significant amounts of dust. However, the survival of these dust grains is challenged by the powerful shock waves generated when the progenitor explodes as a supernova (SN). We explore the impact of hydrogen-rich SN explosions from 45, 50, and 60 M$_\odot$ progenitors on dust formed after these eruptions, focusing on interactions with circumstellar shells occurring from a few years to centuries after the event. Using 3D hydrodynamical simulations, we track the evolution of dust particles in a scenario that includes the progenitor's stellar wind, a giant eruption, and the subsequent SN explosion, following the mass budgets predicted by stellar evolution models. For a standard SN ejecta mass of 10 M$_\odot$ and kinetic energy of $10^{51}$ erg, only 25% of the dust mass survives 250 years post-explosion in a spherical circumstellar medium (CSM), while merely 2% remains a century after the explosion in a bipolar CSM. If the SN follows the eruption within a dozen years, 75% of the dust survives for a standard explosion, dropping to 20% for more massive ejecta (15-20 M$_\odot$) with kinetic energy of $5 \times 10^{51}$ erg. The geometry of the CSM and the early transition of the SN remnant into a radiative phase significantly influence dust survival. As the shock wave weakens and efficiently converts kinetic energy into thermal radiation (up to half of the injected kinetic energy) the likelihood of dust survival increases, affecting not only pre-existing dust in the CSM but also SN-condensed dust and ambient interstellar dust. Contrary to expectations, a larger fraction of the dust mass can survive if the SN occurs only a few years after the eruption.
comment: 15 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics
♻ ☆ An assessment of observational coverage and gaps for robust Sun to heliosphere integrated science
Understanding the generation and development of the continuous outflow from the Sun requires tracing the physical conditions from deep in the corona to the heliosphere. Detailed global observations of plasma state variables and the magnetic field are needed to provide critical constraints to the underlying physics driving models of the corona and solar wind. Key diagnostics of the solar wind require measurements at its formation site and during its outflow to continuously track it across rapidly changing regions of space. A unified view of the solar wind is only possible through coordinated remote and in situ observations that probe these different regions. Here, we discuss current observational coverage and gaps of different plasma properties and review recent coordinated studies. We highlight how these efforts may become more routine with the launch of upcoming and planned missions.
comment: 5 figures
♻ ☆ Spin evolution and mass distribution of the Galactic Binary Neutron Stars
Binary neutron stars (BNSs) detected in the Milky Way have the total masses distributing narrowly around $\sim2.6-2.7M_\odot$, while the BNS merger GW190425 detected via gravitational wave has a significantly larger mass ($\sim3.4M_\odot$). This difference is not well understood, yet. In this paper, we investigate the BNS spin evolution via an improved binary star evolution model and its effects on the BNS observability, with implementation of various relevant astrophysical processes. We find that the first-born neutron star component in low-mass BNSs can be spun up to millisecond pulsars by the accretion of Roche-lobe overflow from its companion and its radio lifetime can be comparable to the Hubble time. However, most high-mass BNSs have substantially shorter radio lifetime than the low-mass BNSs, and thus smaller probability being detected via radio emission. Adopting the star formation and metal enrichment history of the Milky Way given by observations, we obtain the survived Galactic BNSs with pulsar components from our population synthesis model and find that their distributions on the diagrams of spin period versus spin-period-time-derivative ($P-\dot{P}$) and orbital period versus eccentricity ($P_{\rm orb}-e$) can well match those of the observed Galactic BNSs. The total mass distribution of the observed Galactic BNSs can also be matched by the model. A significant fraction ($\sim19\%-22\%$) of merging BNSs at redshift $z\sim0$ have masses $\gtrsim3M_\odot$, which seems compatible with the GW observations. Future radio observations may detect many more Galactic BNSs, which will put strong constraint on the spin evolution of BNSs during their formation processes.
comment: 19 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal; reference added
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena 26
Fast Radio Bursts as cosmological proxies: estimating the Hubble constant
One of the most challenging problems in cosmology is the Hubble tension, a discrepancy in the predicted expansion rate of the Universe. We leverage the sensitivity of the Dispersion Measure (DM) from Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) with the Hubble factor to investigate the Hubble tension. We build a catalog of 98 localized FRBs and an independent mock catalog and employ 3 methods to calculate the best value of the $H_0$: i) the mean of $H_0$ values obtained through direct calculation, ii) the maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) and iii) the reconstruction of the cosmic expansion history $H(z)$ using two DM-$z$ relations. When the confirmed FRBs is employed, our predictions are compatible with reports from the Planck+2018, with $H_0=65.13\pm2.52\,\text{km/s/Mpc}$ and $57.67\pm11.99\,\text{km/s/Mpc}$ for MLE and the arithmetic mean, respectively. If we assume a linear and a power-law function for the DM-$z$ relation, our predictions for $H_0$ are $51.27^{+3.80}_{-3.31}\,\text{km/s/Mpc}$ and $77.09^{+8.89}_{-7.64}\,\text{km/s/Mpc}$, respectively. Using 100 mock catalogs of simulated FRBs, we obtain larger values for $H_0$ with all methods considered: $H_{0;\text{ Like}}=67.30\pm0.91\,\text{km/s/Mpc}$, $H_{0;\text{ Mean}}=66.21\pm3.46\,\text{km/s/Mpc}$, $H_{0;\text{ Median}}=66.10\pm1.89\,\text{km/s/Mpc}$, $H_{0;\text{Linear}}=54.34\pm1.57\,\text{km/s/Mpc}$ and $H_{0;\text{Power-law}}=91.84\pm1.82\,\text{km/s/Mpc}$ for the MLE, the arithmetic mean, and linear and power-law $\text{DM}-z$ relations, respectively. Our results for mock FRB catalogs increase the statistical precision, ranging from 1.4\% to 5.2\% for the MLE and arithmetic mean. Our result with the MLE applied to synthetic FRBs is at the same level of precision as reports from SH0ES. The increase in the number of confirmed FRBs will provide us, in combination with other observations, a robust prediction of the value of the Hubble constant.
comment: 9 pages, 4 figures
☆ On the potential cosmogenic origin of the ultra-high-energy event KM3-230213A
On the 13th February 2023 the KM3NeT/ARCA telescope observed a track-like event compatible with a ultra-high-energy muon with an estimated energy of 120 PeV, produced by a neutrino with an even higher energy, making it the most energetic neutrino event ever detected. A diffuse cosmogenic component is expected to originate from the interactions of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays with ambient photon and matter fields. The flux level required by the KM3NeT/ARCA event is however in tension with the standard cosmogenic neutrino predictions based on the observations collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory and Telescope Array over the last decade of the ultra-high-energy cosmic rays above the ankle (hence from the local Universe, $z\lesssim 1$). We show here that both observations can be reconciled by extending the integration of the equivalent cosmogenic neutrino flux up to a redshift of $z\simeq 6$ and assuming a subdominant fraction of protons in the ultra-high-energy cosmic-ray flux, thus placing constraints on known cosmic accelerators.
comment: 11 pages, 4 figures
☆ Characterising Candidate Blazar Counterparts of the Ultra-High-Energy Event KM3-230213A
The KM3NeT experiment reported the detection of an ultra-high-energy neutrino with an energy estimate of ~ 220 PeV, the most energetic yet observed. The neutrino arrival direction has a 99% confidence region of 3{\deg} radius centred at RA 94.3{\deg}, Dec -7.8{\deg} (J2000). High-energy astrophysical neutrinos are a crucial messenger for understanding hadronic acceleration processes in the Universe and for identifying the origin of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays. Among the most powerful cosmic accelerators, blazars are proposed as promising neutrino sources. A sample of seventeen candidate blazars located in this region is selected through their multiwavelength properties, and studied using archival data and dedicated observations. One of the candidate counterparts exhibits a radio flare coinciding with the neutrino arrival time, with a pre-trial chance probability of 0.26%. Another candidate counterpart exhibits a rising trend in the X-ray flux in a one-year window around the neutrino arrival time. A third candidate undergoes a gamma-ray flare during the same period. While none of these candidates can conclusively be linked to the neutrino, the implications of a possible blazar origin for the KM3NeT event are discussed.
comment: 43 pages, 24 figures
☆ On the Potential Galactic Origin of the Ultra-High-Energy Event KM3-230213A
The KM3NeT observatory detected the most energetic neutrino candidate ever observed, with an energy between 72 PeV and 2.6 EeV at the 90% confidence level. The observed neutrino is likely of cosmic origin. In this article, it is investigated if the neutrino could have been produced within the Milky Way. Considering the low fluxes of the Galactic diffuse emission at these energies, the lack of a nearby potential Galactic particle accelerator in the direction of the event and the difficulty to accelerate particles to such high energies in Galactic systems, we conclude that if the event is indeed cosmic, it is most likely of extragalactic origin.
☆ Exploring Unusual High-frequency Eclipses in MSP J1908+2105
This paper presents a comprehensive study of the eclipse properties of the spider millisecond pulsar (MSP) J1908$+$2105, using wide-band observations from the uGMRT and Parkes UWL. For the first time, we observed that this pulsar exhibits extended eclipses up to 4 GHz, the highest frequency band of the UWL, making it one of only three MSPs known to have such high-frequency eclipses. This study reveals synchrotron absorption as the primary eclipse mechanism for J1908$+$2105. We present modeling of synchrotron optical depth with various possible combinations of the parameters to explain the observed eclipsing in this as well as other spider MSPs. Observed eclipses at unusually high frequencies for J1908$+$2105 significantly aided in constraining the magnetic field and electron column density in the eclipse medium while modeling the synchrotron optical depth. Combining our findings with data from other MSPs in the literature, for the first time we note that a higher cutoff frequency of eclipsing, particularly above 1 GHz, is consistently associated with a higher electron column density ($>$ 10$^{17}$ cm$^{-2}$) in the eclipse medium. Additionally, we present the first evidence of lensing effects near eclipse boundaries in this MSP, leading to significant magnification of radio emissions. The orbital phase resolved polarization analysis presented in this paper further indicates variation in rotation measure and consequently stronger magnetic fields in the eclipse region.
comment: Submitted in ApJ
☆ Impact of accretor size on the morphology of supersonic Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton accretion flows
Fast-moving accretors are ubiquitous in astrophysics. Their interaction with surrounding gas leaves characteristic imprints, forming structures like bow shocks, Mach cones, and density trails. We study how various physical processes affect the flow structure around an accretor with a one-way surface, its accretion rate, and accretion anisotropy. These processes correspond to distinct length scales: the Bondi radius, the bow shock's stand-off distance, and the Hoyle-Lyttleton radius. We conducted adiabatic hydrodynamic simulations using a spherical coordinate grid centred on the accretor. By varying the accretor's (numerical) size across scales -- from much smaller than the stand-off distance to much larger than the Bondi radius -- we analyse how these spatial scales affect steady-state flow physics. All simulations reach a steady state. When the accretor is smaller than the stand-off distance, a bow shock forms ahead, and a nearly spherically symmetric atmosphere develops within. Accretors smaller than the Hoyle-Lyttleton radius produce a Mach cone, while larger ones exhibit a supersonic-to-subsonic flow transition on larger scales. Fully resolved simulations align with Hoyle-Lyttleton theory, showing slightly anisotropic accretion with enhanced inflow from behind. In contrast, larger accretors approach the geometrical limit, accreting mainly from the flow direction, with a low-density 'shadow' forming behind. The accretor's size strongly influences small- and large-scale morphologies. Resolving the Hoyle-Lyttleton radius is essential for capturing large-scale flow characteristics. Resolving the stand-off distance is needed only to study the bow shock: since it determines the shock's position, its non-resolution does not affect large-scale flow morphology.
☆ Disk reflection and energetics from the accreting millisecond pulsar SRGA J144459.2-604207
Accreting millisecond pulsars (AMSPs) are excellent laboratories to study reflection spectra and their features from an accretion disk truncated by a rapidly rotating magnetosphere near the neutron star surface. These systems also exhibit thermonuclear (type-I) bursts that can provide insights on the accretion physics and fuel composition. We explore spectral properties of the AMSP SRGA J144459.2-0604207 observed during the outburst that recently led to its discovery in February 2024. We aim to characterize the spectral shape of the persistent emission, both its continuum and discrete features, and to analyze type-I bursts properties. We employ XMM and NuSTAR overlapping observations taken during the most recent outburst from SRGA J1444. We perform spectral analysis of the persistent (i.e., non-bursting) emission employing a semi-phenomenological continuum model composed of a dominant thermal Comptonization plus two thermal contributions, and a physical reflection model. We also perform time-resolved spectral analysis of a type-I burst employing a blackbody model. We observe a broadened iron emission line, thus suggesting relativistic effects, supported by the physical model accounting for relativistically blurred reflection. The resulting accretion disk extends down to 6 gravitational radii, inclined at ~$53^{\circ}$, and only moderately ionized (log$\xi\simeq2.3$). We observe an absorption edge at ~9.7 keV that can be interpreted as an Fe XXVI edge blueshifted by an ultrafast ($\simeq0.04$c) outflow. Our broadband observations of type-I bursts do not find evidence of photospheric radius expansion. The burst recurrence time shows a dependence on the count rate with the steepest slope ever observed in these systems. We also observe a discrepancy of ~3 between the observed and expected burst recurrence time, which we discuss in the framework of fuel composition and high NS mass scenarios.
comment: 8 pages. Submitted to A&A
☆ The ultra-high-energy event KM3-230213A within the global neutrino landscape
On February 13th, 2023, the KM3NeT/ARCA telescope detected a neutrino candidate with an estimated energy in the hundreds of PeVs. In this article, the observation of this ultra-high-energy neutrino is discussed in light of null observations above tens of PeV from the IceCube and Pierre Auger observatories. Performing a joint fit of all experiments under the assumption of an isotropic $E^{-2}$ flux, the best-fit single-flavour flux normalisation is $E^2 \Phi^{\rm 1f}_{\nu + \bar \nu} = 7.5 \times 10^{-10}~{\rm GeV cm^{-2} s^{-1} sr^{-1}}$ in the 90% energy range of the KM3NeT event. Furthermore, the ultra-high-energy data are then fit together with the IceCube measurements at lower energies, either with a single power law or with a broken power law, allowing for the presence of a new component in the spectrum. The joint fit including non-observations by other experiments in the ultra-high-energy region shows a slight preference for a break in the PeV regime if the ``High-Energy Starting Events'' sample is included, and no such preference for the other two IceCube samples investigated. A stronger preference for a break appears if only the KM3NeT data is considered in the ultra-high-energy region, though the flux resulting from such a fit would be inconsistent with null observations from IceCube and Pierre Auger. In all cases, the observed tension between KM3NeT and other datasets is of the order of $2.5\sigma-3\sigma$, and increased statistics are required to resolve this apparent tension and better characterise the neutrino landscape at ultra-high energies.
comment: 11 pages, 4 figures
☆ Comparing observed properties of winds in low-luminosity active galactic nuclei with theoretical predictions
Theoretical and numerical simulations of black hole hot accretion flows have shown the ubiquitous existence of winds and predicted their properties such as velocity and mass flux. In this paper, we have summarized from literature the physical properties of winds launched from low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGN), which are believed to be powered by hot accretion flows, and compared them with theoretical predictions. We infer that for both ultra-fast outflows and hot winds, the observed wind velocity as a function of their launching radius and the ratio between wind mass flux and black hole accretion rate show good consistency with theoretical predictions. For the prototype LLAGN M81* with abundant observational data, we have examined various observed properties of wind in detail, including velocity, mass flux of the wind, the power-law index of the radial profile of inflow rate, and the jet-to-wind power ratio. Good agreements are found with theoretical predictions, providing strong support to the theory of wind launched from hot accretion flows.
comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, 1 table
☆ Modified Hadronic Interactions and the future of UHECR observations
Data from multiple experiments suggest that the current interaction models used in Monte Carlo simulations do not correctly reproduce the hadronic interactions in air showers produced by ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECR). We have created a large library of UHECR simulations where the interactions at the highest energies are slightly modified in various ways - but always within the constraints of the accelerator data, without any abrupt changes with energy and without assuming any specific mechanism or dramatically new physics at the ultra-high energies. Recent results of the Pierre Auger Observatory indicate a need for a change in the prediction of the models for both the muon content at ground and the depth of the maximum of longitudinal development of the shower. In our parameter space, we find combinations of modifications that are in agreement with this analysis, however a consistent description of UHECR showers remains elusive. Our library however provides a realistic representation of the freedom in the modeling of the hadronic interactions and offers an opportunity to quantify uncertainties of various predictions. This can be particularly valuable for the design of future observatories where hadronic models are often used as input for the prediction of the performance. We demonstrate this powerful capability on several selected examples.
comment: Submitted to proceedings of UHECR 2024
☆ Consequences of a Heavy-Metal Scenario of Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic Rays
We assume an extreme scenario, in which the arriving cosmic rays are composed of only iron nuclei at energies above $10^{19.6}\,\text{eV}\simeq40\,\text{EeV}$, while allowing a freedom in the scale of the depth of shower maximum ($X_{\rm{max}}$) and preserving the elongation rate and fluctuations of $X_{\rm{max}}$ predicted by models of hadronic interactions. We derive the shift of the $X_{\rm{max}}$ scale for QGSJet II-04 and Sibyll 2.3d models using the public data from the Pierre Auger Observatory. We then propose a new mass-composition model for the energy evolution of four primary species at the ultra-high energies by fitting the publicly-available $X_{\rm{max}}$ distributions. We discuss the consequences of this Heavy-metal scenario on the energy spectrum of individual primary species, hadronic interaction studies, and the effect of the Galactic magnetic field on the arrival directions.
comment: Proceedings of 7th International Symposium on Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR2024), 17-21 November 2024, Malarg\"ue, Argentina
☆ Causality constraints on radiative transfer
The standard formula, due to Spiegel, for the smoothing of temperature fluctuations by radiative transfer is unstable in relativity. This is due to the fact that Spiegel neglected the transit time of light, thereby allowing the transport coefficients to move outside the convex geometry compatible with causality (the "hydrohedron"). Here, we fix this pathology. First, we prove that the linearized radiative transfer equations are causal and covariantly stable by construction. Then, we repeat Spiegel's calculation accounting for the finite speed of photons. We find that the full transfer problem can be solved analytically. All the infinite (exact) transport coefficients arising from it fall inside the hydrohedron. Our analysis also accounts for isotropic scattering.
comment: 11 pages, 4 figure, comments welcome!
☆ The spectral shapes of Galactic gamma-ray source
Recent observations by ground-based gamma-ray telescopes have led to the publication of catalogs listing sources observed in the TeV and PeV energy ranges. Photons of such high energy are strongly absorbed during propagation over extragalactic distances, and the catalogs are dominated by Galactic sources. Of particular interest are the observations of the LHAASO telescope, which cover a very broad energy range (from 1 to 10$^3$ TeV) and show that the spectra of all Galactic gamma-ray sources are curved, with significantly different slopes below and above $E \sim 30$ TeV. The cumulative spectrum obtained by summing the contributions of Galactic individual sources has a spectral shape that gradually softens with energy, with a slope that increases from a value of order 2.2 at $E \simeq 1$ TeV, to 2.5 at 30 TeV, and $\simeq 3.4$ at 100 TeV. It is remarkable that the smooth variation in the shape of the cumulative spectrum is obtained from the sum of contributions that have a wide range of shapes. Understanding the origin of the spectral shapes of the Galactic gamma-ray sources is a crucial challenge for high energy astrophysics.
comment: 31 pages, 22 figures
☆ Black Hole Spin-down in Collapsars in 3D Neutrino Transport GRMHD Simulations
Collapsars -- massive stars whose cores promptly collapse into black holes (BHs) -- can power long-duration gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs) via relativistic, collimated, electromagnetically-driven outflows, or jets. Their power depends on the BH magnetic field strength and spin. To survive the infalling stellar material, jets need the central BH to attain dynamically important magnetic fields that can suppress the mass inflow and lead to a magnetically arrested disk (MAD). Previous work found that non-radiative MADs can spin down their BHs to an equilibrium spin, $a_{\rm eq}^\text{nr}=0.035-0.07$. Such low spins result in extremely low power jets that may struggle to escape out of the star. However, the dense and hot collapsar disks emit neutrinos that cool the disk, reduce its thickness, and increase the angular momentum supply to the BH. Using 3D two-moment neutrino-transport general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations, we show for the first time that successful collapsar jets powered by neutrino-cooled disks still rapidly spin down their BHs, although to a higher $a_{\rm eq}\approx 0.13$. This value is consistent with LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA inferred spins, is $2-4$x higher than for non-radiative MADs, and results in $4-16$x more powerful LGRB jets, which are more capable of drilling out of the progenitor star. This value of $a_{\rm eq}$ holds across a wide range of progenitor structures and mass accretion rates, $\dot{m} \sim(0.1-10)M_{\odot}/\rm{s}$. We find that for typical LGRB durations, $t\gtrsim30$~s, such BHs consume sufficient mass to reach $a_{\rm eq} \approx 0.13$ by LGRB's end. However, shorter or lower-$\dot{m}$ LGRBs can leave behind more rapidly spinning BHs.
comment: 15 pages, 6 figures (including 1 in the Appendix), 1 table
☆ The Bulk Motion of Gas in the Core of the Centaurus Galaxy Cluster
Galaxy clusters, the largest gravitationally bound structures in the Universe, contain vast amounts of dark matter, galaxies, and hot ionised gas known as the intracluster medium (ICM). In relaxed cluster cores, the ICM appears to cool radiatively faster than the age of the cluster, but the absence of line emission from the predicted cooling rate suggests heating mechanisms that offset the cooling, with feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) being the most likely source. Turbulence and bulk motions, such as the oscillating (``sloshing'') motion of the core gas in the cluster potential well, have also been proposed as mechanisms for the distribution of heat from the outside of the core. Here we present high-resolution X-ray spectroscopic observations of the core of the Centaurus galaxy cluster with the XRISM satellite. We find that the hot gas is streaming along the line of sight relative to the central galaxy (NGC 4696), with relative velocities varying from 130 km/s to 310 km/s within ~ 30 kpc of the centre, indicating a structured bulk flow ("wind") blowing in the core. This wind is consistent with the core gas sloshing. While the wind may prevent excessive accumulation of cooled gas at the centre of the cluster, it could also distribute the heat injected by the central AGN and/or bring in thermal energy from the surrounding ICM, thus contributing to the thermal balance at the cluster centre. The velocity dispersion (turbulent velocity) of the gas is found to be only ~< 120 km/s (corresponding to a Mach number M ~< 0.2) in the core, even within ~ 10 kpc of the AGN. This may indicate that the influence of the AGN on the motion of the surrounding ICM is limited in the Centaurus cluster.
comment: Original version submitted to Nature in September 2024; see final accepted version at DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08561-z
☆ Flip-flop QPO changes during state transitions: a case study of GX339-4 and theoretical discussion
We analyse the 2021 outburst from the black hole X-ray binary GX339-4 observed by NICER around the hard to soft transition, when the system exhibits flip-flops between two distinct luminosity states: a bright state with a 5-6 Hz quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) and a dim state showing only strong broadband noise. Despite the marked differences in variability patterns between these states, the spectral energy distributions remain strikingly similar, with only minor changes in the black body component in the soft X-ray range. We find that the QPO frequency correlates with the X-ray count rates and hardness, suggesting a tight coupling between the QPO mechanism and the accretion disc's spectral properties. Additionally, we demonstrate that flip-flops can occur on very short timescales, with almost 50 state changes within ~1200 s, while both states can also remain stable over longer periods (at least 1000 s). We explore various QPO models to explain these observations, including the possibility that the corona's accretion speed is near the sound speed, affecting the presence of QPOs. However, the exact mechanism driving the flip-flops and the QPOs remains unclear. Our findings emphasize the complexity of these phenomena and the necessity for further theoretical and observational studies to unravel the intricacies of QPO and flip-flop behaviours in X-ray binaries.
comment: 12 pages, 9 figures, plus appendices
☆ Multimessenger Astronomy Beyond the Standard Model: New Window from Quantum Sensors
Ultralight bosonic (ULB) fields with mass $m_{\phi} \ll 1$ eV often arise in theories beyond the Standard Model (SM). If such fields exist, violent astrophysical events that result in emission of gravitational wave, photon, or neutrino signals could also produce bursts of high-density relativistic ULB fields. Detection of such ULB fields in terrestrial or space-based laboratories correlated with other signals from transient astrophysical events opens a novel avenue for multimessenger astronomy. We show that quantum sensors are particularly well-suited to observe emitted scalar and pseudoscalar axion-like ULB fields coupled to SM. We demonstrate that multimessenger astronomy with ULB fields is possible even when accounting for matter screening effects.
comment: Main text: 20 pages, 10 figures, 1 table. Including appendix: 40 pages, 28 figures, 1 table
☆ Rotating and swirling binary black hole system balanced by its gravitational spin-spin interaction
The first exact and analytical solution representing an equilibrium configuration of two stationary black holes, in general relativity, is presented. The metric models two collinear extremal Kerr black holes immersed into an external and back-reacting rotating tidal drag. The gravitational attraction is balanced by the repulsive gravitational spin-spin interaction generated by the interplay between black holes angular momenta with the rotational background. The new solution is built by embedding the double Kerr metric into a swirling universe by means of the Ehlers transformation. The geometry is completely regular outside the event horizons. Thermodynamic properties of the binary black hole system are studied, the Smarr law, the first law and the Christodoulou-Ruffini formulas are verified. Microscopic degrees of freedom of the entropy are computed from the dual CFT living on the boundary of the near horizon geometries.
comment: 22 pages, 6 figures
♻ ☆ Combined Fit of Spectrum and Composition for FR0 Radio-galaxy-emitted Ultra-high-energy Cosmic Rays with Resulting Secondary Photons and Neutrinos
This study comprehensively investigates the gamma-ray dim population of Fanaroff-Riley Type 0 (FR0) radio galaxies as potentially significant sources of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs, E $>$ 10$^{18}$ eV) detected on Earth. While individual FR0 luminosities are relatively low compared to the more powerful Fanaroff-Riley Type 1 and Type 2 galaxies, FR0s are substantially more prevalent in the local universe, outnumbering the more energetic galaxies by a factor of $\sim$5 within a redshift of z $\leq$ 0.05. Employing CRPropa3 simulations, we estimate the mass composition and energy spectra of UHECRs originating from FR0 galaxies for energies above 10$^{18.6}$ eV. This estimation fits data from the Pierre Auger Observatory (Auger) using three extensive air shower models; both constant and energy-dependent observed elemental fractions are considered. The simulation integrates an approximately isotropic distribution of FR0 galaxies, extrapolated from observed characteristics, with UHECR propagation in the intergalactic medium, incorporating various plausible configurations of extragalactic magnetic fields, both random and structured. We then compare the resulting emission spectral indices, rigidity cutoffs, and elemental fractions with recent Auger results. In total, 25 combined energy spectrum and mass composition fits are considered. Beyond the cosmic ray fluxes emitted by FR0 galaxies, this study predicts the secondary photon and neutrino fluxes from UHECR interactions with intergalactic cosmic photon backgrounds. The multi-messenger approach, encompassing observational data and theoretical models, helps elucidate the contribution of low luminosity FR0 radio galaxies to the total cosmic ray energy density.
comment: Published in The Astrophysical Journal (Jon Paul Lundquist et al 2025 ApJ 978 20). 22 pages, 16 figures, 6 tables
♻ ☆ Mapping the Cosmic Gamma-ray Horizon: The 1CGH Catalogue of Fermi-LAT detections above 10 GeV
We present the First Cosmic Gamma-ray Horizon (1CGH) catalogue, featuring $\gamma$-ray detections above 10 GeV based on 16 years of observations with the Fermi-LAT satellite. After carefully selecting a sample of blazars and blazar candidates from catalogues in the literature, we performed a binned likelihood analysis and identified 2791 $\gamma$-ray emitters above 10 GeV, at >3$\sigma$ level, including 62 that are new $\gamma$-ray detections. For each source, we estimated the mean energy of the highest-energy bin and analysed them in the context of the cosmic gamma-ray horizon. By adopting a reference model for the Extragalactic Background Light (EBL), we identified a subsample of 525 sources where moderate to severe $\gamma$-ray absorption could be detected across the redshift range of 0 to 3. This work provides the most up-to-date compilation of detections above 10 GeV, along with their redshift information. We condense extensive results from the literature, including reports on observational campaigns dedicated to blazars and $\gamma$-ray sources, thereby delivering an unprecedented review of the redshift information for sources detected above 10 GeV. Additionally, we highlight key 1CGH sources where redshift information remains incomplete, offering guidance for future optical observation campaigns. The 1CGH catalogue aims to track the most significant sources to study the $\gamma$-ray transparency of the universe. Furthermore, it provides a targeted subsample where the EBL optical depth, $\tau_{(E,z)}$, can be robustly measured using Fermi-LAT data.
comment: 13 pages, 4 figures
♻ ☆ Gaia 19cwm - an eclipsing dwarf nova of WZ Sge type with a magnetic white dwarf
The spectral and photometric studies of the cataclysmic variable Gaia 19cwm (or ZTF19aamkwxk) have been performed. Based on the analysis of long-term variability, it is concluded that the object belongs to WZ Sge type stars. The light curves show eclipses recurring with an orbital period of $86.32048 \pm 0.00005$ min, as well as an out-of-eclipse variability with a period of $\approx 6.45$ min. The latter period is stable for $\sim 4$ years and appears to correspond to the rotation of a magnetic white dwarf, i.e., Gaia 19cwm is an intermediate polar. The Gaia 19cwm spectra show photospheric lines of the white dwarf, and Doppler tomograms demonstrate the presence of an accretion disk and a hot spot. Analysis of the eclipse light curve gives an estimates of the white dwarf mass $M_1 = 0.66\pm0.06$ M$_{\odot}$, the donor mass $M_2 = 0.073 \pm 0.015$ M$_{\odot}$, and the orbital inclination $i=83.8 \pm 1.1^{\circ}$. Modeling of the spectral energy distribution gives the white dwarf temperature of $T_{eff}\approx 13000 $ K. The X-ray luminosity $L_X = (1.6 \pm 0.3) \times 10^{31}$ erg/s allows to assign Gaia 19cwm to a small group of low-luminosity intermediate polars.
♻ ☆ flashcurve: A machine-learning approach for the simple and fast generation of adaptive-binning light curves with Fermi-LAT data
Gamma rays measured by the Fermi-LAT satellite tell us a lot about the processes taking place in high-energetic astrophysical objects. The fluxes coming from these objects are, however, extremely variable. Hence, gamma-ray light curves optimally use adaptive bin sizes in order to retrieve most information about the source dynamics and to combine gamma-ray observations in a multi-messenger perspective. However, standard adaptive binning approaches are slow, expensive and inaccurate in highly populated regions. Here, we present a novel, powerful, deep-learning-based approach to estimate the necessary time windows for adaptive binning light curves in Fermi-LAT data using raw photon data. The approach is shown to be fast and accurate. It can also be seen as a prototype to train machine-learning models for adaptive binning light curves for other astrophysical messengers.
comment: Submitted to Astronomy & Computing
♻ ☆ GECAM Observations of the Galactic Magnetar SGR J1935+2154 during the 2021 and 2022 Burst Active Episodes. I. Burst Catalog
Magnetar is a neutron star with an ultrahigh magnetic field ($\sim 10^{14}-10^{15}$ G). The magnetar SGR J1935+2154 is not only one of the most active magnetars detected so far, but also the unique confirmed source of fast radio bursts (FRBs). Gravitational wave high-energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All-sky Monitor (GECAM) is dedicated to monitor gamma-ray transients all over the sky, including magnetar short bursts. Here we report the GECAM observations of the burst activity of SGR J1935+2154 from January 2021 to December 2022, which results in a unique and valuable data set for this important magnetar. With a targeted search of GECAM data, 159 bursts from SGR J1935+2154 are detected by GECAM-B while 97 bursts by GECAM-C, including the X-ray burst associated with a bright radio burst. We find that both the burst duration and the waiting time between two successive bursts follow lognormal distributions. The period of burst activity is $134\pm20$ days, thus the burst activity could be generally divided into four active episodes over these two years. Interestingly, the hardness ratio of X-ray bursts tends to be softer during these two years, especially during the active episode with radio bursts detected.
♻ ☆ Enabling high mass accretion rates onto massive main sequence stars by outer envelope mass removal
Using the one-dimensional numerical code MESA, we simulate mass accretion at very high rates onto massive main sequence stars, M=30, 60, 80 Mo, and find that these stars can accrete up to 10% of their mass without expanding much if we consider a simultaneous mass removal by jets. In this jetted-mass-removal accretion scenario, the accretion is through an accretion disk that launches jets. When the star expands due to rapid mass accretion, it engulfs the inner zones of the accretion disk and the jets it launches. We assume that these jets remove the outer layers of the envelope. We mimic this in the one-dimensional numerical code by alternating mass addition and mass removal parts. We add mass and energy, the accretion energy, to the outer layers of the envelope, leading to rapid stellar expansion. When the star expands by a few tens of percent, we stop mass addition and start mass removal until the star returns to its initial radius. We also show that the density of the accretion disk is larger than the density of the outer layers of the inflated envelope, allowing the disk to launch jets inside the outer inflated envelope layers. Our results show that main sequence stars can accrete mass at high rates while maintaining the deep potential well, as some models of eruptive systems require, e.g., some luminous red novae, the grazing envelope evolution, and the 1837-1856 Great Eruption of Eta Carinae.
comment: Accepted for publication in Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
♻ ☆ Spectroscopic Detection of a 2.9-hour Orbit in a Long Period Radio Transient
Long Period radio Transients (LPTs) are a mysterious new class of radio transients pulsating on periods of minutes to hours. So far, eight LPTs have been discovered predominantly at low Galactic latitudes, yet their nature remains unknown. Here, I present the first phase-resolved optical spectroscopy of the 2.9-h LPT GLEAM-X J0704-37, acquired with the 10-m Keck I telescope. Radial velocity (RV) shifts of $189\pm 3 \textrm{km s}^{-1}$ of an M5-type star in a binary system are detected on a period nearly equal to the radio period. Weak H$\alpha$ emission is also present, with some of it possibly originating from outside of the M dwarf. Based on the RV amplitude, and assuming a typical M dwarf mass, the companion mass must be $M \geq 0.22 M_\odot$. Calibrating the spectra with space-based \textit{Gaia} photometry reveals that the system is nearly four times closer than previously reported, at $d \approx 400$ pc, suggesting that more systems could be nearby and amenable to optical characterization. The optical spectrum between 3500-10,000 Angstrom is well modeled by a binary comprised of a massive white dwarf (WD; $T_\textrm{eff}\approx$7,300 K, $M\approx0.8-1.0M_\odot$) and M dwarf ($T_\textrm{eff}\approx$3,000 K, $M\approx0.14M_\odot$). Radio pulses arrive when the WD is at nearly maximum blueshift and the M dwarf at nearly maximum redshift, in contrast to what has been reported in a similar LPT, ILT J1101+5521. GLEAM-X J0704-37 is now the second LPT with an orbital period nearly equal to the radio period, hinting at two classes of LPTs: ``long LPTs'' ($P\gtrsim$78 min) associated with WD + M dwarf binary orbits, and ``short LPTs'' ($P\lesssim$78 min) related to WD or neutron star spins. This work demonstrates that precise localization of LPTs, which enables optical follow-up, will be key in uncovering the mechanism(s) that power this new class of phenomenon.
comment: Accepted to A&A Letters
♻ ☆ Emergence of a neutrino flux above 5 PeV and implications for ultrahigh energy cosmic rays
The rare detections of astrophysical neutrinos with energies above 5~PeV by two neutrino telescopes underscore the existence of a flux at these energies. In addition to over a decade of data taken by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, the KM3NeT neutrino telescope has recently highlighted their discovery of a possible $\mathcal{O}(100~PeV)$ neutrino candidate. A connection between the highest-energy astrophysical neutrinos and the highest-energy cosmic rays is expected, and well-established theoretically. Here, for the first time, we simultaneously fit the neutrino data from IceCube and KM3NeT, as well as the ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray spectrum and composition data from the Pierre Auger Observatory (Auger), to test a common-origin hypothesis. We show that a phenomenological model is able to describe the combined data across these three observatories, and, depending on the true energy of the event detected by KM3NeT, suggests an additional cosmic ray source population not yet robustly detected by Auger. Although a measurement of the neutrino flux in this energy regime is at the sensitivity limit of cubic-kilometer-scale neutrino telescopes, next-generation observatories, such IceCube-Gen2, will have the sensitivity to make a significant detection of this flux.
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics 13
☆ Recovering the structure of debris disks non-parametrically from images
Debris disks common around Sun-like stars carry dynamical imprints in their structure that are key to understanding the formation and evolution history of planetary systems. In this paper, we extend an algorithm (rave) originally developed to model edge-on disks to be applicable to disks at all inclinations. The updated algorithm allows for non-parametric recovery of the underlying (i.e., deconvolved) radial profile and vertical height of optically thin, axisymmetric disks imaged in either thermal emission or scattered light. Application to simulated images demonstrates that the de-projection and deconvolution performance allows for accurate recovery of features comparable to or larger than the beam or PSF size, with realistic uncertainties that are independent of model assumptions. We apply our method to recover the radial profile and vertical height of a sample of 18 inclined debris disks observed with ALMA. Our recovered structures largely agree with those fitted with an alternative visibility-space de-projection and deconvolution method (frank). We find that for disks in the sample with a well-defined main belt, the belt radius, fractional width and fractional outer edge width all tend to increase with age, but do not correlate in a clear or monotonic way with dust mass or stellar temperature. In contrast, the scale height aspect ratio does not strongly correlate with age, but broadly increases with stellar temperature. These trends could reflect a combination of intrinsic collisional evolution in the disk and the interaction of perturbing planets with the disk's own gravity.
comment: 23 pages, 17 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ A Machine Learning-Ready Data Processing Tool for Near Real-Time Forecasting
Space weather forecasting is critical for mitigating radiation risks in space exploration and protecting Earth-based technologies from geomagnetic disturbances. This paper presents the development of a Machine Learning (ML)- ready data processing tool for Near Real-Time (NRT) space weather forecasting. By merging data from diverse NRT sources such as solar imagery, magnetic field measurements, and energetic particle fluxes, the tool addresses key gaps in current space weather prediction capabilities. The tool processes and structures the data for machine learning models, focusing on time-series forecasting and event detection for extreme solar events. It provides users with a framework to download, process, and label data for ML applications, streamlining the workflow for improved NRT space weather forecasting and scientific research.
☆ Discovering Numerous Interstellar Objects with A Dedicated Space Telescope
I show that a dedicated space telescope with a meter-size aperture can detect numerous interstellar objects, 10-m in diameter, that pass within ~20 degrees from the Sun. Separating the emitted thermal radiation from the reflection of sunlight would allow to measure the surface temperature, area and albedo of these objects. Spectroscopic observations of any evaporated material at the expected temperature of ~600K would provide important clues about the nature and birth sites of interstellar objects.
comment: 5 pages, submitted for publication in ApJL
☆ Exo-MerCat v2.0.0: updates and open-source release of the Exoplanet Merged Catalog software
Exoplanet research is at the forefront of contemporary astronomy recommendations. As more and more exoplanets are discovered and vetted, databases and catalogs are built to collect information. Various resources are available to scientists for this purpose, though every one of them has different scopes and notations. In Alei et al. (2020) we described Exo-MerCat, a script that collects information from multiple sources and creates a homogenized table. In this manuscript, we announce the release of the Exo-MerCat v2.0.0 script as an upgraded, tested, documented and open-source software to produce catalogs. The main upgrades on the script concern: 1) the addition of the TESS Input Catalog and the K2 Input Catalog as input sources; 2) the optimization of the main identifier queries; 3) a more complex merging of the entries from the input sources into the final catalog; 4) some quality-of-life improvements such as informative flags, more user-friendly column headers, and log files; 5) the refactoring of the code in modules. We compare the performance of Exo-MerCat v2.0.0 with the previous version and notice a substantial improvement in the completeness of the sample, thanks to the addition of new input sources, and its accuracy, because of the optimization of the script.
comment: 18 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication on Astronomy and Computing. Previous publication: arXiv:2002.01834
☆ TuMag: the tunable magnetograph for the Sunrise III mission
One of the instruments aboard the Sunrise III mission, the Tunable Magnetograph (TuMag), is a tunable imaging spectropolarimeter in visible wavelengths. It is designed to probe the vector magnetic field and the line-of-sight velocity of the photosphere and the lower chromosphere. The quasi-simultaneous observation of two spectral lines provides excellent diagnostic measurements of the magnetic and dynamic coupling in these layers. The key technologies employed for TuMag are an LCVR-based polarimeter and a solid, LiNbO3 Fabry-P\'erot etalon as a spectrometer. However, it also incorporates several innovative features, such as home-made high-sensitivity scientific cameras and a double filter wheel. TuMag can sequentially observe any two out of the three spectral lines of Fe I at 525.02 and 525.06 nm and of Mg I at 517.3 nm. Laboratory measurements have demonstrated outstanding performance, including a wavefront root-mean-square error better than {\lambda}/13 for image quality, a full-width-at-half-maximum of 8.7 pm for the filtergraph transmission profile, and polarimetric efficiencies > 0.54. Here we report on the concept, design, calibration, and integration phases of the instrument, as well as on the data reduction pipeline.
comment: Contains 58 pages and 25 figures; to be published in Solar Physics Topical Collection "The Sunrise III Solar Observatory" (https://link.springer.com/collections/jegdciedig)
☆ How to set up your first machine learning project in astronomy
Large, freely available, well-maintained data sets have made astronomy a popular playground for machine learning projects. Nevertheless, robust insights gained to both machine learning and physics could be improved by clarity in problem definition and establishing workflows that critically verify, characterize and calibrate machine learning models. We provide a collection of guidelines to setting up machine learning projects to make them likely useful for science, less frustrating and time-intensive for the scientist and their computers, and more likely to lead to robust insights. We draw examples and experience from astronomy, but the advice is potentially applicable to other areas in science.
comment: Full-text access of the published version: https://rdcu.be/dQl5O
☆ Likelihood-free Model Selection in Cosmic Reionization with Three-dimensional Tomographic 21 cm Lightcone Images
We explore likelihood-free (aka simulation-based) Bayesian model selection to quantify model comparison analyses of reionisation scenarios. We iteratively train the 3D Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) on four toy EoR models based on 21cmFAST simulations with contrasting morphology to obtain summaries of the 21 cm lightcone. Within the pyDelfi framework, we replaced the Emcee sampler with MultiNest to integrate learnt posteriors and produce the Bayesian Evidence. We comfortably distinguish the model used to produce the mock data set in all cases. However, we struggle to produce accurate posterior distributions for outside-in reionisation models. After a variety of cross-checks and alternate analyses we discuss the flexibility of summarising models that differ from precisely the intended network training conditions as this should be more widely scrutinised before CNN can reliably analyse observed data.
☆ Soft X-ray Imager of the Xtend system onboard XRISM
The Soft X-ray Imager (SXI) is the X-ray charge-coupled device (CCD) camera for the soft X-ray imaging telescope Xtend installed on the X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM), which was adopted as a recovery mission for the Hitomi X-ray satellite and was successfully launched on 2023 September 7 (JST). In order to maximize the science output of XRISM, we set the requirements for Xtend and find that the CCD set employed in the Hitomi/SXI or similar, i.e., a $2 \times 2$ array of back-illuminated CCDs with a $200~\mu$m-thick depletion layer, would be practically best among available choices, when used in combination with the X-ray mirror assembly. We design the XRISM/SXI, based on the Hitomi/SXI, to have a wide field of view of $38' \times 38'$ in the $0.4-13$ keV energy range. We incorporated several significant improvements from the Hitomi/SXI into the CCD chip design to enhance the optical-light blocking capability and to increase the cosmic-ray tolerance, reducing the degradation of charge-transfer efficiency in orbit. By the time of the launch of XRISM, the imaging and spectroscopic capabilities of the SXI has been extensively studied in on-ground experiments with the full flight-model configuration or equivalent setups and confirmed to meet the requirements. The optical blocking capability, the cooling and temperature control performance, and the transmissivity and quantum efficiency to incident X-rays of the CCDs are also all confirmed to meet the requirements. Thus, we successfully complete the pre-flight development of the SXI for XRISM.
comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, 3 tables, Accepted for publication in PASJ XRISM special issue
☆ A unified model of feed rotation in radio telescopes and GNSS antennas
We describe a model that accounts for the phase rotation that occurs when a receiver or transmitter changes orientation while observing or emitting circularly polarized electromagnetic waves. This model extends work detailing Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) carrier phase wind-up to allow us to describe the interaction of changing satellite orientation with phase rotation in observing radio telescopes. This development is motivated by, and a critical requirement of, unifying GNSS and Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) measurements at the observation level. The model can be used for either stationary choke ring antennas or steerable radio telescopes observing either natural radio sources or satellites. Simulations and experimental data are used to validate the model and to illustrate its importance. In addition, we rigorously lay out the feed rotation correction for radio telescopes with beam waveguide and full Nasmyth focuses and validate the correction by observing the effect with dual polarization observations. Using this feed rotation model for beam waveguide telescopes, we produce the first phase delay solution for the VLBI baseline WARK30M-WARK12M. We provide a practical guide to using the feed rotation model in Appendix D.
comment: Submitted to the Journal of Geodesy. 46 pages, 21 figures
☆ The EXO-UV program: lastest advances of experimental studies to investigate the biological impact of UV radiation on exoplanets
The EXO-UV program is an international, interdisciplinary collaboration between astrophysicists and biologists aimed at expanding the characterization of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) environments on exoplanets. This approach combines astrophysical studies with biological experiments to better understand the potential impacts of UVR on exoplanetary surfaces. UVR is particularly relevant because it reaches the surface of planets and can influence their habitability. The specific wavelengths within the UVR spectrum depend on the planet's atmospheric composition and the spectral energy distribution of its host star. Additionally, high UVR fluxes emitted during flares and superflares are of particular interest due to the limited information available regarding their biological impact. The EXO-UV program has successfully led to the first experimental study examining the biological effects of high UVR fluences, such as those produced by flares and superflares. Future experimental studies aim to investigate the biological effects of repetitive flares. In this paper, we review the latest results from our EXO-UV program.
comment: To be published in "Solar System Research"
♻ ☆ flashcurve: A machine-learning approach for the simple and fast generation of adaptive-binning light curves with Fermi-LAT data
Gamma rays measured by the Fermi-LAT satellite tell us a lot about the processes taking place in high-energetic astrophysical objects. The fluxes coming from these objects are, however, extremely variable. Hence, gamma-ray light curves optimally use adaptive bin sizes in order to retrieve most information about the source dynamics and to combine gamma-ray observations in a multi-messenger perspective. However, standard adaptive binning approaches are slow, expensive and inaccurate in highly populated regions. Here, we present a novel, powerful, deep-learning-based approach to estimate the necessary time windows for adaptive binning light curves in Fermi-LAT data using raw photon data. The approach is shown to be fast and accurate. It can also be seen as a prototype to train machine-learning models for adaptive binning light curves for other astrophysical messengers.
comment: Submitted to Astronomy & Computing
♻ ☆ Characterizing hole trap production due to proton irradiation in germanium cross-strip detectors
We present an investigation into the effects of high-energy proton damage on charge trapping in germanium cross-strip detectors, with the goal of accomplishing three important measurements. First, we calibrated and characterized the spectral resolution of a spare COSI-balloon detector in order to determine the effects of intrinsic trapping, finding that electron trapping due to impurities dominates over hole trapping in the undamaged detector. Second, we performed two rounds of proton irradiation of the detector in order to quantify, for the first time, the rate at which charge traps are produced by proton irradiation. We find that the product of the hole trap density and cross-sectional area, $[n\sigma]_\mathrm{h}$ follows a linear relationship with the proton fluence, $F_\mathrm{p}$, with a slope of $(5.4\pm0.4)\times10^{-11}\,\mathrm{cm/p^{+}}$. Third, by utilizing our measurements of physical trapping parameters, we performed calibrations which corrected for the effects of trapping and mitigated degradation to the spectral resolution of the detector.
comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables; published in Experimental Astronomy
♻ ☆ The Blending ToolKit: A simulation framework for evaluation of galaxy detection and deblending
We present an open source Python library for simulating overlapping (i.e., blended) images of galaxies and performing self-consistent comparisons of detection and deblending algorithms based on a suite of metrics. The package, named Blending Toolkit (BTK), serves as a modular, flexible, easy-to-install, and simple-to-use interface for exploring and analyzing systematic effects related to blended galaxies in cosmological surveys such as the Vera Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). BTK has three main components: (1) a set of modules that perform fast image simulations of blended galaxies, using the open source image simulation package GalSim; (2) a module that standardizes the inputs and outputs of existing deblending algorithms; (3) a library of deblending metrics commonly defined in the galaxy deblending literature. In combination, these modules allow researchers to explore the impacts of galaxy blending in cosmological surveys. Additionally, BTK provides researchers who are developing a new deblending algorithm a framework to evaluate algorithm performance and make principled comparisons with existing deblenders. BTK includes a suite of tutorials and comprehensive documentation. The source code is publicly available on GitHub at https://github.com/LSSTDESC/BlendingToolKit.
comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables, accepted to The Open Journal of Astrophysics
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 40
☆ Testing the growth of cosmic structures during the Dark Ages
Hydrogen 21-cm Line Intensity Mapping offers the unique opportunity to access the Dark Ages and trace the formation and evolution of the large scale structure of the Universe prior to star and galaxy formation. In this work we investigate the potential of future Earth- and Moon-based 21-cm surveys to constrain the growth of structures during the currently unexplored redshift range $30 < z < 200$. On the one hand we show how foregrounds limit the capabilities of Earth-based instruments in achieving precision below $10\%$ level. On the other hand, observations from the far side of the Moon, not affected by foregrounds generated by Earth's atmosphere, will reach percent or even sub-percent precision in terms of reconstructing the growth of cosmic structures. Such remarkable precision will improve by orders of magnitude parameter constraints on models that induce deviations from $\Lambda$CDM, not only during the Dark Ages, but also during recombination or that manifests mostly in the low-redshift Universe, like Early Dark Energy and nDGP models. Thus, because of their insensitivity to non-linearities or astrophysical processes, line intensity mapping surveys will provide a formidable consistency check to potential claims of discoveries of new physics that affect the growth of structures.
comment: 24 pages, 5 figures
Fast Radio Bursts as cosmological proxies: estimating the Hubble constant
One of the most challenging problems in cosmology is the Hubble tension, a discrepancy in the predicted expansion rate of the Universe. We leverage the sensitivity of the Dispersion Measure (DM) from Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) with the Hubble factor to investigate the Hubble tension. We build a catalog of 98 localized FRBs and an independent mock catalog and employ 3 methods to calculate the best value of the $H_0$: i) the mean of $H_0$ values obtained through direct calculation, ii) the maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) and iii) the reconstruction of the cosmic expansion history $H(z)$ using two DM-$z$ relations. When the confirmed FRBs is employed, our predictions are compatible with reports from the Planck+2018, with $H_0=65.13\pm2.52\,\text{km/s/Mpc}$ and $57.67\pm11.99\,\text{km/s/Mpc}$ for MLE and the arithmetic mean, respectively. If we assume a linear and a power-law function for the DM-$z$ relation, our predictions for $H_0$ are $51.27^{+3.80}_{-3.31}\,\text{km/s/Mpc}$ and $77.09^{+8.89}_{-7.64}\,\text{km/s/Mpc}$, respectively. Using 100 mock catalogs of simulated FRBs, we obtain larger values for $H_0$ with all methods considered: $H_{0;\text{ Like}}=67.30\pm0.91\,\text{km/s/Mpc}$, $H_{0;\text{ Mean}}=66.21\pm3.46\,\text{km/s/Mpc}$, $H_{0;\text{ Median}}=66.10\pm1.89\,\text{km/s/Mpc}$, $H_{0;\text{Linear}}=54.34\pm1.57\,\text{km/s/Mpc}$ and $H_{0;\text{Power-law}}=91.84\pm1.82\,\text{km/s/Mpc}$ for the MLE, the arithmetic mean, and linear and power-law $\text{DM}-z$ relations, respectively. Our results for mock FRB catalogs increase the statistical precision, ranging from 1.4\% to 5.2\% for the MLE and arithmetic mean. Our result with the MLE applied to synthetic FRBs is at the same level of precision as reports from SH0ES. The increase in the number of confirmed FRBs will provide us, in combination with other observations, a robust prediction of the value of the Hubble constant.
comment: 9 pages, 4 figures
☆ Analysis of the weak lensing mass-richness relation of redMaPPer clusters in the LSST DESC DC2 simulations
Cluster scaling relations are key ingredients in cluster abundance-based cosmological studies. In optical cluster cosmology, weak gravitational lensing has proven to be a powerful tool to constrain the cluster mass-richness relation. This work is conducted as part of the Dark Energy Science Collaboration (DESC), which aims to analyze the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) of Vera C. Rubin Observatory, starting in 2026. Weak lensing-inferred cluster properties, such as mass, suffer from several sources of bias. In this paper, we aim to test the impact of modeling choices and observational systematics in cluster lensing on the inference of the mass-richness relation. We constrain the mass-richness relation of 3,600 clusters detected by the redMaPPer algorithm in the cosmoDC2 extra-galactic mock catalog (covering $440$ deg$^2$) of the LSST DESC DC2 simulation, using number count measurements and stacked weak lensing profiles in several intervals of richness ($20 \leq \lambda \leq 200$) and redshift ($0.2 \leq z \leq 1$). By modeling the mean of the scaling relation as $\langle \ln \lambda|M_{\rm 200c}, z\rangle = \ln\lambda_0 + \mu_z\log[(1+z)/(1+0.5)] + \mu_m[\log_{10}(M_{\rm 200c}) - 14.3]$, our baseline constraints are $\ln\lambda_0 = 3.37\pm 0.03$, $\mu_z = 0.08\pm 0.07$ and $\mu_m = 2.18 \pm 0.07$. We have found that, for a LSST-like source galaxy density, our constraints are robust to a change in concentration-mass relation and dark matter density profile modeling choices, when source redshifts and shapes are perfectly known. We have found that photometric redshift uncertainties can introduce bias at the $1\sigma$ level, which can be mitigated by an overall correcting factor, fitted jointly with scaling parameters. We find that including positive shear-richness covariance in the fit shifts the results by up to 0.5$\sigma$.
comment: 26 pages, 15 figures, 3 tables, submitted to A&A (abstract shortened for arXiv)
☆ Testing the consistency of new Amati-correlated gamma-ray burst dataset cosmological constraints with those from better-established cosmological data
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are promising cosmological probes for exploring the Universe at intermediate redshifts ($z$). We analyze 151 Fermi-observed long GRBs (datasets A123 and A28) to simultaneously constrain the Amati correlation and cosmological parameters within six spatially flat and nonflat dark energy models. We find that these datasets are standardizable via a single Amati correlation, suggesting their potential for cosmological analyses. However, constraints on the current value of the nonrelativistic matter density parameter from A123 and the combined A123 + A28 data exhibit $>2\sigma$ tension with those derived from a joint analysis of better-established Hubble parameter [$H(z)$] and baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) data for most considered cosmological models. This tension indicates that these GRB data are unsuitable for jointly constraining cosmological parameters with better-established $H(z)$ + BAO and similar data. Although the A28 data constraints are consistent with the $H(z)$ + BAO data constraints, its limited sample size (28 GRBs) and high intrinsic scatter ($\sim0.7$) diminishes its statistical power compared to existing datasets.
comment: 12 pages, 2 figures
☆ Field-level inference of $H_0$ from simulated type Ia supernovae in a local Universe analogue
Two particular challenges face type Ia supernovae (SNeIa) as probes of the expansion rate of the Universe. One is that they may not be fair tracers of the matter velocity field, and the second is that their peculiar velocities distort the Hubble expansion. Although the latter has been estimated at $\lesssim1.5\%$ for $z>0.023$, this is based either on constrained linear or unconstrained non-linear velocity modelling. In this paper, we address both challenges by incorporating a physical model for the locations of supernovae, and develop a Bayesian Hierarchical Model that accounts for non-linear peculiar velocities in our local Universe, inferred from a Bayesian analysis of the 2M++ spectroscopic galaxy catalogue. With simulated data, the model recovers the ground truth value of the Hubble constant $H_0$ in the presence of peculiar velocities including their correlated uncertainties arising from the Bayesian inference, opening up the potential of including lower redshift SNeIa to measure $H_0$. Ignoring peculiar velocities, the inferred $H_0$ increases minimally by $\sim 0.4 \pm 0.5$ km s$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$ in the range $0.023
comment: 9 pages, 5 figures
Measuring the redshift-space distortions by cross-correlating the density fields before and after reconstruction
In this work, we develop a theoretical model for the cross-power spectrum of the galaxy density field before and after standard baryonic acoustic oscillation (BAO) reconstruction. Using this model, we extract the redshift-space distortion (RSD) parameter from the cross-power spectrum. The model is validated against a suite of high-resolution $N$-body simulations, demonstrating its accuracy and robustness for cosmological analyses.
comment: 14+6 pages, 6+1 figures
☆ Likelihood-free Model Selection in Cosmic Reionization with Three-dimensional Tomographic 21 cm Lightcone Images
We explore likelihood-free (aka simulation-based) Bayesian model selection to quantify model comparison analyses of reionisation scenarios. We iteratively train the 3D Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) on four toy EoR models based on 21cmFAST simulations with contrasting morphology to obtain summaries of the 21 cm lightcone. Within the pyDelfi framework, we replaced the Emcee sampler with MultiNest to integrate learnt posteriors and produce the Bayesian Evidence. We comfortably distinguish the model used to produce the mock data set in all cases. However, we struggle to produce accurate posterior distributions for outside-in reionisation models. After a variety of cross-checks and alternate analyses we discuss the flexibility of summarising models that differ from precisely the intended network training conditions as this should be more widely scrutinised before CNN can reliably analyse observed data.
☆ Measurements of the Thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect with ACT and DESI Luminous Red Galaxies
Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) photons scatter off the free-electron gas in galaxies and clusters, allowing us to use the CMB as a backlight to probe the gas in and around low-redshift galaxies. The thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect, sourced by hot electrons in high-density environments, measures the thermal pressure of the target objects, shedding light on halo thermodynamics and galaxy formation and providing a path toward understanding the baryon distribution around cosmic structures. We use a combination of high-resolution CMB maps from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) and photometric luminous red galaxy (LRG) catalogues from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) to measure the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich signal in four redshift bins from $z=0.4$ to $z=1.2$, with a combined detection significance of 19$\sigma$ when stacking on the fiducial CMB Compton-$y$ map. We discuss possible sources of contamination, finding that residual dust emission associated with the target galaxies is important and limits current analyses. We discuss several mitigation strategies and quantify the residual modelling uncertainty. This work complements closely-related measurements of the kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich and weak lensing of the same galaxies.
comment: 14 pages, 13 figures, comments welcome
☆ Dark Matter Particle Flux in a Dynamically Self-consistent Milky Way Model
We extend a recently developed dynamically self-consistent model of the Milky Way constrained by observations from the Gaia observatory to include a radially anisotropic component in the dark matter (DM) halo, which represents the debris from the accreted Gaia-Sausage-Enceladus (GSE) galaxy. In the new model, which we call a self-consistent Anisotropic Halo Model or scAHM, we derive distribution functions for DM velocity in heliocentric and geocentric reference frames. We compare them with the velocity distributions in the standard halo model (SHM) and another anisotropic model (SHM++). We compute predicted scattering rates in direct-detection experiments, for different target nuclei and DM particle masses. Seasonal dependencies of scattering rates are analyzed, revealing small but interesting variations in detection rates for different target nuclei and DM masses. Our findings show that the velocity distribution of the anisotropic GSE component significantly deviates from Gaussian, showing a modest impact on the detection rates. The peculiar kinematic signature of the radially anisotropic component would be most clearly observable by direction-sensitive detectors.
☆ Modeling spatially-resolved galactic H$α$ emission for galaxy clustering
Near-infrared spectroscopic surveys target high-redshift emission-line galaxies (ELGs) to probe cosmological scenarios. Understanding the clustering properties of ELGs is essential to derive optimal constraints. We present a simple radiative transfer model for spatially resolved galactic H$\alpha$ emission, which includes emission from the warm-hot diffuse interstellar medium. The atomic level populations are in steady-state and computed in the coronal approximation. The model is applied to multiple IllustrisTNG simulations in the redshift range $1\leq z \leq 2$ to produce the luminosity function (LF) and the halo occupation distribution (HOD). Collisional processes account for a significant fraction of $\approx 40\%$ of the total ${\rm H}\alpha$ luminosity ($L_{{\rm H}\alpha}$). Our LFs are in reasonable agreement with measurements from H$\alpha$ surveys if a uniform extinction of $0.3
comment: 19 pages, 13 figures. Comments welcome
☆ Vacuum Polarization, Geodesic Equation and Sachs-Wolfe Effect
We show that the null geodesic equation for photons is modified in the presence of a charged scalar field, with quantum fluctuations acting as an effective mass term that changes the null paths to timelike curves. This effect can be interpreted as a vacuum polarization phenomenon in curved spacetime. The resulting contribution to the Sachs-Wolfe effect varies with photon frequency, leading to frequency-dependent corrections to the cosmic microwave background (CMB) blackbody spectrum in the form of a $\mu$-distortion, as well as modifications to the CMB power spectrum. We estimate these within a standard inflationary scenario and find that while the correction to the CMB power spectrum is significant when the scalar field is light, the magnitude of the $\mu$-distortion depends strongly on the regularization prescription.
comment: 5 pages, revtex4
☆ Conversions in two-component dark sectors: a phase space level analysis
Conversions between the states in the dark sector affect not only their number densities but also their momentum distributions. In this work we study a phenomenologically motivated two-component dark matter scenario, based on the Coy Dark Matter model, in order to quantify the effect of conversions on departure from kinetic equilibrium and consequently the relic abundance. We perform a detailed numerical analysis at the level of the phase space distributions of dark sector particles, implementing all the relevant processes, including conversions, elastic scatterings and annihilations. Focusing on the parameter regions that lead to the observed relic abundance and provide a good fit to the Galactic Centre excess, we find that departure from kinetic equilibrium can alter the predictions for the total abundance by more than $100\%$, while in most of the interesting parameter space being in the range from around $-20\%$ to $50\%$. The effect on each dark matter constituent separately can be much larger, even up to an order of magnitude, which can significantly affect the expected present-day gamma ray flux, and consequently phenomenology of the model.
comment: 30 pages, 8 figures
☆ 21-cm Constraints on Dark Matter Annihilation after an Early Matter-Dominated Era
Although it is commonly assumed that relativistic particles dominate the energy density of the universe quickly after inflation, a variety of well-motivated scenarios predict an early matter-dominated era (EMDE) before the onset of Big Bang nucleosynthesis. Subhorizon dark matter density perturbations grow faster during an EMDE than during a radiation-dominated era, leading to the formation of "microhalos" far earlier than in standard models of structure formation. This enhancement of small-scale structure boosts the dark-matter annihilation rate, which contributes to the heating of the intergalactic medium (IGM). We compute how the dark matter annihilation rate evolves after an EMDE and forecast how well measurements of the 21-cm background can detect dark matter annihilation in cosmologies with EMDEs. We find that future measurements of the global 21-cm signal at a redshift of $z\sim 17$ are unlikely to improve on bounds derived from observations of the isotropic gamma-ray background, but measurements of the 21-cm power spectrum have the potential to detect dark matter annihilation following an EMDE. Moreover, dark matter annihilation and astrophysical X-rays produce distinct heating signatures in the 21-cm power spectrum at redshifts around 14, potentially allowing differentiation between these two IGM heating mechanisms.
comment: 17 pages, 9 figures
☆ Investigating the effects of fresh gas on the Active Galactic Nuclei luminosity of early- and late-type galaxies
The main fuelling processes for Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are currently unknown. Previous work showed that galaxies with a large kinematic misalignment between their stellar and gas reservoirs have a higher AGN fraction than galaxies without misalignment. Such misalignment is a strong indication of a past galaxy interaction or an external accretion event. In this work we use integral field spectroscopy data from the SAMI and MaNGA surveys to investigate the AGN luminosity as a function of kinematic misalignment angle. Our sample of AGN exhibit bolometric luminosities in the range 10^40 to 10^43 erg/s, indicative of low to moderate luminosity AGN. We find no correlation between AGN luminosity as a function of misalignment for AGN host galaxies from both surveys. We find some differences between the AGN luminosity of early- and late-type AGN host galaxies (ETGs, LTGs). AGN in LTG hosts have a wider luminosity range, with most LTG hosts showing aligned stellar to gas kinematics. AGN in ETG hosts have a luminosity range that does not depend on misalignment angle, suggesting AGN in ETG hosts are consistent with being fuelled by external accretion events, irrespective of their stellar to gas kinematic misalignment. While all the AGN in ETGs in our sample are consistent with being activated and fuelled by external gas, the range of observed AGN luminosities is likely caused by secondary factors such as the amount of fresh gas brought into the galaxy by the external interaction.
comment: Accepted for publication by MNRAS. 10 pages
☆ Multimessenger Astronomy Beyond the Standard Model: New Window from Quantum Sensors
Ultralight bosonic (ULB) fields with mass $m_{\phi} \ll 1$ eV often arise in theories beyond the Standard Model (SM). If such fields exist, violent astrophysical events that result in emission of gravitational wave, photon, or neutrino signals could also produce bursts of high-density relativistic ULB fields. Detection of such ULB fields in terrestrial or space-based laboratories correlated with other signals from transient astrophysical events opens a novel avenue for multimessenger astronomy. We show that quantum sensors are particularly well-suited to observe emitted scalar and pseudoscalar axion-like ULB fields coupled to SM. We demonstrate that multimessenger astronomy with ULB fields is possible even when accounting for matter screening effects.
comment: Main text: 20 pages, 10 figures, 1 table. Including appendix: 40 pages, 28 figures, 1 table
☆ Conservation of superhorizon curvature perturbations at one loop: Backreaction in the in-in formalism and Renormalization
We show that the superhorizon-limit curvature perturbations are conserved at one-loop level in single-field inflation models with a transient non-slow-roll period. We take the spatially-flat gauge, where the backreaction plays a crucial role for the conservation of superhorizon curvature perturbations unless the counter terms are tuned. We calculate the backreaction with the in-in formalism. In addition, we explicitly show the renormalization of the UV divergences with the counter terms.
comment: 24 pages, 2 figures
☆ Constraining Axion Dark Matter with Galactic-Centre Resonant Dynamics
We study the influence of axion dark-matter cores on the orbits of stars at the Galactic centre. This dark matter candidate condenses into dense, solitonic cores, and, if a super-massive black hole is present at the centre of such a core, its central part forms a 'gravitational atom'. Here, we calculate the atom's contribution to the gravitational potential felt by a Galactic-centre star, for a generic quantum state of the atom. We study the angular-momentum dynamics this potential induces, and show that it is similar to vector resonant relaxation. Its influence is found to be sufficiently strong that such a dynamical component should be accounted for in Galactic-centre modelling. For the Milky Way, the atom is expected to have some spherical asymmetry, and we use this to derive a stability condition for the disc of young, massive stars at the Galactic centre - if the atom's mass is too large, then the disc would be destroyed. Thus, the existence of this disc constrains the mass of the axion particles comprising the solitonic core; for plausible parameter values, such a core is found to be in tension with the existence of the clockwise stellar disc at $2\sigma$ for $4.4\times 10^{-20}\,\textrm{eV} \leq m_a \leq 5.3\times 10^{-20}\,\textrm{eV}$. These constraints will tighten significantly with future, improved data.
comment: Submitted, comments welcome
☆ Early Galaxies from Rare Inflationary Processes and JWST Observations
Rare Poisson processes (PP) during cosmic inflation can lead to signatures that are localized in position space and are not well captured by the standard two- or higher-point correlation functions of primordial density perturbations. As an example, PP can lead to localized overdense regions that are far denser than the ones produced through standard inflationary fluctuations. As a result, such overdense regions collapse earlier than expected based on the standard $\Lambda$CDM model and would host anomalously high-redshift galaxies. We describe some general aspects of such PP and consider a particular realization in the context of inflationary particle production. We then show that the masses and redshifts of the resulting galaxies can lie in a range discoverable by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and future surveys, while being consistent with existing constraints on the matter power spectrum and UV luminosity functions at lower redshifts.
comment: 14 pages, 9 figures
☆ Scale Invariant Dark Energy
A global scale-invariant Dark Energy model based on Induced Gravity with the addition of a small $R^2$ contribution is examined. The scalar field (quintessence), playing the role of Dark Energy, has a quartic potential and generates Newton's constant with its non-minimal coupling (after introducing a suitable symmetry breaking). Even when small, the $R^2$ contribution significantly modifies the cosmological evolution of the matter-gravity system. The solutions to this model are obtained analytically through a perturbative expansion and oscillate with transplanckian frequency. They are then compared with similar solutions found for $\Lambda$CDM cosmology plus $R^2$. Finally scalar field production is perturbatively taken into account in a simple model and the resulting effects illustrated.
comment: 24 pages, 1 figure, invited contribution to the Starobinsky Memorial Volume, Springer 2025
☆ Flipped Rotating Axion Non-minimally Coupled to Gravity: Baryogenesis and Dark Matter
We demonstrate that the co-genesis of baryon asymmetry and dark matter can be achieved through the rotation of an axion-like particle, driven by a flip in the vacuum manifold's direction at the end of inflation. This can occur if the axion has a periodic non-minimal coupling to gravity, while preserving the discrete shift symmetry. In non-oscillating inflation models, after inflation there is typically a period of kination (with $w = 1$). In this case, it is shown that the vacuum manifold of the axion is flipped and the axion begins rotating in field space, because it can slide across the decreasing potential barrier as in Ricci reheating. Such a rotating axion can generate the baryon asymmetry of the Universe through spontaneous baryogenesis, while at later epochs it can oscillate as dark matter. The period of kination makes the primordial gravitational waves (GW) generated during inflation sharply blue-tilted which constrains the parameter space due to GW overproduction, while being testable by next generation CMB experiments. As a concrete example, we show that such a cogenesis of baryon asymmetry and dark matter can be realized for the axion as the Majoron in the Type-I seesaw setup, predicting mass ranges for the Majoron below sub eVs, with right-handed neutrino mass above $\mathcal{O}(10^{8})$ GeV. We also show that in order to avoid fragmentation of the axion condensate during the rotation, we require the non-minimal coupling \mbox{$\xi \sim (f/m_P)^2 $} or somewhat larger, where $f$ is the axion decay constant.
comment: 15 pages + references, 5 figures; comments are welcome
☆ Anisotropic power-law inflation for the Sáez-Ballester theory non-minimally coupled to a vector field
In this paper, we would like to examine whether the S\'aez-Ballester theory admits stable and attractive Bianchi type I inflationary solutions in the presence of a non-minimal coupling between scalar and vector fields such as $f^2(\phi)F_{\mu\nu}F^{\mu\nu}$. As a result, such a solution will be shown to exist within this theory for a suitable setup of fields. However, the corresponding tensor-to-scalar ratio of this solution turns out to be higher than the latest observational value of the Planck satellite (Planck 2018) due to the fact that $c_s$, the corresponding speed of sound of scalar perturbations of the S\'aez-Ballester theory, turns out to be one. This result indicates an important hint that the speed of sound, $c_s$, could play an important role in making the corresponding non-canonical anisotropic inflation cosmologically viable in the light of the Planck 2018 data. To be more specific, we will point out that any modifications of the S\'aez-Ballester theory having $c_s \sim 0.1$ will have a great potential to be highly consistent with the Planck 2018 data.
comment: 30 pages, 5 figures. Comments are welcome
♻ ☆ Probing the Cosmological Principle with weak lensing shear
The Cosmological Principle is a cornerstone of the standard model of cosmology and shapes how we view the Universe and our place within it. It is imperative, then, to devise multiple observational tests which can identify and quantify possible violations of this foundational principle. One possible method of probing large-scale anisotropies involves the use of weak gravitational lensing. We revisit this approach in order to analyse the imprint of late-time anisotropic expansion on cosmic shear. We show that the cross-correlation of shear $E$- and $B$-modes on large scales can be used to constrain the magnitude (and possibly direction) of anisotropic expansion. We estimate the signal to noise for multipoles $10\lesssim \ell\lesssim 100$ that is achievable by a Euclid-like survey. Our findings suggest that such a survey could detect the $E$-$B$ signal for reasonable values of the late-time anisotropy parameter.
comment: Added short explanation of Figure 3.1. Matches version accepted by JCAP
♻ ☆ Probing modified gravitational-wave propagation with extreme mass-ratio inspirals
Extreme mass-ratio inspirals (EMRIs), namely binary systems composed of a massive black hole and a compact stellar-mass object, are anticipated to be among the gravitational wave (GW) sources detected by the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). Similarly to compact binary mergers detected by current GW detectors, EMRIs can be used as cosmic rulers to probe the expansion of the Universe. Motivated by tensions in current cosmological observations as well as by alternative models of dark energy, modified gravity theories can affect the propagation of GWs across cosmological distances, with modifications commonly parametrised in terms of two phenomenological parameters, $\Xi_0$ and $n$. In this work we adopt a Bayesian approach to constrain for the first time parametrised deviations from General Relativity using the loudest simulated EMRIs detected by LISA as dark sirens with a simulated galaxy catalog. Assuming all the cosmological parameters except $\Xi_0$ are already tightly constrained, our forecasts show that $\Xi_0$ can be constrained to a few percent level (90% C.I.) with 4 years of LISA observations, unless EMRI detection rates turn out to be closer to current pessimistic expectations. These results quickly degrade if additional cosmological parameters are inferred simultaneously, but become more robust with an extended LISA observation period of 10 years. Overall, we find that EMRIs with LISA are better at constraining modified GW propagation than current second-generation ground-based GW detectors, but they will only be comparable to third-generation detectors in the most optimistic scenarios.
comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, 5 tables - Matches published version
♻ ☆ Mapping the Cosmic Gamma-ray Horizon: The 1CGH Catalogue of Fermi-LAT detections above 10 GeV
We present the First Cosmic Gamma-ray Horizon (1CGH) catalogue, featuring $\gamma$-ray detections above 10 GeV based on 16 years of observations with the Fermi-LAT satellite. After carefully selecting a sample of blazars and blazar candidates from catalogues in the literature, we performed a binned likelihood analysis and identified 2791 $\gamma$-ray emitters above 10 GeV, at >3$\sigma$ level, including 62 that are new $\gamma$-ray detections. For each source, we estimated the mean energy of the highest-energy bin and analysed them in the context of the cosmic gamma-ray horizon. By adopting a reference model for the Extragalactic Background Light (EBL), we identified a subsample of 525 sources where moderate to severe $\gamma$-ray absorption could be detected across the redshift range of 0 to 3. This work provides the most up-to-date compilation of detections above 10 GeV, along with their redshift information. We condense extensive results from the literature, including reports on observational campaigns dedicated to blazars and $\gamma$-ray sources, thereby delivering an unprecedented review of the redshift information for sources detected above 10 GeV. Additionally, we highlight key 1CGH sources where redshift information remains incomplete, offering guidance for future optical observation campaigns. The 1CGH catalogue aims to track the most significant sources to study the $\gamma$-ray transparency of the universe. Furthermore, it provides a targeted subsample where the EBL optical depth, $\tau_{(E,z)}$, can be robustly measured using Fermi-LAT data.
comment: 13 pages, 4 figures
♻ ☆ Searching for Inflationary Physics with the CMB Trispectrum: 3. Constraints from Planck
Is there new physics hidden in the four-point function of the cosmic microwave background (CMB)? We conduct a detailed analysis of the Planck PR4 temperature and polarization trispectrum for $\ell\in[2,2048]$. Using the theoretical and computational tools developed in Paper 1 and Paper 2, we search for 33 template amplitudes, encoding a variety of effects from inflationary self-interactions to particle exchange. We find no evidence for primordial non-Gaussianity and set stringent constraints on both phenomenological amplitudes and couplings in the inflationary Lagrangian. Due to the use of optimal estimators and polarization data, our constraints are highly competitive. For example, we find $\sigma(g_{\rm NL}^{\rm loc})=4.8\times 10^4$ and $\tau_{\rm NL}^{\rm loc} <1500$ (95\% CL), a factor of two improvement on Effective Field Theory amplitudes, and a $43\sigma$ detection of gravitational lensing. Many templates are analyzed for the first time, such as direction-dependent trispectra and the collapsed limit of the `cosmological collider', across a range of masses and spins. We perform a variety of validation tests; whilst our results are stable, the most relevant systematics are found to be lensing bias, residual foregrounds, and mismatch between simulations and data. The techniques discussed in this series can be extended to future datasets, allowing the primordial Universe to be probed at even higher sensitivity.
comment: 49 pages, 17 figures, 5 tables, 0 detections. Submitted to Phys. Rev. D
♻ ☆ Searching for Inflationary Physics with the CMB Trispectrum: 2. Code & Validation
To unlock the vast potential of the CMB trispectrum, we require both robust estimators and efficient computational tools. In this work, we introduce the public code PolySpec: a suite of quartic estimators designed to measure the amplitudes of a wide variety of inflationary templates, including local non-Gaussianity, effective field theory models, direction-dependent trispectra, spinning massive particle exchange, and weak gravitational lensing. PolySpec includes a python/cython implementation of each estimator derived in Paper 1 and has been carefully optimized to ensure efficient use of computational resources. We perform a broad range of validation tests, which demonstrate that the estimator is unbiased and minimum-variance, both in Gaussian and non-Gaussian regimes. In addition, we forecast constraints on various types of trispectra; this highlights the utility of CMB polarization and demonstrates that many models of primordial physics are poorly correlated with the simple templates considered in previous studies. This work lays the foundation for the Planck trispectrum analyses performed in Paper 3.
comment: 35 pages, 27 figures, 10263 lines of code. PolySpec is available at https://github.com/oliverphilcox/PolySpec. Submitted to Phys. Rev. D
♻ ☆ Searching for Inflationary Physics with the CMB Trispectrum: 1. Primordial Theory & Optimal Estimators
The primordial four-point function encodes a wealth of information about the inflationary Universe. Despite extensive theoretical work, most models of four-point physics have never been compared to data. In this series, we conduct a detailed analysis of Cosmic Microwave Background temperature and polarization trispectra, searching for a wide variety of phenomena including local effects, self-interactions, curvatons, DBI inflation, gauge fields, solid inflation, scalar field exchange, spinning massive field exchange, chiral physics, point sources, and gravitational lensing. After presenting a suite of separable primordial templates, we derive thirteen quasi-optimal estimators that directly estimate the underlying template amplitudes. These are unbiased, minimum variance, mask-deconvolved, and account for correlations between templates (including with lensing). Each estimator can be efficiently implemented using spherical harmonic transforms, Monte Carlo methods, and optimization techniques, and asymptotes to standard forms in certain limits. In Paper 2, we implement these estimators in public code, and in Paper 3, use them to constrain primordial trispectra with Planck data. This enables a wide variety of tests of inflation, including some of the first direct constraints on cosmological collider physics.
comment: 56 pages, 2 tables, 226 equations, submitted to Phys. Rev. D
♻ ☆ Testing for Intrinsic Type Ia Supernova Luminosity Evolution at z>2 with JWST
The James Webb Space Telescope} (JWST) is opening new frontiers of transient discovery and follow-up at high-redshift. Here we present the discovery of a spectroscopically confirmed Type Ia supernova (SN Ia; SN $2023$aeax) at $z=2.15$ with JWST, including a NIRCam multi-band light curve. SN $2023$aeax lands at the edge of traditional low-$z$ cosmology cuts because of its blue color (peak rest-frame $B-V\sim-0.3$) but with a normal decline rate ($\Delta m_{15}(B)\sim1.25$), and applying a fiducial standardization with the BayeSN model we find the SN $2023$aeax luminosity distance is in $\sim0.1\sigma$ agreement with $\Lambda$CDM. SN $2023$aeax is only the second spectroscopically confirmed SN Ia in the dark matter-dominated Universe at $z>2$ (the other is SN $2023$adsy), giving it rare leverage to constrain any potential evolution in SN Ia standardized luminosities. Similar to SN $2023$adsy ($B-V\sim0.8)$, SN $2023$aeax has a fairly extreme (but opposite) color, which may be due to the small sample size or a secondary factor, such as host galaxy properties. Nevertheless, the SN $2023$aeax spectrum is well-represented by normal low-$z$ SN Ia spectra and we find no definitive evolution in SN Ia standardization with redshift. Still, the first two spectroscopically confirmed $z>2$ SNe Ia have peculiar colors and combine for a $\sim1\sigma$ distance slope relative to $\Lambda$CDM, though in agreement with recent SN Ia cosmological measurements.
comment: Accepted to ApJL. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2406.05089
♻ ☆ Primordial Gravitational Waves in Quadratic Gravity
Quadratic gravity is a fourth-order (in derivatives) theory that can serve as an attractive upgrade to the standard description of gravity provided by General Relativity, thanks to its renormalizability and its built-in description of primordial inflation. We bring quadratic gravity into a second-order form by introducing an auxiliary tensor field and we consider the primordial tensor fluctuations (gravitational waves) in the theory around a Friedmann-Lema\^itre-Robertson-Walker background. After a canonical quantization of the perturbations, we calculate the tensor power spectrum in quasi de Sitter spacetime. We find that the spectral index $n_t$ and the amplitude $A_t$ of the tensor power spectrum are both suppressed by the factor $(1 + 2{\bf H}^2_*/m_\text{gh}^2)^{-1}$, where ${\bf H}_*$ is the Hubble rate at horizon exit and $m_\text{gh}$ is the mass of the spin-two ghost. This restores the slow-roll consistency condition familiar from single-field inflation models, where the tensor-to-scalar ratio $r$ is equal to $-8n_t$ in the lowest nontrivial order in the slow-roll approximation. We also discuss the well-known issue of the ghost problem in fourth-order theories and how it pertains to the results at hand.
comment: 18+4 pages, v2: typos fixed and sources added
♻ ☆ TeV Scale Resonant Leptogenesis with triplet Fermion in Connection to Muon $g-2$
We propose an extension of the minimal scotogenic model with a triplet fermion and a singlet scalar. An imposed $Z_{4}\times Z_{2}$ symmetry allows only diagonal Yukawa couplings among different generations of SM leptons and right-handed singlet neutrinos. The Yukawa coupling of the triplet fermion with the inert doublet positively contributes to the muon anomalous magnetic moment. The imposed $Z_{4}\times Z_{2}$ symmetry forbids the conventional leptogenesis from the lightest right-handed neutrino decay. A net lepton asymmetry can be generated in the muonic sector from $N_{2}$ and triplet fermion decay through resonant leptogenesis scenario. The Yukawa coupling of triplet plays significant role both in leptogenesis and in the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. We show a viable parameter space for TeV scale leptogenesis while explaining the Fermi lab results. The inert scalar is the dark matter candidate in this model. The Muon $(g-2)$ and dark matter both favor the same parameter space for mass of the dark matter and the triplet fermion.
comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables Matches with the version published in Phys. Rev. D
♻ ☆ Probing small-scale power spectrum with gravitational-wave diffractive lensing
We develop a novel way to probe subgalactic-scale matter distribution with diffractive lensing on gravitational waves. Five-year observations from Einstein Telescope and DECIGO are expected to probe $k= 10^5\sim 10^8 \,{\rm Mpc}^{-1}$ down to $P(k) = 10^{-16} \sim 10^{-14} \,{\rm Mpc}^3$ level. These results can be interpreted in terms of primordial black holes in the range $M_{\rm PBH} \gtrsim 10^{-3}M_\odot$ down to $f_{\rm PBH} = 10^{-6}$ level, or QCD axion minihalos in the range $m_a = 10^{-3} \sim 10^{-12} \,{\rm eV}$. A key result of the paper is the approximate relation between the scale $k$ and the gravitational wave frequency $f$, derived in an ensemble of `multi-lensing' events. This relation enables direct measurement of the power spectrum at specific scales, with sensitivities characterized by model-independent kernels $\delta P(k)$. Additionally, we delineate the statistical properties of `multi-lensing' based on the `Fresnel number' $N_F$. When $N_F \gtrsim {\cal O}(1)$, the statistical significance can be approximately calculated by Variance of lensing effects, which is directly related to the power spectrum among other moments of matter distribution.
comment: 32 pages, 11 figures
♻ ☆ Constraining the history of reheating with the NANOGrav 15-year data
Over the last few years, primordial black holes (PBHs) have emerged as a strong candidate for cold dark matter. A significant number of PBHs are produced when the strength of the primordial scalar power spectrum is enhanced on small scales (compared to the COBE normalized values on large scales). Such primordial spectra also inevitably lead to strong amplification of the scalar-induced, secondary gravitational waves (GWs) at higher frequencies. The recent detection of the stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) by the pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) has opened up the possibility of directly probing the very early universe. Different studies have shown that, when PBHs are assumed to have been formed during the epoch of radiation domination, the mechanism for the amplification of the scalar-induced GWs that is required to explain the PTA data can overproduce the PBHs over some ranges of masses. In this work, we assume a specific functional form for the primordial scalar power spectrum and examine the production of PBHs and the scalar-induced secondary GWs during the phase of reheating, which precedes the standard epoch of radiation domination. Specifically, we account for the uncertainties in the conditions for the formation of PBHs and ensure that the extent of PBHs produced remains within the observational bounds. We find that the scalar-induced SGWB generated during a phase of reheating with a steeper equation of state (than that of radiation) fit the NANOGrav 15-year data with a stronger Bayesian evidence than the astrophysical scenario involving GWs produced by merging supermassive binary black holes.
comment: 40 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables, published in JCAP
♻ ☆ Isotropic cosmic birefringence from an oscillating axion-like field
We propose a new mechanism for isotropic cosmic birefringence with an axion-like field that rapidly oscillates during the recombination epoch. In conventional models, the field oscillation during the recombination epoch leads to a cancellation of the birefringence effect and significantly suppresses the EB spectrum of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization. By introducing an asymmetric potential to the axion, this cancellation becomes incomplete, and a substantial EB spectrum can be produced. This mechanism also results in a washout of the EE spectrum, which can be probed in future CMB observations. Our findings suggest the possibility that an axion-like field responsible for isotropic cosmic birefringence can also account for a significant fraction of dark matter.
comment: 7 pages, 5 figures
♻ ☆ Cosmological constraints using Minkowski functionals from the first year data of the Hyper Suprime-Cam
We use Minkowski functionals to analyse weak lensing convergence maps from the first-year data release of the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC-Y1) survey. Minkowski functionals provide a description of the morphological properties of a field, capturing the non-Gaussian features of the Universe matter-density distribution. Using simulated catalogs that reproduce survey conditions and encode cosmological information, we emulate Minkowski functionals predictions across a range of cosmological parameters to derive the best-fit from the data. By applying multiple scales cuts, we rigorously mitigate systematic effects, including baryonic feedback and intrinsic alignments. From the analysis, combining constraints of the angular power spectrum and Minkowski functionals, we obtain $S_8 \equiv \sigma_8\sqrt{\Omega_{{\rm m}}/0.3} = {0.808}_{-0.046}^{+0.033}$ and $\Omega_{\rm m} = {0.293}_{-0.043}^{+0.157}$. These results represent a $40\%$ improvement on the $S_8$ constraints compared to using power spectrum only. \newtext{Minkowski functionals results are consistent with other two-point, and higher order statistics constraints using the same data, being in agreement with CMB results from the Planck $S_8$ measurements. Our study demonstrates the power of Minkowski functionals beyond two-point statistics to constrain and break the degeneracy between $\Omega_{\rm m}$ and $\sigma_8$.
comment: 8 pages, 5 figures. Accepted by MNRAS
♻ ☆ JAGB 2.0: Improved Constraints on the J-region Asymptotic Giant Branch-based Hubble Constant from an Expanded Sample of JWST Observations
The J-region Asymptotic Giant Branch (JAGB) is an overdensity of stars in the near-infrared, attributed to carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch stars, and recently used as a standard candle for measuring extragalactic distances and the Hubble constant. Using JWST in Cycle 2, we extend JAGB measurements to 6 hosts of 9 Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) (NGC 2525, NGC 3147, NGC 3370, NGC 3447, NGC 5468, and NGC 5861), with two at $D \sim 40$ Mpc, all calibrated by the maser host NGC 4258. We investigate the effects of incompleteness and find that we are unable to recover a robust JAGB measurement in one of the two most distant hosts at $R \sim 40$ Mpc, NGC 3147. We compile all JWST JAGB observations in SNe Ia hosts, 15 galaxies hosting 18 SNe Ia, from the SH0ES and CCHP programs and employ all literature measures (mode, mean, median, model). We find no significant mean difference between these distances and those from HST Cepheids, $-0.03\pm0.02$ (stat) $\pm$ 0.05 (sys) mag. We find a difference of 0.11 $\pm$ 0.02 mag between JAGB mode measurements in the CCHP analyses of two fields in NGC 4258, a feature also seen in two SH0ES fields (see field-to-field variations in Li et al. 2024a), indicating significant field-to-field variation of JAGB measurements in NGC 4258 which produce a large absolute calibration uncertainty. Variations are also seen in the shape of the JAGB LF across galaxies so that different measures produce different values of the Hubble constant. We look for but do not (yet) find a standardizing relation between JAGB LF skew or color dependence and the apparent variation. Using the middle result of all JAGB measures to calibrate SNe Ia yields a Hubble constant of $H_0$ = 73.3 $\pm$ 1.4 (stat) $\pm$ 2.0 (sys) km/s/Mpc with the systematic dominated by apparent differences across NGC 4258 calibrating fields or their measures.
comment: 29 pages, 18 figures, 7 tables, submitted to ApJ
♻ ☆ Core to Cosmic Edge: SIMBA-C's New Take on Abundance Profiles in the Intragroup Medium at z = 0
We employ the SIMBA-C cosmological simulation to study the impact of its upgraded chemical enrichment model (Chem5) on the distribution of metals in the intragroup medium (IGrM). We investigate the projected X-ray emission-weighted abundance profiles of key elements over two decades in halo mass ($10^{13} \leq M_{500}/\mathrm{M_\odot} \leq 10^{15}$). Typically, SIMBA-C generates lower-amplitude abundance profiles than SIMBA with flatter cores, in better agreement with observations. For low-mass groups, both simulations over-enrich the IGrM with Si, S, Ca, and Fe compared to observations, a trend likely related to inadequate modeling of metal dispersal and mixing. We analyze the 3D mass-weighted abundance profiles, concluding that the lower SIMBA-C IGrM abundances are primarily a consequence of fewer metals in the IGrM, driven by reduced metal yields in Chem5, and the removal of the instantaneous recycling of metals approximation employed by SIMBA. Additionally, an increased IGrM mass in low-mass SIMBA-C groups is likely triggered by changes to the AGN and stellar feedback models. Our study suggests that a more realistic chemical enrichment model broadly improves agreement with observations, but physically motivated sub-grid models for other key processes, like AGN and stellar feedback and turbulent diffusion, are required to realistically reproduce observed group environments.
comment: 38 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables. Published in Universe. This article belongs to the Special Issue Universe: Feature Papers 2024--"Galaxies and Clusters"
♻ ☆ Extended Effective Field Theory of Dark Energy: Ghost Condensate Dark Energy with Sextic Dispersion Relation in de Sitter Spacetime
We continue our studies of the ghost condensate (GC) with sixth-order dispersion relation. Contrary to the GC with quartic dispersion relation, we find that the correction to the Newtonian potential explicitly depends on the space and time dependence of matter density. At late times when the Newtonian potential becomes time-independent, one obtains similar oscillatory behavior at the distance $\frac{M_\textrm{Pl}}{M^2}$, but this time at the time scale $\frac{M^4}{M_\textrm{Pl}^3}$, where $M^2$ is the ghost field velocity. We also show that the speed of gravitational wave is modified in a frequency dependent manner at momenta close to $\frac{M_\textrm{Pl}}{\sqrt{|\sigma_1|}}$, where $\sigma_1$ is the coefficient of $\gamma^{ij} \nabla_i K_{lr} \nabla_j K^{lr}$ operator in the unitary gauge action.
comment: 13 pages
♻ ☆ Probing flavored regimes of leptogenesis with gravitational waves from cosmic strings
Cosmic strings radiate detectable gravitational waves in models featuring high-scale symmetry breaking, e.g., high-scale leptogenesis. In this Letter, for the first time, we show that different flavored regimes of high-scale leptogenesis can be tested with the spectral features in cosmic string-radiated gravitational waves. This is possible if the scalar field that makes right-handed neutrinos massive is feebly coupled to the Standard Model Higgs. Each flavored regime, sensitive to low-energy neutrino experiments, leaves a marked imprint on the gravitational waves spectrum. A three-flavor and a two-flavor regime could be probed by a characteristic fall-off of the gravitational wave spectrum at the LISA-DECIGO-ET frequency bands with preceding scale-invariant amplitudes bounded from above and below. We present Gravitational Waves windows for Flavored Regimes of Leptogenesis (GWFRL) testable in the upcoming experiments. We also provide the first construction of a leptogenesis framework where a testable distinction of flavor regimes is possible without constraining the flavor structure of the theory.
comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, plus supplemental material. v2: version published in PRD Letter
♻ ☆ The Blending ToolKit: A simulation framework for evaluation of galaxy detection and deblending
We present an open source Python library for simulating overlapping (i.e., blended) images of galaxies and performing self-consistent comparisons of detection and deblending algorithms based on a suite of metrics. The package, named Blending Toolkit (BTK), serves as a modular, flexible, easy-to-install, and simple-to-use interface for exploring and analyzing systematic effects related to blended galaxies in cosmological surveys such as the Vera Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). BTK has three main components: (1) a set of modules that perform fast image simulations of blended galaxies, using the open source image simulation package GalSim; (2) a module that standardizes the inputs and outputs of existing deblending algorithms; (3) a library of deblending metrics commonly defined in the galaxy deblending literature. In combination, these modules allow researchers to explore the impacts of galaxy blending in cosmological surveys. Additionally, BTK provides researchers who are developing a new deblending algorithm a framework to evaluate algorithm performance and make principled comparisons with existing deblenders. BTK includes a suite of tutorials and comprehensive documentation. The source code is publicly available on GitHub at https://github.com/LSSTDESC/BlendingToolKit.
comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables, accepted to The Open Journal of Astrophysics
♻ ☆ Dancing with invisible partners: Three-body exchanges with primordial black holes
The abundance of massive primordial black holes has historically been constrained by dynamical probes. Since these objects can participate in hard few-body scattering processes, they can readily transfer energy to stellar systems, and, in particular, can disrupt wide binaries. However, disruption is not the only possible outcome of such few-body processes. Primordial black holes could also participate in exchange processes, in which one component of a binary system is ejected and replaced by the black hole itself. In this case, the remaining object in the binary would dynamically appear to have an invisible companion. We study the rate of exchange processes for primordial black holes as a component of dark matter and evaluate possible mechanisms for detecting such binaries. We find that many such binaries plausibly exist in the Solar neighborhood, and show that this process can account for observed binary systems whose properties run counter to the predictions of isolated binary evolution.
comment: 15 pages, 4 figures. V2: Matches the published version in the PRD
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 10
☆ Recovering the structure of debris disks non-parametrically from images
Debris disks common around Sun-like stars carry dynamical imprints in their structure that are key to understanding the formation and evolution history of planetary systems. In this paper, we extend an algorithm (rave) originally developed to model edge-on disks to be applicable to disks at all inclinations. The updated algorithm allows for non-parametric recovery of the underlying (i.e., deconvolved) radial profile and vertical height of optically thin, axisymmetric disks imaged in either thermal emission or scattered light. Application to simulated images demonstrates that the de-projection and deconvolution performance allows for accurate recovery of features comparable to or larger than the beam or PSF size, with realistic uncertainties that are independent of model assumptions. We apply our method to recover the radial profile and vertical height of a sample of 18 inclined debris disks observed with ALMA. Our recovered structures largely agree with those fitted with an alternative visibility-space de-projection and deconvolution method (frank). We find that for disks in the sample with a well-defined main belt, the belt radius, fractional width and fractional outer edge width all tend to increase with age, but do not correlate in a clear or monotonic way with dust mass or stellar temperature. In contrast, the scale height aspect ratio does not strongly correlate with age, but broadly increases with stellar temperature. These trends could reflect a combination of intrinsic collisional evolution in the disk and the interaction of perturbing planets with the disk's own gravity.
comment: 23 pages, 17 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ Discovering Numerous Interstellar Objects with A Dedicated Space Telescope
I show that a dedicated space telescope with a meter-size aperture can detect numerous interstellar objects, 10-m in diameter, that pass within ~20 degrees from the Sun. Separating the emitted thermal radiation from the reflection of sunlight would allow to measure the surface temperature, area and albedo of these objects. Spectroscopic observations of any evaporated material at the expected temperature of ~600K would provide important clues about the nature and birth sites of interstellar objects.
comment: 5 pages, submitted for publication in ApJL
☆ Exo-MerCat v2.0.0: updates and open-source release of the Exoplanet Merged Catalog software
Exoplanet research is at the forefront of contemporary astronomy recommendations. As more and more exoplanets are discovered and vetted, databases and catalogs are built to collect information. Various resources are available to scientists for this purpose, though every one of them has different scopes and notations. In Alei et al. (2020) we described Exo-MerCat, a script that collects information from multiple sources and creates a homogenized table. In this manuscript, we announce the release of the Exo-MerCat v2.0.0 script as an upgraded, tested, documented and open-source software to produce catalogs. The main upgrades on the script concern: 1) the addition of the TESS Input Catalog and the K2 Input Catalog as input sources; 2) the optimization of the main identifier queries; 3) a more complex merging of the entries from the input sources into the final catalog; 4) some quality-of-life improvements such as informative flags, more user-friendly column headers, and log files; 5) the refactoring of the code in modules. We compare the performance of Exo-MerCat v2.0.0 with the previous version and notice a substantial improvement in the completeness of the sample, thanks to the addition of new input sources, and its accuracy, because of the optimization of the script.
comment: 18 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication on Astronomy and Computing. Previous publication: arXiv:2002.01834
☆ Physically motivated analytic model of energy efficiency for EUV-driven atmospheric escape of close-in exoplanets
Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) driven atmospheric escape is a key process in the atmospheric evolution of close-in exoplanets. In many evolutionary models, the energy-limited mass-loss rate with a constant efficiency (typically $\sim10\%$) is assumed for calculating the mass-loss rate. However, hydrodynamic simulations have demonstrated that this efficiency depends on various stellar and planetary parameters. Comprehending the underlying physics of the efficiency is essential for understanding planetary atmospheric evolution and recent observations of the upper atmosphere of close-in exoplanets. We introduce relevant temperatures and timescales derived from physical principles to elucidate the mass-loss process. Our analytical mass-loss model is based on phenomenology and consistent across a range of planetary parameters. We compare our mass-loss efficiency and the radiation hydrodynamic simulations. The model can predict efficiency in both energy-limited and recombination-limited regimes. We further apply our model to exoplanets observed with hydrogen absorption (Ly$\alpha$ and H$\alpha$). Our findings suggest that Ly$\alpha$ absorption is detectable in planets subjected to intermediate EUV flux; under these conditions, the escaping outflow is insufficient in low-EUV environments, while the photoionization timescale remains short in high-EUV ranges. Conversely, H$\alpha$ absorption is detectable under high EUV flux conditions, facilitated by the intense Ly$\alpha$ flux exciting hydrogen atoms. According to our model, the non-detection of neutral hydrogen can be explained by a low mass-loss rate and is not necessarily due to stellar wind confinement or the absence of a hydrogen-dominated atmosphere in many cases. This model assists in identifying future observational targets and explicates the unusual absorption detection/non-detection patterns observed in recent studies.
comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in A&A
☆ PDRs4All XI. Detection of infrared CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ rovibrational emission in the Orion Bar and disk d203-506: evidence of chemical pumping
The methylidyne cation (CH$^+$) and the methyl cation (CH$_3^+$) are building blocks of organic molecules, yet their coupled formation and excitation mechanisms remain mainly unprobed. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), with its high spatial resolution and good spectral resolution, provides unique access to the detection of these molecules. Our goal is to use the first detection of CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ rovibrational emission in the Orion Bar and in the protoplanetary disk d203-506, irradiated by the Trapezium cluster, to probe their formation and excitation mechanisms and constrain the physico-chemical conditions. We use spectro-imaging acquired using both the NIRSpec and MIRI-MRS instruments to study the CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ spatial distribution at very small scales, and compare it to excited H$_2$ emission. CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ emissions originate from the same region as highly excited H$_2$. Our comparison between the Bar and d203-506 reveals that both CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ excitation and/or formation are highly dependent on gas density. The excitation temperature of the observed CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ rovibrational lines is around $T$ ~ 1500 K in the Bar and $T$ ~ 800 K in d203-506. Moreover, the column densities derived from the rovibrational emission are less than 0.1 % of the total known (CH$^+$) and expected (CH$_3^+$) column densities. These results show that CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ level populations strongly deviate from ETL. CH$^+$ rovibrational emission can be explained by chemical formation pumping with excited H$_2$ via C$^+$ + H$_2^*$ = CH$^+$ + H. These results support a gas phase formation pathway of CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ via successive hydrogen abstraction reactions. However, we do not find any evidence of CH$_2^+$ emission in the JWST spectrum. Finally, observed CH$^+$ intensities coupled with chemical formation pumping model provide a diagnostic tool to trace the local density.
comment: Accepted on the 11/02/2025 in A&A
☆ Secondary ionisation in hot atmospheres and interactions between planetary and stellar winds
The loss of close-in planetary atmospheres is influenced by various physical processes, such as photoionisation, which could potentially affect the atmosphere survivability on a secular timescale. The amount of stellar radiation converted into heat depends on the energy of the primary electrons produced by photoionisation and the local ionisation fraction. The Lyman-alpha line is an excellent probe for atmospheric escape. We study the interaction between the planetary and the stellar wind, the difference of the predicted mass-loss rates between 1D and 2D models, the signal of Ly-a and the impact of stellar flares. Using the PLUTO code, we perform 2D hydrodynamics simulations for four different planets. We consider planets in the size range from Neptune to Jupiter. We produce synthetic Ly-a profiles to comprehend the origin of the signal, and in particular its high velocity Doppler shift. Our results indicate a trend similar to the 1D models, with a decrease in the planetary mass-loss rate for all systems when secondary ionisation is taken into account. The mass-loss rates are found to decrease by 48% for the least massive planet when secondary ionisation is accounted for. We find nevertheless a decrease that is less pronounced in 2D than in 1D. We observe differences in the Ly-a profile between the different cases and significant asymmetries in all of them, especially for the lower mass planets. Finally, we observe that stellar flares do not affect the mass-loss rate because they act, in general, on a timescale that is too short. We find velocities in the escaping atmosphere up to 100 km/s, with the gas moving away from the star, which could be the result of the interaction with the stellar wind. Furthermore, we find that stellar flares generally occur on a timescale that is too short to have a visible impact on the mass-loss rate of the atmosphere.
comment: 13 Figures, 11 pages
☆ Impact of accretor size on the morphology of supersonic Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton accretion flows
Fast-moving accretors are ubiquitous in astrophysics. Their interaction with surrounding gas leaves characteristic imprints, forming structures like bow shocks, Mach cones, and density trails. We study how various physical processes affect the flow structure around an accretor with a one-way surface, its accretion rate, and accretion anisotropy. These processes correspond to distinct length scales: the Bondi radius, the bow shock's stand-off distance, and the Hoyle-Lyttleton radius. We conducted adiabatic hydrodynamic simulations using a spherical coordinate grid centred on the accretor. By varying the accretor's (numerical) size across scales -- from much smaller than the stand-off distance to much larger than the Bondi radius -- we analyse how these spatial scales affect steady-state flow physics. All simulations reach a steady state. When the accretor is smaller than the stand-off distance, a bow shock forms ahead, and a nearly spherically symmetric atmosphere develops within. Accretors smaller than the Hoyle-Lyttleton radius produce a Mach cone, while larger ones exhibit a supersonic-to-subsonic flow transition on larger scales. Fully resolved simulations align with Hoyle-Lyttleton theory, showing slightly anisotropic accretion with enhanced inflow from behind. In contrast, larger accretors approach the geometrical limit, accreting mainly from the flow direction, with a low-density 'shadow' forming behind. The accretor's size strongly influences small- and large-scale morphologies. Resolving the Hoyle-Lyttleton radius is essential for capturing large-scale flow characteristics. Resolving the stand-off distance is needed only to study the bow shock: since it determines the shock's position, its non-resolution does not affect large-scale flow morphology.
☆ The EXO-UV program: lastest advances of experimental studies to investigate the biological impact of UV radiation on exoplanets
The EXO-UV program is an international, interdisciplinary collaboration between astrophysicists and biologists aimed at expanding the characterization of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) environments on exoplanets. This approach combines astrophysical studies with biological experiments to better understand the potential impacts of UVR on exoplanetary surfaces. UVR is particularly relevant because it reaches the surface of planets and can influence their habitability. The specific wavelengths within the UVR spectrum depend on the planet's atmospheric composition and the spectral energy distribution of its host star. Additionally, high UVR fluxes emitted during flares and superflares are of particular interest due to the limited information available regarding their biological impact. The EXO-UV program has successfully led to the first experimental study examining the biological effects of high UVR fluences, such as those produced by flares and superflares. Future experimental studies aim to investigate the biological effects of repetitive flares. In this paper, we review the latest results from our EXO-UV program.
comment: To be published in "Solar System Research"
♻ ☆ The SPIRou Legacy Survey: near-infrared and optical radial velocity analysis of Gl 480 and Gl 382 using SPIRou, HARPS and CARMENES spectrographs
Context: Advancements in the field of exoplanetary research have extended radial velocity (RV) observations from the optical to the near-infrared (nIR) domain. M dwarf stars, characterized by their lower masses and higher prevalence of rocky planets, have become a focal point of investigation. This study uses data from the near-infrared spectropolarimeter SPIRou and data available in the literature from the HARPS and CARMENES spectrographs operating in the optical to analyze RVs of two nearby M dwarfs, Gl 480 and Gl 382. Aims: This work aims to detect and characterize exoplanetary companions around Gl 480 and Gl 382 by mitigating stellar activity effects through advanced data analysis techniques. The study seeks to improve the reliability of RV signals by integrating multi-wavelength observations and stellar activity diagnostics. Methods: The study employs a comprehensive approach that combines the line-by-line (LBL) framework with the Wapiti (Weighted principAl comPonent analysIs reconsTructIon) method to correct for systematics in SPIRou data. Through an extensive analysis of available stellar activity indicators and by combining optical data from the HARPS and CARMENES instruments, we perform a joint analysis of RV measurements in both the nIR and optical domains. Results: Our analysis confirms the detection of a planet orbiting Gl 480 with a period of $9.5537 \pm 0.0005$ d and a minimum mass of $8.8 \pm 0.7$ M$_\oplus$. Additionally, we detect a tentative signal at 6.4 d, whose significance depends strongly on the choice of Gaussian Process priors constrained by stellar activity indicators and would require further observations for confirmation. In contrast, no planetary signals are detected for Gl 382, where RV variations are dominated by stellar activity.
♻ ☆ The cold Jupiter eccentricity distribution is consistent with EKL driven by stellar companions
The large eccentricities of cold Jupiters and the existence of hot Jupiters have long challenged theories of planet formation. A proposed solution to both of these puzzles is high-eccentricity migration, in which an initially cold Jupiter is excited to high eccentricities before being tidally circularized. Secular perturbations from an inclined stellar companion are a potential source of eccentricity oscillations, a phenomenon known as the Eccentric Kozai-Lidov (EKL) mechanism. Previous studies have found that the cold Jupiter eccentricity distribution produced by EKL is inconsistent with observations. However, these studies assumed all planets start on circular orbits. Here, we revisit this question, considering that an initial period of planet-planet scattering on $\sim$Myr timescales likely places planets on slightly eccentric orbits before being modulated by EKL on $\sim$Myr-Gyr timescales. Small initial eccentricities can have a dramatic effect by enabling EKL to act at lower inclinations. We numerically integrate the secular hierarchical three-body equations of motion, including general relativity and tides, for populations of cold giant planets in stellar binaries with varied initial eccentricity distributions. For populations with modest initial mean eccentricities, the simulated eccentricity distribution produced by EKL is statistically consistent with the observed eccentricities of cold single-planet systems. The lower eccentricities in a multi-planet control sample suggest planetary companions quench stellar EKL. We show that scattering alone is unlikely to reproduce the present-day eccentricity distribution. We also calculate predictions for the inclinations and stellar obliquities in binary systems with cold Jupiters.
comment: Accepted to ApJL, 16 pages, 6 figures
Astrophysics of Galaxies 39
☆ Directly Imaging the Cooling Flow in the Phoenix Cluster
In the centers of many galaxy clusters, the hot ($\sim$10$^7$ K) intracluster medium (ICM) can become dense enough that it should cool on short timescales. However, the low measured star formation rates in massive central galaxies and absence of soft X-ray lines from cooling gas suggest that most of this gas never cools - this is known as the "cooling flow problem." The latest observations suggest that black hole jets are maintaining the vast majority of gas at high temperatures. A cooling flow has yet to be fully mapped through all gas phases in any galaxy cluster. Here, we present new observations of the Phoenix cluster using the James Webb Space Telescope to map the [Ne VI] $\lambda$7.652$\mu$m emission line, allowing us to probe gas at 10$^{5.5}$ K on large scales. These data show extended [Ne VI] emission cospatial with (i) the cooling peak in the ICM, (ii) the coolest gas phases, and (iii) sites of active star formation. Taken together, these imply a recent episode of rapid cooling, causing a short-lived spike in the cooling rate which we estimate to be 5,000-23,000 M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$. These data provide the first large-scale map of gas at temperatures between 10$^5$-10$^6$ K in a cluster core, and highlight the critical role that black hole feedback plays in not only regulating but also promoting cooling.
comment: 42 pages, 16 figures, 3 tables. Published in Nature
☆ BCDDM: Branch-Corrected Denoising Diffusion Model for Black Hole Image Generation
The properties of black holes and accretion flows can be inferred by fitting Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) data to simulated images generated through general relativistic ray tracing (GRRT). However, due to the computationally intensive nature of GRRT, the efficiency of generating specific radiation flux images needs to be improved. This paper introduces the Branch Correction Denoising Diffusion Model (BCDDM), which uses a branch correction mechanism and a weighted mixed loss function to improve the accuracy of generated black hole images based on seven physical parameters of the radiatively inefficient accretion flow (RIAF) model. Our experiments show a strong correlation between the generated images and their physical parameters. By enhancing the GRRT dataset with BCDDM-generated images and using ResNet50 for parameter regression, we achieve significant improvements in parameter prediction performance. This approach reduces computational costs and provides a faster, more efficient method for dataset expansion, parameter estimation, and model fitting.
☆ Reconstructing the Anisotropic Ultra-long Wavelength Spectra using a Single Antenna on Lunar-orbit
The ultra-long wavelength sky ($\nu\lesssim 30$ MHz) is still largely unexplored, as the electromagnetic wave is heavily absorbed and distorted by the ionosphere on Earth. The far-side of the Moon, either in lunar-orbit or on lunar-surface, is the ideal site for observations in this band, and the upcoming Moon-based interferometers will obtain multi-frequency high-resolution sky maps. Making use of the lunar occultation of the sky and the anisotropy of antenna primary beam response, we propose a novel method to reconstruct the ultra-long wavelength spectral shape in multiple directions in the sky using only one antenna on lunar orbit. We apply the method to one antenna on one of the nine daughter satellites of the proposed Discovering the Sky at Longest wavelength (DSL) project. Using simulated observation data between 1 - 30 MHz from one dipole antenna, we find that the spectra for different regions on the sky can be reconstructed very well and the free-free absorption feature in each region can be derived from the reconstructed spectra. This work demonstrates the feasibility to reconstruct the anisotropic ultra-long wavelength spectra with very limited instrumentation on a lunar-orbit, with mature technologies already in place. It extends the application of such kind of satellite in revealing the distribution of free electrons in the Galactic interstellar medium from the distribution of absorption features in the ultra-long wavelength sky.
comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables, submitted to ApJ
☆ Discovering Numerous Interstellar Objects with A Dedicated Space Telescope
I show that a dedicated space telescope with a meter-size aperture can detect numerous interstellar objects, 10-m in diameter, that pass within ~20 degrees from the Sun. Separating the emitted thermal radiation from the reflection of sunlight would allow to measure the surface temperature, area and albedo of these objects. Spectroscopic observations of any evaporated material at the expected temperature of ~600K would provide important clues about the nature and birth sites of interstellar objects.
comment: 5 pages, submitted for publication in ApJL
☆ Searching for Nearby Diffuse Dwarf Galaxies in the COSMOS Field
It remains challenging to systematically survey nearby diffuse dwarf galaxies and address the formation mechanism of this population distinguishing from regular ones. We carry out a pilot search for these galaxies in the COSMOS field using the deep \textit{HST}/F814W imaging data. We report three diffuse dwarf galaxies satisfying the criteria: (1) redshift $z<0.2$, (2) effective radius $r_{\rm e}>1.0''$, and (3) central surface brightness $\mu_{\rm 0}>24$ mag arcsec$^{-2}$. Two of the three galaxies, COSMOS-UDG1 and COSMOS-UDG2, are recognized as ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) with redshift $z=0.130$ and $0.049$, respectively. The third galaxy, COSMOS-dw1, is spectroscopically confirmed as a dwarf galaxy at $z=0.004$. We derive the physical properties through fitting their spectral energy distributions (SEDs) extracted from deep multiwavelength observations. COSMOS-dw1 has a stellar mass of $5.6_{-2.7}^{+2.5}\times10^{6}$ M$_{\odot}$, harboring neutral hydrogen gas of mass $4.90\pm0.90\times10^{6}$ M$_{\odot}$, hinting that this galaxy may be in the nascent stages of quenching. The estimated dynamical mass of $3.4\times10^{7}\,M_{\odot}$ further suggests that COSMOS-dw1 is predominantly of dark matter. COSMOS-UDG1 and COSMOS-UDG2 exhibit comparable stellar masses of $\sim 2\times10^{8}$ M$_{\odot}$. Notably, COSMOS-UDG1 is younger and more metal-rich than COSMOS-UDG2 and COSMOS-dw1. Conversely, COSMOS-UDG2 and COSMOS-dw1 have similar stellar metallicities, yet COSMOS-UDG2 is older than COSMOS-dw1. All three galaxies adhere to the stellar mass-metallicity relation (MZR) for dwarf galaxies in the local Universe, implying they belong to the dwarf galaxy population.
comment: 22 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables; Accepted for publication in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences
☆ Accretion disc reverberation mapping of the quasar 3C 273
We present accretion disc size measurements for the well-known quasar 3C 273 using reverberation mapping (RM) performed on high-cadence light-curves in seven optical filters collected with the Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO). Lag estimates obtained using Javelin and PyROA are consistent with each other and yield accretion disc sizes a factor of ~2-7 larger than `thin disc' theoretical expectations. This makes 3C 273 one of a growing number of active galactic nuclei (AGN) to display the so-called `accretion disc size' problem usually observed in low-luminosity AGN. Power-law fits of the form tau~lambda^beta to the lag spectrum, and nufnu ~ nu^beta to the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the variations, both give results consistent with the `thin disc' theoretical expectation of beta=4/3. The Starkey et al. `flat disc with a steep rim' model can fit both the lag estimates and the SED variations. Extrapolating the observed optical lags to putative dust-forming regions of the disc gives r~100-200 light-days. These radii are consistent with the size of the broad line region (BLR) as determined by near-infrared interferometric studies as well as with the best-fit location of the outer edge for the `flat disc with a steep rim' model. Therefore, the accretion disc in 3C 273 might be sufficiently extended to be dusty, allowing the BLR to emerge from it in a dusty outflow. A flux variation gradient analysis and the structure function of our LCO light-curves confirm that the optical variability in 3C 273 is dominated by the accretion disc rather than its radio jet.
comment: accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ PDRs4All XI. Detection of infrared CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ rovibrational emission in the Orion Bar and disk d203-506: evidence of chemical pumping
The methylidyne cation (CH$^+$) and the methyl cation (CH$_3^+$) are building blocks of organic molecules, yet their coupled formation and excitation mechanisms remain mainly unprobed. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), with its high spatial resolution and good spectral resolution, provides unique access to the detection of these molecules. Our goal is to use the first detection of CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ rovibrational emission in the Orion Bar and in the protoplanetary disk d203-506, irradiated by the Trapezium cluster, to probe their formation and excitation mechanisms and constrain the physico-chemical conditions. We use spectro-imaging acquired using both the NIRSpec and MIRI-MRS instruments to study the CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ spatial distribution at very small scales, and compare it to excited H$_2$ emission. CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ emissions originate from the same region as highly excited H$_2$. Our comparison between the Bar and d203-506 reveals that both CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ excitation and/or formation are highly dependent on gas density. The excitation temperature of the observed CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ rovibrational lines is around $T$ ~ 1500 K in the Bar and $T$ ~ 800 K in d203-506. Moreover, the column densities derived from the rovibrational emission are less than 0.1 % of the total known (CH$^+$) and expected (CH$_3^+$) column densities. These results show that CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ level populations strongly deviate from ETL. CH$^+$ rovibrational emission can be explained by chemical formation pumping with excited H$_2$ via C$^+$ + H$_2^*$ = CH$^+$ + H. These results support a gas phase formation pathway of CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ via successive hydrogen abstraction reactions. However, we do not find any evidence of CH$_2^+$ emission in the JWST spectrum. Finally, observed CH$^+$ intensities coupled with chemical formation pumping model provide a diagnostic tool to trace the local density.
comment: Accepted on the 11/02/2025 in A&A
☆ Evidence of a diffuse, extended continuum source in quasars from the relative sizes of the broad line region and the UV-optical continuum source measured with microlensing
Microlensing by stars in the lens galaxy of a gravitationally lensed quasar is a phenomenon that can selectively magnify quasar subregions, producing observable changes in the continuum brightness or distortions in the emission line profiles. Hence, microlensing allows us to probe the inner quasar regions. In this paper, we report measurements of the ratio of the broad emission line region (BLR) radius to the continuum source radius in eight lensed quasars, for the CIV, MgII, and H$\alpha$ emission lines and their respective underlying continua at $\lambda\lambda$ 1550\AA , 2800\AA , and 6563 \AA . The microlensing-induced line profile distortions and continuum magnifications were observed in the same single-epoch datasets, and simultaneously compared with microlensing simulations. We found that, on average, the inner radius of the BLR starts at the end of the UV-optical continuum source, independently of the line ionization and the wavelength of the continuum. The half-light radius of the BLR is, on average, a factor of six larger than the half-light radius of the continuum source, independently of the quasar's bolometric luminosity. We also found a correlation between the BLR radius and the continuum source radius, supporting the idea that the dominant contribution to the UV-optical continuum may come from the BLR itself. Our results independently confirm the results of reverberation mapping studies, and extend them to higher-redshift, higher-luminosity quasars.
comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics
☆ Impact of accretor size on the morphology of supersonic Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton accretion flows
Fast-moving accretors are ubiquitous in astrophysics. Their interaction with surrounding gas leaves characteristic imprints, forming structures like bow shocks, Mach cones, and density trails. We study how various physical processes affect the flow structure around an accretor with a one-way surface, its accretion rate, and accretion anisotropy. These processes correspond to distinct length scales: the Bondi radius, the bow shock's stand-off distance, and the Hoyle-Lyttleton radius. We conducted adiabatic hydrodynamic simulations using a spherical coordinate grid centred on the accretor. By varying the accretor's (numerical) size across scales -- from much smaller than the stand-off distance to much larger than the Bondi radius -- we analyse how these spatial scales affect steady-state flow physics. All simulations reach a steady state. When the accretor is smaller than the stand-off distance, a bow shock forms ahead, and a nearly spherically symmetric atmosphere develops within. Accretors smaller than the Hoyle-Lyttleton radius produce a Mach cone, while larger ones exhibit a supersonic-to-subsonic flow transition on larger scales. Fully resolved simulations align with Hoyle-Lyttleton theory, showing slightly anisotropic accretion with enhanced inflow from behind. In contrast, larger accretors approach the geometrical limit, accreting mainly from the flow direction, with a low-density 'shadow' forming behind. The accretor's size strongly influences small- and large-scale morphologies. Resolving the Hoyle-Lyttleton radius is essential for capturing large-scale flow characteristics. Resolving the stand-off distance is needed only to study the bow shock: since it determines the shock's position, its non-resolution does not affect large-scale flow morphology.
☆ FEASTS: The Fate of Gas and Star Formation in Interacting Galaxies
We use HI data from the FAST Extended Atlas of Selected Targets Survey (FEASTS) to study the interplay between gas and star formation of galaxies in interacting systems. We build control and mock HI disks and parameterize HI disorder by a series of disorder parameters, describing the piling, clumpiness and expansion of HI. We find that interacting galaxies have higher HI disorder described by almost all disorder parameters. Systems with comparable stellar masses and small relative velocities tend to have stronger expansion and clumpiness of HI. At a given stellar mass, decreased HI and total neutral gas mass and suppressed star formation rate of secondary galaxies are correlated with most disorder parameters. For primary galaxies, HI and total neutral gas deficiency correlate with more HI piling at two ends of the system outside HI disks but not with the expansion or clumpiness of HI. We also find that the HI surface densities of both primary and secondary galaxies are lower within the HI disks and higher outside compared to the control galaxies. Our results suggest that while all the disorder parameters quantify the interaction strength almost equally well, they have different sensitivities in tracing star formation rate and gas mass enhancements. They also imply that while gas removal likely dominates the tidal effects on secondary galaxies, primary galaxies experience more complex situation that are possibly related to gas depletion and accretion happening at different interaction stages.
comment: 24 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ On the light-curves of disk and bulge novae
We examine the light curves of a sample of novae, classifying them into single-peaked and multiple-peaked morphologies. Using accurate distances from Gaia, we determine the spatial distribution of these novae by computing their heights, $Z$, above the Galactic plane. We show that novae exhibiting a single peak in their light curves tend to concentrate near the Galactic plane, while those displaying multiple peaks are more homogeneously distributed, reaching heights up to 1000 pc above the plane. A KS test rejects the null hypothesis that the two distributions originate from the same population at a significance level corresponding to $4.2\sigma$.
comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal
☆ Dynamical Models of the Milky Way in Action Space with LAMOST DR8 and GAIA EDR3
This work explores dynamical models of the Milky Way (MW) by analyzing a sample of 86,109 K giant stars selected through cross-matching the LAMOST DR8 and Gaia EDR3 surveys. Our earlier torus models in Wang et al. (2017) did not include Gaia data, making them incompatible with the new proper motion distributions of samples. Here, we refine the construction of action-based, self-consistent models to constrain the three-dimensional velocity distribution of K giants over a larger parameter space, drawing on a series of existing MW models. This approach produces several new MW models. Our best-fit model for the local kinematics near the Sun indicates a MW virial mass of 1.35 $\times 10^{12} M_\odot$, a local stellar density of 0.0696 $\rm M_\odot pc^{-3}$, and a local dark matter density of 0.0115 $\rm M_\odot pc^{-3}$. Our main conclusion supports a thicker and more extended thick disk, alongside a cooler thin disk, compared to the best-fitting model in Wang et al. (2017). Near the Sun, our model aligns well with observations, but is less satisfactory at distances far from the Galactic center, perhaps implying unidentified structures. Further high-precision observations will be critical for understanding the dynamics in these outer Galactic regions, and will require a more realistic model.
comment: 27 pages, 27 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication in ApJ
☆ Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon and the Ultraviolet Extinction Bump at the Cosmic Dawn
First detected in 1965, the mysterious ultraviolet (UV) extinction bump at 2175 Angstrom is the most prominent spectroscopic feature superimposed on the interstellar extinction curve. Its carrier remains unidentified over the past six decades ever since its first detection, although many candidate materials have been proposed. Widely seen in the interstellar medium (ISM) of the Milky Way as well as several nearby galaxies, this bump was recently also detected by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) at the cosmic dawn in JADES-GS-z6-0, a distant galaxy at redshift z~6.71, corresponding to a cosmic age of just 800 million years after the Big Bang. Differing from that of the known Galactic and extragalactic interstellar sightlines which always peak at ~2175 Angstrom, the bump seen at z~6.71 in JADES-GS-z6-0 peaks at an appreciably longer wavelength of ~2263 Angstrom and is the narrowest among all known Galactic and extragalactic extinction bumps. Here we show that the combined electronic absorption spectra quantum-chemically computed for a number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules closely reproduce the bump detected by JWST in JADES-GS-z6-0. This suggests that PAH molecules have already been pervasive in the Universe at an epoch when asymptotic giant branch stars have not yet evolved to make dust.
comment: 7 pages, 5 figures; published in A&A, vol. 694, A84 (2025)
☆ What causes the ultraviolet extinction bump at the cosmic dawn?
The enigmatic ultraviolet (UV) extinction bump at 2175 Angstrom, the strongest spectroscopic absorption feature superimposed on the interstellar extinction curve, has recently been detected at the cosmic dawn by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in JADES-GS-z6-0, a distant galaxy at redshift z=6.71, corresponding to a cosmic age of just 800 million years after the Big Bang. Although small graphite grains have historically long been suggested as the carrier of the 2175 Angstrom extinction bump and graphite grains are expected to have already been pervasive in the early Universe, in this work we demonstrate that small graphite grains are not responsible for the UV extinction bump seen at the cosmic dawn in JADES-GS-z6-0, as the extinction bump arising from small graphite grains is too broad and peaks at wavelengths that are too short to be consistent with what is seen in JADES-GS-z6-0.
comment: 5 pages, 2 figures; published in MNRAS Letters, vol. 535, L58--L62 (2024)
☆ Interstellar dust revealed by light from cosmic dawn
The obscuration of light from a distant galaxy has raised the possibility that a type of carbon dust existed in the earliest epochs of the Universe -- challenging the idea that stars had not yet evolved enough to make such material.
comment: 3 pages, 1 figure; invited News & Views article published in Nature, vol. 621, pp. 260-262 (2023)
☆ AstroSat UVIT Survey of M31: New Compact Source Catalog
An ultraviolet survey of M31 has been carried out during 2017-23 with the UVIT instrument onboard the AstroSat Observatory. Here we present far and near ultraviolet (FUV and NUV) observations from the M31 UVIT survey, which covers a sky area of $\simeq 3.5^\circ \times 1.3^\circ$ with spatial resolution of $\simeq1^{\prime \prime}$. The observations included six filter bands in the wavelength range of 120 nm to 280 nm. Including the six bands, $\simeq$115,000 sources with signal-to-noise S/N$\ge$3 ( $\simeq$95,000 sources with signal-to-noise S/N$\ge$5) were detected at FUV or NUV wavelengths, with the largest set of detections ($\simeq$54,000 sources) in the FUV 150 nm band (F148W filter). This is considerably more than for the first version of the M31 source catalog (published in 2020), in part due to additional observations of M31 by UVIT and in part due to improved data processing. The magnitude (m$_{AB}$) at which incompleteness sets in is $\simeq$23.0 in the F148W band, with the other bands somewhat less sensitive, with least sensitive band (in m$_{AB}$ units) N279N with incompleteness for sources fainter than $\simeq$20.3). The faintest sources detectable in F148W have m$_{AB}\simeq$25.4, with other bands having higher minimum detectable brightness, with N279N having minimum detectable limit of m$_{AB}\simeq$22.1. The product of this work is the new M31 UVIT compact source catalog, containing positions, fluxes , magnitudes and S/N for the sources.
comment: 15 pages, 7 Figures
☆ Measurements of the Thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect with ACT and DESI Luminous Red Galaxies
Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) photons scatter off the free-electron gas in galaxies and clusters, allowing us to use the CMB as a backlight to probe the gas in and around low-redshift galaxies. The thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect, sourced by hot electrons in high-density environments, measures the thermal pressure of the target objects, shedding light on halo thermodynamics and galaxy formation and providing a path toward understanding the baryon distribution around cosmic structures. We use a combination of high-resolution CMB maps from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) and photometric luminous red galaxy (LRG) catalogues from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) to measure the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich signal in four redshift bins from $z=0.4$ to $z=1.2$, with a combined detection significance of 19$\sigma$ when stacking on the fiducial CMB Compton-$y$ map. We discuss possible sources of contamination, finding that residual dust emission associated with the target galaxies is important and limits current analyses. We discuss several mitigation strategies and quantify the residual modelling uncertainty. This work complements closely-related measurements of the kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich and weak lensing of the same galaxies.
comment: 14 pages, 13 figures, comments welcome
☆ Dark Matter Particle Flux in a Dynamically Self-consistent Milky Way Model
We extend a recently developed dynamically self-consistent model of the Milky Way constrained by observations from the Gaia observatory to include a radially anisotropic component in the dark matter (DM) halo, which represents the debris from the accreted Gaia-Sausage-Enceladus (GSE) galaxy. In the new model, which we call a self-consistent Anisotropic Halo Model or scAHM, we derive distribution functions for DM velocity in heliocentric and geocentric reference frames. We compare them with the velocity distributions in the standard halo model (SHM) and another anisotropic model (SHM++). We compute predicted scattering rates in direct-detection experiments, for different target nuclei and DM particle masses. Seasonal dependencies of scattering rates are analyzed, revealing small but interesting variations in detection rates for different target nuclei and DM masses. Our findings show that the velocity distribution of the anisotropic GSE component significantly deviates from Gaussian, showing a modest impact on the detection rates. The peculiar kinematic signature of the radially anisotropic component would be most clearly observable by direction-sensitive detectors.
☆ Modeling spatially-resolved galactic H$α$ emission for galaxy clustering
Near-infrared spectroscopic surveys target high-redshift emission-line galaxies (ELGs) to probe cosmological scenarios. Understanding the clustering properties of ELGs is essential to derive optimal constraints. We present a simple radiative transfer model for spatially resolved galactic H$\alpha$ emission, which includes emission from the warm-hot diffuse interstellar medium. The atomic level populations are in steady-state and computed in the coronal approximation. The model is applied to multiple IllustrisTNG simulations in the redshift range $1\leq z \leq 2$ to produce the luminosity function (LF) and the halo occupation distribution (HOD). Collisional processes account for a significant fraction of $\approx 40\%$ of the total ${\rm H}\alpha$ luminosity ($L_{{\rm H}\alpha}$). Our LFs are in reasonable agreement with measurements from H$\alpha$ surveys if a uniform extinction of $0.3
comment: 19 pages, 13 figures. Comments welcome
☆ Cold molecular gas in the hot nuclear wind of the Milky Way
Using the Large Millimeter Telescope and the SEQUOIA 3~mm focal plane array, we have searched for molecular line emission from two atomic clouds associated with the Fermi Bubble of the Milky Way. Neither 12CO nor 13CO J=1-0 emission is detected from the HI cloud, MW-C20. 12CO J=1-0 emission is detected from MW-C21 that is distributed within 11 clumps with most of the CO luminosity coming from a single clump. However, we find no 13CO emission to a 3sigma brightness temperature limit of 0.3 K. Using this limit and RADEX non local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) excitation models, we derive H2 column density upper limits of (0.4-3)x10^{21} cm-2 for a set of physical conditions and a H2 to 12CO abundance ratio of 10^4. Model CO-to-H2 conversion factors are derived for each set of physical conditions. We find the maximum value is 1.6x10^{20} cm-2/(K km/s). Increasing [H2/12CO] to 10^5 to account for photodissociation and cosmic ray ionization increases the column density and XCO upper limits by a factor of 10. Applying these XCO limits to the CO luminosities, the upper limit to the total molecular mass in MW-C21 is 132+/-2~Msun, corresponding to less than 27% of the neutral gas mass. For the three clumps that are fully resolved, lower limits to the virial ratios are 288+/-32, 68+/-28, and 157+/-39, which suggest that these structures are bound by external pressure to remain dynamically stable over the entrainment time of 2x10^6 years or are being disrupted by shear and expansion over the clump crossing times of (3-8)x10^5 years. The observations presented in this study add to the growing census of cold gas entrained within the Galactic Center wind.
comment: 7 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics
☆ The Bulk Motion of Gas in the Core of the Centaurus Galaxy Cluster
Galaxy clusters, the largest gravitationally bound structures in the Universe, contain vast amounts of dark matter, galaxies, and hot ionised gas known as the intracluster medium (ICM). In relaxed cluster cores, the ICM appears to cool radiatively faster than the age of the cluster, but the absence of line emission from the predicted cooling rate suggests heating mechanisms that offset the cooling, with feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) being the most likely source. Turbulence and bulk motions, such as the oscillating (``sloshing'') motion of the core gas in the cluster potential well, have also been proposed as mechanisms for the distribution of heat from the outside of the core. Here we present high-resolution X-ray spectroscopic observations of the core of the Centaurus galaxy cluster with the XRISM satellite. We find that the hot gas is streaming along the line of sight relative to the central galaxy (NGC 4696), with relative velocities varying from 130 km/s to 310 km/s within ~ 30 kpc of the centre, indicating a structured bulk flow ("wind") blowing in the core. This wind is consistent with the core gas sloshing. While the wind may prevent excessive accumulation of cooled gas at the centre of the cluster, it could also distribute the heat injected by the central AGN and/or bring in thermal energy from the surrounding ICM, thus contributing to the thermal balance at the cluster centre. The velocity dispersion (turbulent velocity) of the gas is found to be only ~< 120 km/s (corresponding to a Mach number M ~< 0.2) in the core, even within ~ 10 kpc of the AGN. This may indicate that the influence of the AGN on the motion of the surrounding ICM is limited in the Centaurus cluster.
comment: Original version submitted to Nature in September 2024; see final accepted version at DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08561-z
☆ The long life of ultra diffuse galaxies inside low-density dark matter halos: the case of AGC 114905
It has long been known that, in the absence of a dark matter (DM) halo, galaxy discs tend to develop global gravitational instabilities that strongly modify their initial structure. The recent discovery of gas-rich ultra diffuse galaxies (UDGs) that seem to live in DM halos with very low concentrations, a very atypical configuration in the standard cosmological framework, poses therefore a crucial question: is the small contribution from such DM halos sufficient to stabilize the UDG discs? In this work we investigate this question, focusing on the extreme UDG AGC 114905, which previous works found to be unstable. Here, we revisit these studies, using idealised numerical simulations with AREPO of a system composed by a stellar disc, a gas disc and a DM halo in initial equilibrium with each other and with properties based on slightly revised observational data of AGC 114905. We explore different scenarios for the DM halo and we run our simulations for 5 Gyr. We find that in all cases the stellar and the gas discs are stable and that their initial density distributions and kinematic properties remain unchanged during the course of the simulation. We discuss how the apparent discrepancy with previous works (where the UDG developed instabilities) is due to our discs being dynamically hotter and living in slightly more massive DM halos, in accordance with the new observational constraints, previously unavailable. Our findings demonstrate that AGC 114905 (and likely other similar UDGs) can evolve unperturbed in halos that challenge current cosmological models.
comment: 16 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication on MNRAS
☆ Investigating the effects of fresh gas on the Active Galactic Nuclei luminosity of early- and late-type galaxies
The main fuelling processes for Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are currently unknown. Previous work showed that galaxies with a large kinematic misalignment between their stellar and gas reservoirs have a higher AGN fraction than galaxies without misalignment. Such misalignment is a strong indication of a past galaxy interaction or an external accretion event. In this work we use integral field spectroscopy data from the SAMI and MaNGA surveys to investigate the AGN luminosity as a function of kinematic misalignment angle. Our sample of AGN exhibit bolometric luminosities in the range 10^40 to 10^43 erg/s, indicative of low to moderate luminosity AGN. We find no correlation between AGN luminosity as a function of misalignment for AGN host galaxies from both surveys. We find some differences between the AGN luminosity of early- and late-type AGN host galaxies (ETGs, LTGs). AGN in LTG hosts have a wider luminosity range, with most LTG hosts showing aligned stellar to gas kinematics. AGN in ETG hosts have a luminosity range that does not depend on misalignment angle, suggesting AGN in ETG hosts are consistent with being fuelled by external accretion events, irrespective of their stellar to gas kinematic misalignment. While all the AGN in ETGs in our sample are consistent with being activated and fuelled by external gas, the range of observed AGN luminosities is likely caused by secondary factors such as the amount of fresh gas brought into the galaxy by the external interaction.
comment: Accepted for publication by MNRAS. 10 pages
☆ The low-frequency flattening of the radio spectrum of giant HII regions in M 101
In galaxies, the flattening of the spectrum at low radio frequencies below 300 MHz has been the subject of some debate. A turnover at low frequencies could be caused by multiple physical processes, which can yield new insights into the properties of the ionised gas in the interstellar medium. We investigate the existence and nature of the low-frequency turnover in the HII regions of M 101. We study the nearby galaxy M 101 using the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) at frequencies of 54 and 144 MHz, Apertif at 1370 MHz, and published combined map from the Very Large Array (VLA) and Effelesberg telescope at 4850 MHz. The spectral index between 54 and 144 MHz is inverted at the centres of HII regions. We find a significant low-frequency flattening at the centres of five out of six HII regions that we selected for this study. The low frequency flattening in HII regions of M 101 can be explained with two different free-free absorption models. The flattening is localised in a region smaller than 1.5 kpc and can only be detected with high resolution (better than 45''). The detection of low frequency flattening has important consequences for using radio continuum observations below 100 MHz to measure extinction-free star-formation rates.
comment: 15 pages, 13 figures, 5 tables, accepted to A&A
☆ Distribution of Cataclysmic Variables in our Galaxy and Their Position in the HR Diagram in the Gaia Era
In this study, the distances of stellar systems classified as cataclysmic variables in the literature were determined by using the distance compiled from Bailer-Jones et al. (2021). The spatial distributions of cataclysmic variables in the heliocentric Galactic coordinate system are obtained and their positions in the Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram constructed from Gaia colors are discussed.
comment: 7 pages, including 2 figures and 1 table, accepted for publication in the special issue of Contributions of the Astronomical Observatory Skalnate Pleso "Binary and Multiple Stars in the Era of Big Sky Surveys" (Kopal 2024)
☆ Constraining Axion Dark Matter with Galactic-Centre Resonant Dynamics
We study the influence of axion dark-matter cores on the orbits of stars at the Galactic centre. This dark matter candidate condenses into dense, solitonic cores, and, if a super-massive black hole is present at the centre of such a core, its central part forms a 'gravitational atom'. Here, we calculate the atom's contribution to the gravitational potential felt by a Galactic-centre star, for a generic quantum state of the atom. We study the angular-momentum dynamics this potential induces, and show that it is similar to vector resonant relaxation. Its influence is found to be sufficiently strong that such a dynamical component should be accounted for in Galactic-centre modelling. For the Milky Way, the atom is expected to have some spherical asymmetry, and we use this to derive a stability condition for the disc of young, massive stars at the Galactic centre - if the atom's mass is too large, then the disc would be destroyed. Thus, the existence of this disc constrains the mass of the axion particles comprising the solitonic core; for plausible parameter values, such a core is found to be in tension with the existence of the clockwise stellar disc at $2\sigma$ for $4.4\times 10^{-20}\,\textrm{eV} \leq m_a \leq 5.3\times 10^{-20}\,\textrm{eV}$. These constraints will tighten significantly with future, improved data.
comment: Submitted, comments welcome
☆ Are binary-star populations regionally different? --in memory of Sverre Aarseth--
For synthesising star clusters and whole galaxies, stellar populations need to be modelled by a set of four functions that define their initial distribution of stellar masses and of the orbital properties of their binary-star populations. The initial binaries are dynamically processed in different embedded clusters explaining differences in the observed populations. The approach summarised here, for which the Aarseth Nbody codes have been instrumental, allows inference of the initial conditions of the globular cluster omega Cen and the quantification of the stellar merger rate as a function of stellar spectral type, of the role of multiples and mergers for the Cepheid population, and predictions of extragalactic observables. The observability of the four initial distribution functions and their physical and philosophical meaning are also briefly raised. Evidence for the variation of these functions on the physical conditions of star formation and future steps towards extensions to include higher-order multiple systems are touched upon.
comment: 17 pages, 2 figures, Contrib. Astron. Obs. Skalnate Pleso, in press
☆ The AURORA Survey: The Evolution of Multi-phase Electron Densities at High Redshift
We present an analysis of deep $\textit{JWST}$/NIRSpec spectra of star-forming galaxies at $z\simeq1.4-10$, observed as part of the AURORA survey. We infer median low-ionization electron densities of $268_{-49}^{+45}~\rm cm^{-3}$, $350_{-76}^{+140}~\rm cm^{-3}$, and $480_{-310}^{+390}~\rm cm^{-3}$ at redshifts z$=2.3$, $z=3.2$, and $z=5.3$, respectively, revealing an evolutionary trend following $(1+z)^{1.5\pm0.6}$. We identify weak positive correlations between electron density and star formation rate (SFR) as well as SFR surface density, but no significant trends with stellar mass or specific SFR. Correlations with rest-optical emission line ratios show densities increasing with $\rm [NeIII]\lambda3869/[OII]\lambda3727$ and, potentially, $\rm [OIII]\lambda5007/[OII]\lambda3727$, although variations in dust attenuation complicate the latter. Additionally, electron density is more strongly correlated with distance from the local BPT sequence than can be explained by simple photoionization models. We further derive electron densities from the CIII] doublet probing higher-ionization gas, and find a median value of $1.4_{-0.5}^{+0.7}\times10^4~\rm cm^{-3}$, $\sim30$ times higher than densities inferred from [SII]. This comparison suggests a consistent HII region structure across cosmic time with dense, high-ionization interiors surrounded by less dense, low-ionization gas. We compare measurements of AURORA galaxies to predictions from the SPHINX galaxy formations, highlighting the interplay between residual molecular cloud pressure in young galaxies and feedback from stellar winds and supernovae as galaxies mature.
comment: 16 pages, 8 figures; submitted
☆ Early Galaxies from Rare Inflationary Processes and JWST Observations
Rare Poisson processes (PP) during cosmic inflation can lead to signatures that are localized in position space and are not well captured by the standard two- or higher-point correlation functions of primordial density perturbations. As an example, PP can lead to localized overdense regions that are far denser than the ones produced through standard inflationary fluctuations. As a result, such overdense regions collapse earlier than expected based on the standard $\Lambda$CDM model and would host anomalously high-redshift galaxies. We describe some general aspects of such PP and consider a particular realization in the context of inflationary particle production. We then show that the masses and redshifts of the resulting galaxies can lie in a range discoverable by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and future surveys, while being consistent with existing constraints on the matter power spectrum and UV luminosity functions at lower redshifts.
comment: 14 pages, 9 figures
♻ ☆ Galaxy Mergers in the Epoch of Reionization II: Major Merger-Triggered Star Formation and AGN Activities at $z = 4.5 - 8.5$
Galaxy mergers are a key driver of galaxy formation and evolution, including the triggering of AGN and star formation to a still unknown degree. We thus investigate the impact of galaxy mergers on star formation and AGN activity using a sample of 3,330 galaxies at $z = [4.5, 8.5]$ from eight JWST fields (CEERS, JADES GOODS-S, NEP-TDF, NGDEEP, GLASS, El-Gordo, SMACS-0723, and MACS-0416), collectively covering an unmasked area of 189 arcmin$^2$. We focuses on star formation rate (SFR) enhancement, AGN fraction, and AGN excess in major merger ($\mu > 1/4$) close-pair samples, defined by $\Delta z < 0.3$ and projected separations $r_p < 100$ kpc, compared to non-merger samples. We find that SFR enhancement occurs only at $r_p < 20$ kpc, with values of $0.25 \pm 0.10$ dex and $0.26 \pm 0.11$ dex above the non-merger medians for $z = [4.5, 6.5]$ and $z = [6.5, 8.5]$. No other statistically significant enhancements in galaxy sSFR or stellar mass are observed at any projected separation or redshift bin. We also compare our observational results with predictions from the SC-SAM simulation and find no evidence of star formation enhancement in the simulations at any separation range. Finally, we examine the AGN fraction and AGN excess, finding that the fraction of AGNs in AGN-galaxy pairs, relative to the total AGN population, is $3.25^{+1.50}_{-1.06}$ times greater than the fraction of galaxy pairs relative to the overall galaxy population at the same redshift. We find that nearly all AGNs have a companion within 100 kpc and observe an excess AGN fraction in close-pair samples compared to non-merger samples. This excess is found to be $1.26 \pm 0.06$ and $1.34 \pm 0.06$ for AGNs identified via the inferred BPT diagram and photometric SED selection, respectively.
comment: 17 Pages, 7 Figures, Submitted to MNRAS
♻ ☆ Fast-moving stars around an intermediate-mass black hole in Omega Centauri
Black holes have been found over a wide range of masses, from stellar remnants with masses of 5-150 solar masses (Msun), to those found at the centers of galaxies with $M>10^5$ Msun. However, only a few debated candidate black holes exist between 150 and $10^5$ Msun. Determining the population of these intermediate-mass black holes is an important step towards understanding supermassive black hole formation in the early universe. Several studies have claimed the detection of a central black hole in $\omega$ Centauri, the Milky Way's most massive globular cluster. However, these studies have been questioned due to the possible mass contribution of stellar mass black holes, their sensitivity to the cluster center, and the lack of fast-moving stars above the escape velocity. Here we report observations of seven fast-moving stars in the central 3 arcseconds (0.08 pc) of $\omega$ Centauri. The velocities of the fast-moving stars are significantly higher than the expected central escape velocity of the star cluster, so their presence can only be explained by being bound to a massive black hole. From the velocities alone, we can infer a firm lower limit of the black hole mass of $\sim$8,200 Msun, making this a compelling candidate for an intermediate-mass black hole in the local universe.
comment: 33 pages, 11 figures, and 2 tables. Published in Nature. This is the accepted author's version including the correction issued on Sep 17, 2024. The version of record is available from the Journal (open access)
♻ ☆ PAMS: The Perseus Arm Molecular Survey -- I. Survey description and first results
The external environments surrounding molecular clouds vary widely across galaxies such as the Milky Way, and statistical samples of clouds are required to understand them. We present the Perseus Arm Molecular Survey (PAMS), a James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) survey combining new and archival data of molecular-cloud complexes in the outer Perseus spiral arm in $^{12}$CO, $^{13}$CO, and C$^{18}$O ($J$=3-2). With a survey area of $\sim$8 deg$^2$, PAMS covers well-known complexes such as W3, W5, and NGC 7538 with two fields at $\ell \approx 110^{\circ}$ and $\ell \approx 135^{\circ}$. PAMS has an effective resolution of 17 arcsec, and rms sensitivity of $T_\mathrm{mb} = 0.7$-1.0 K in 0.3 km s$^{-1}$ channels. Here we present a first look at the data, and compare the PAMS regions in the Outer Galaxy with Inner Galaxy regions from the CO Heterodyne Inner Milky Way Plane Survey (CHIMPS). By comparing the various CO data with maps of H$_2$ column density from Herschel, we calculate representative values for the CO-to-H$_2$ column-density $X$-factors, which are $X_{^{12}\mathrm{CO (3-2)}}=4.0\times10^{20}$ and $X_{^{13}\mathrm{CO (3-2)}}=4.0\times10^{21}$cm$^{-2}$ (K km s$^{-1}$)$^{-1}$ with a factor of 1.5 uncertainty. We find that the emission profiles, size-linewidth and mass-radius relationships of $^{13}$CO-traced structures are similar between the Inner and Outer Galaxy. Although PAMS sources are slightly more massive than their Inner Galaxy counterparts for a given size scale, the discrepancy can be accounted for by the Galactic gradient in gas-to-dust mass ratio, uncertainties in the $X$-factors, and selection biases. We have made the PAMS data publicly available, complementing other CO surveys targeting different regions of the Galaxy in different isotopologues and transitions.
comment: Accepted by MNRAS
♻ ☆ More is better: Strong constraints on the stellar properties of LEGA-C z ~ 1 galaxies with Prospector
We present the stellar properties of 2908 galaxies at 0.6 < z < 1.0 from the LEGA-C survey. We emphasize the importance of high signal-to-noise, high spectral resolution spectroscopy in the inference of stellar population properties of galaxies. We estimate the galaxy properties with the SED fitting code Prospector, by fitting spectroscopy and broadband photometry together, drawn from the LEGA-C DR3 and UltraVISTA catalogs respectively. We report a positive correlation between light-weighted ages and stellar velocity dispersion ($\sigma_\star$). The trend with $\sigma_\star$ is weaker for the mass-weighted ages and stellar metallicity ($Z_\star$). On average, quiescent galaxies are characterized by high $Z_\star$, they are \sim 1.1 Gyr older, less dusty, with steeper dust attenuation slopes compared to star-forming galaxies. Conversely, star-forming galaxies are characterized by significantly higher dust optical depths and shallower (grayer) attenuation slopes. Low mass (high mass) star-forming galaxies have lower (higher) $Z_\star$, while their stellar populations are on average younger (older). A key pragmatic result of our study is that a linear-space metallicity prior is preferable to a logarithmic-space one when using photometry alone, as the latter biases the posteriors downward. Spectroscopy greatly improves stellar population measurements and is required to provide meaningful constraints on age, metallicity, and other properties. Pairing spectroscopy with photometry helps resolving the dust-age-metallicity degeneracy, yielding more accurate mass- and light-weighted ages, with ages inferred from photometry alone suffering such large uncertainties. Stellar metallicities are constrained by our spectroscopy, but precise measurements remain challenging (and impossible with photometry alone), particularly in the absence of Mg and Fe lines redward of 5000 $\AA$ in the observed spectrum.
comment: Accepted, 24 pages, 17 figures
♻ ☆ Spatial and Chemical Complexity in the W75N Star-Forming Region
We present the analysis of NOEMA interferometric observations of the high-mass star-forming region W75N(B) with a focus on molecular composition and distribution of prebiotic molecules in the source's multiple cores. Over twenty molecules are identified across the region, with many being fit for column density, rotational temperature, spectral line full width half maximum, and v$_{lsr}$. This work includes the first known detection and initial analysis of complex organic molecules in the MM2 and MM3 regions. Furthermore, parameter maps were created from the six molecules that were well fit across multiple regions. The molecular emission was imaged and correlated across different molecules and the continuum to reveal structural features. From the spatial and spectral analysis of the MM1 region, these results concur with those from other studies showing that there is a difference in chemical composition between the MM1a and MM1b regions, with sulfur-bearing molecules tracing MM1a and organic molecules tracing MM1b. The molecular emission imaged toward the MM3 region reveals two peaks, possibly indicating the presence of multiple young stellar objects. These results provide detailed quantitative information about the physical parameters and distributions of molecules in this source. Additionally, these results are part of a follow-up of a single-dish survey of multiple star-forming regions and are discussed in this context.
comment: Accepted to the Astrophysical Journal
♻ ☆ JAGB 2.0: Improved Constraints on the J-region Asymptotic Giant Branch-based Hubble Constant from an Expanded Sample of JWST Observations
The J-region Asymptotic Giant Branch (JAGB) is an overdensity of stars in the near-infrared, attributed to carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch stars, and recently used as a standard candle for measuring extragalactic distances and the Hubble constant. Using JWST in Cycle 2, we extend JAGB measurements to 6 hosts of 9 Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) (NGC 2525, NGC 3147, NGC 3370, NGC 3447, NGC 5468, and NGC 5861), with two at $D \sim 40$ Mpc, all calibrated by the maser host NGC 4258. We investigate the effects of incompleteness and find that we are unable to recover a robust JAGB measurement in one of the two most distant hosts at $R \sim 40$ Mpc, NGC 3147. We compile all JWST JAGB observations in SNe Ia hosts, 15 galaxies hosting 18 SNe Ia, from the SH0ES and CCHP programs and employ all literature measures (mode, mean, median, model). We find no significant mean difference between these distances and those from HST Cepheids, $-0.03\pm0.02$ (stat) $\pm$ 0.05 (sys) mag. We find a difference of 0.11 $\pm$ 0.02 mag between JAGB mode measurements in the CCHP analyses of two fields in NGC 4258, a feature also seen in two SH0ES fields (see field-to-field variations in Li et al. 2024a), indicating significant field-to-field variation of JAGB measurements in NGC 4258 which produce a large absolute calibration uncertainty. Variations are also seen in the shape of the JAGB LF across galaxies so that different measures produce different values of the Hubble constant. We look for but do not (yet) find a standardizing relation between JAGB LF skew or color dependence and the apparent variation. Using the middle result of all JAGB measures to calibrate SNe Ia yields a Hubble constant of $H_0$ = 73.3 $\pm$ 1.4 (stat) $\pm$ 2.0 (sys) km/s/Mpc with the systematic dominated by apparent differences across NGC 4258 calibrating fields or their measures.
comment: 29 pages, 18 figures, 7 tables, submitted to ApJ
♻ ☆ Core to Cosmic Edge: SIMBA-C's New Take on Abundance Profiles in the Intragroup Medium at z = 0
We employ the SIMBA-C cosmological simulation to study the impact of its upgraded chemical enrichment model (Chem5) on the distribution of metals in the intragroup medium (IGrM). We investigate the projected X-ray emission-weighted abundance profiles of key elements over two decades in halo mass ($10^{13} \leq M_{500}/\mathrm{M_\odot} \leq 10^{15}$). Typically, SIMBA-C generates lower-amplitude abundance profiles than SIMBA with flatter cores, in better agreement with observations. For low-mass groups, both simulations over-enrich the IGrM with Si, S, Ca, and Fe compared to observations, a trend likely related to inadequate modeling of metal dispersal and mixing. We analyze the 3D mass-weighted abundance profiles, concluding that the lower SIMBA-C IGrM abundances are primarily a consequence of fewer metals in the IGrM, driven by reduced metal yields in Chem5, and the removal of the instantaneous recycling of metals approximation employed by SIMBA. Additionally, an increased IGrM mass in low-mass SIMBA-C groups is likely triggered by changes to the AGN and stellar feedback models. Our study suggests that a more realistic chemical enrichment model broadly improves agreement with observations, but physically motivated sub-grid models for other key processes, like AGN and stellar feedback and turbulent diffusion, are required to realistically reproduce observed group environments.
comment: 38 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables. Published in Universe. This article belongs to the Special Issue Universe: Feature Papers 2024--"Galaxies and Clusters"
♻ ☆ The Stellar Initial Mass Function of Early Dark Matter-free Gas Objects
Among the remarkable strides made by JWST is the discovery of the earliest star clusters found to date. These have been proposed as early progenitors of globular clusters, which are known to come from the early stages of star formation in the Universe. This is an exciting development in modern astronomy, as it offers an opportunity to connect theoretical models of globular cluster formation to actual observations of these high-redshift structures. In this work, we aim to develop observational signatures of a star cluster formation route known as supersonically induced gas objects, which are dark matter-less gas clouds in the early Universe proposed as a potential origin of some globular clusters. For the first time, we follow the star formation process of these early Universe objects using high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations, including mechanical feedback. Our results suggest that the first dark matter-less star clusters are top-heavy, with a higher abundance of massive stars compared to today's clusters and extremely high stellar mass surface densities compared to the local Universe.
comment: 10 pages, 5 figures
♻ ☆ Distribution functions for the modelling of accretion remnants in Milky Way-like galaxies: insights from IllustrisTNG
We study accretion remnants around Milky Way analogs in the IllustrisTNG simulations to determine how well commonly used distribution functions (DFs) describe their phase-space distributions. We identify 30 Milky Way analogs and 116 remnants from mergers with stellar mass ratios greater than 1:20. Two-power density profiles, as well as rotating constant-anisotropy and Osipkov-Merritt DFs are fit to the remnants. We determine that the remnants are suitable for equilibrium modelling by assessing them in the context of the Jeans equation. Each of the models we consider are reasonably able to fit the stellar remnant energy and angular momentum distribution, as well as the magnitude and shape of velocity dispersion profiles. Case studies matched to two well-known merger remnants in the stellar halo-Gaia-Sausage/Enceladus (GS/E) and Sequoia-are explored in more depth. We find good evidence that remnants with high anisotropy $\beta$, such as GS/E, are better modelled with a superposition of two Osipkov-Merritt DFs than either a constant-anisotropy model or a single Osipkov-Merritt DF. We estimate an Osipkov-Merritt profile with scale radius between 2-4 kpc would be a good first-order representation of GS/E, and comment on existing observational evidence for this as well as studies which could demonstrate it. Overall, we find that DF-based models work well for describing the kinematics of large merger remnants. Our results will be an important reference for future studies which seek to constrain both the spatial and kinematic properties of merger remnants in the Milky Way stellar halo.
comment: 19 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS
♻ ☆ Witnessing the onset of reionisation via Lyman-$α$ emission at redshift 13
$\require{mediawiki-texvc}$Cosmic Reionisation commenced when ultraviolet (UV) radiation produced in the first galaxies began illuminating the cold, neutral gas that filled the primordial Universe. Recent James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations have shown that surprisingly UV-bright galaxies were in place beyond redshift $z = 14$, when the Universe was less than $300 \, \mathrm{Myr}$ old. Smooth turnovers of their UV continua have been interpreted as damping-wing absorption of Lyman-$\alpha$ (Ly$\alpha$), the principal hydrogen transition. However, spectral signatures encoding crucial properties of these sources, such as their emergent radiation field, largely remain elusive. Here we report spectroscopy from the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) of a galaxy at redshift $z = 13.0$ that reveal a singular, bright emission line unambiguously identified as Ly$\alpha$, in addition to a smooth turnover. We observe an equivalent width of $\text{EW}_\mathrm{Ly\alpha} > 40 \, \AA$ (rest frame), previously only seen at $z < 9$ where the intervening intergalactic medium (IGM) becomes increasingly ionised. Together with an extremely blue UV continuum, the unexpected Ly$\alpha$ emission indicates the galaxy is a prolific producer and leaker of ionising photons. This suggests massive, hot stars or an active galactic nucleus (AGN) have created an early reionised region to prevent complete extinction of Ly$\alpha$, thus shedding new light on the nature of the earliest galaxies and the onset of Reionisation only $330 \, \mathrm{Myr}$ after the Big Bang.
comment: 22 pages, 12 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in Nature
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 20
☆ Recovering the structure of debris disks non-parametrically from images
Debris disks common around Sun-like stars carry dynamical imprints in their structure that are key to understanding the formation and evolution history of planetary systems. In this paper, we extend an algorithm (rave) originally developed to model edge-on disks to be applicable to disks at all inclinations. The updated algorithm allows for non-parametric recovery of the underlying (i.e., deconvolved) radial profile and vertical height of optically thin, axisymmetric disks imaged in either thermal emission or scattered light. Application to simulated images demonstrates that the de-projection and deconvolution performance allows for accurate recovery of features comparable to or larger than the beam or PSF size, with realistic uncertainties that are independent of model assumptions. We apply our method to recover the radial profile and vertical height of a sample of 18 inclined debris disks observed with ALMA. Our recovered structures largely agree with those fitted with an alternative visibility-space de-projection and deconvolution method (frank). We find that for disks in the sample with a well-defined main belt, the belt radius, fractional width and fractional outer edge width all tend to increase with age, but do not correlate in a clear or monotonic way with dust mass or stellar temperature. In contrast, the scale height aspect ratio does not strongly correlate with age, but broadly increases with stellar temperature. These trends could reflect a combination of intrinsic collisional evolution in the disk and the interaction of perturbing planets with the disk's own gravity.
comment: 23 pages, 17 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ A Machine Learning-Ready Data Processing Tool for Near Real-Time Forecasting
Space weather forecasting is critical for mitigating radiation risks in space exploration and protecting Earth-based technologies from geomagnetic disturbances. This paper presents the development of a Machine Learning (ML)- ready data processing tool for Near Real-Time (NRT) space weather forecasting. By merging data from diverse NRT sources such as solar imagery, magnetic field measurements, and energetic particle fluxes, the tool addresses key gaps in current space weather prediction capabilities. The tool processes and structures the data for machine learning models, focusing on time-series forecasting and event detection for extreme solar events. It provides users with a framework to download, process, and label data for ML applications, streamlining the workflow for improved NRT space weather forecasting and scientific research.
☆ Stability and Dynamics of Three-Mode Coupling in $δ$ Scuti Stars
Recent observations of $\delta$ Scuti stars find evidence of nonlinear three-mode coupling in their oscillation spectra. There are two types of three-mode coupling likely to be important in $\delta$ Scuti stars: (i) direct coupling, in which two linearly unstable modes (driven by the kappa-mechanism) excite a linearly stable mode, and (ii) parametric coupling, in which one linearly unstable mode excites two linearly stable modes. Breger & Montgomery (2014) find especially strong evidence of direct coupling in the $\delta$ Scuti star KIC 8054146. However, direct coupling is inherently unstable and cannot be the mechanism by which the modes saturate and achieve nonlinear equilibrium. By integrating the amplitude equations of small mode networks, we show that the modes can achieve equilibrium if parametric coupling operates in tandem with direct coupling. Using mode parameters calculated from a $\delta$ Scuti model, we also find that parametric and direct coupling are likely to be simultaneously active. Importantly, parametric coupling does not necessarily disrupt the correlations found in KIC 8054146 between the amplitudes and phases of the directly coupled modes. We conclude that $\delta$ Scuti stars are likely impacted by both parametric and direct coupling and that accounting for both in future large mode network calculations may help explain the complicated mode dynamics observed in many $\delta$ Scuti stars.
comment: 13 pages, 6 figures
☆ PDRs4All XI. Detection of infrared CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ rovibrational emission in the Orion Bar and disk d203-506: evidence of chemical pumping
The methylidyne cation (CH$^+$) and the methyl cation (CH$_3^+$) are building blocks of organic molecules, yet their coupled formation and excitation mechanisms remain mainly unprobed. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), with its high spatial resolution and good spectral resolution, provides unique access to the detection of these molecules. Our goal is to use the first detection of CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ rovibrational emission in the Orion Bar and in the protoplanetary disk d203-506, irradiated by the Trapezium cluster, to probe their formation and excitation mechanisms and constrain the physico-chemical conditions. We use spectro-imaging acquired using both the NIRSpec and MIRI-MRS instruments to study the CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ spatial distribution at very small scales, and compare it to excited H$_2$ emission. CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ emissions originate from the same region as highly excited H$_2$. Our comparison between the Bar and d203-506 reveals that both CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ excitation and/or formation are highly dependent on gas density. The excitation temperature of the observed CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ rovibrational lines is around $T$ ~ 1500 K in the Bar and $T$ ~ 800 K in d203-506. Moreover, the column densities derived from the rovibrational emission are less than 0.1 % of the total known (CH$^+$) and expected (CH$_3^+$) column densities. These results show that CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ level populations strongly deviate from ETL. CH$^+$ rovibrational emission can be explained by chemical formation pumping with excited H$_2$ via C$^+$ + H$_2^*$ = CH$^+$ + H. These results support a gas phase formation pathway of CH$^+$ and CH$_3^+$ via successive hydrogen abstraction reactions. However, we do not find any evidence of CH$_2^+$ emission in the JWST spectrum. Finally, observed CH$^+$ intensities coupled with chemical formation pumping model provide a diagnostic tool to trace the local density.
comment: Accepted on the 11/02/2025 in A&A
☆ Secondary ionisation in hot atmospheres and interactions between planetary and stellar winds
The loss of close-in planetary atmospheres is influenced by various physical processes, such as photoionisation, which could potentially affect the atmosphere survivability on a secular timescale. The amount of stellar radiation converted into heat depends on the energy of the primary electrons produced by photoionisation and the local ionisation fraction. The Lyman-alpha line is an excellent probe for atmospheric escape. We study the interaction between the planetary and the stellar wind, the difference of the predicted mass-loss rates between 1D and 2D models, the signal of Ly-a and the impact of stellar flares. Using the PLUTO code, we perform 2D hydrodynamics simulations for four different planets. We consider planets in the size range from Neptune to Jupiter. We produce synthetic Ly-a profiles to comprehend the origin of the signal, and in particular its high velocity Doppler shift. Our results indicate a trend similar to the 1D models, with a decrease in the planetary mass-loss rate for all systems when secondary ionisation is taken into account. The mass-loss rates are found to decrease by 48% for the least massive planet when secondary ionisation is accounted for. We find nevertheless a decrease that is less pronounced in 2D than in 1D. We observe differences in the Ly-a profile between the different cases and significant asymmetries in all of them, especially for the lower mass planets. Finally, we observe that stellar flares do not affect the mass-loss rate because they act, in general, on a timescale that is too short. We find velocities in the escaping atmosphere up to 100 km/s, with the gas moving away from the star, which could be the result of the interaction with the stellar wind. Furthermore, we find that stellar flares generally occur on a timescale that is too short to have a visible impact on the mass-loss rate of the atmosphere.
comment: 13 Figures, 11 pages
☆ Investigating Solar Wind Outflows from Open-Closed Magnetic Field Structures Using Coordinated Solar Orbiter and Hinode Observations
ESA/NASA's Solar Orbiter (SO) allows us to study the solar corona at closer distances and from different perspectives, which helps us to gain significant insights into the origins of the solar wind. In this work, we present the analysis of solar wind outflows from two locations: a narrow open-field corridor and a small, mid-latitude coronal hole. These outflows were observed off-limb by the Metis coronagraph onboard SO and on-disk by the Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) onboard Hinode. Magnetic field extrapolations suggest that the upflow regions seen in EIS were the sources of the outflowing solar wind observed with Metis. We find that the plasma associated with the narrow open-field corridor has higher electron densities and lower outflow velocities compared to the coronal hole plasma in the middle corona, even though the plasma properties of the two source regions in the low corona are found to be relatively similar. The speed of solar wind from the open-field corridor also shows no correlation with the magnetic field expansion factor, unlike the coronal hole. These pronounced differences at higher altitudes may arise from the dynamic nature of the low-middle corona, in which reconnection can readily occur and may play an important role in driving solar wind variability.
comment: 35 pages, 9 figures, 1 movie, Accepted for publication in Solar Physics
☆ Impact of accretor size on the morphology of supersonic Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton accretion flows
Fast-moving accretors are ubiquitous in astrophysics. Their interaction with surrounding gas leaves characteristic imprints, forming structures like bow shocks, Mach cones, and density trails. We study how various physical processes affect the flow structure around an accretor with a one-way surface, its accretion rate, and accretion anisotropy. These processes correspond to distinct length scales: the Bondi radius, the bow shock's stand-off distance, and the Hoyle-Lyttleton radius. We conducted adiabatic hydrodynamic simulations using a spherical coordinate grid centred on the accretor. By varying the accretor's (numerical) size across scales -- from much smaller than the stand-off distance to much larger than the Bondi radius -- we analyse how these spatial scales affect steady-state flow physics. All simulations reach a steady state. When the accretor is smaller than the stand-off distance, a bow shock forms ahead, and a nearly spherically symmetric atmosphere develops within. Accretors smaller than the Hoyle-Lyttleton radius produce a Mach cone, while larger ones exhibit a supersonic-to-subsonic flow transition on larger scales. Fully resolved simulations align with Hoyle-Lyttleton theory, showing slightly anisotropic accretion with enhanced inflow from behind. In contrast, larger accretors approach the geometrical limit, accreting mainly from the flow direction, with a low-density 'shadow' forming behind. The accretor's size strongly influences small- and large-scale morphologies. Resolving the Hoyle-Lyttleton radius is essential for capturing large-scale flow characteristics. Resolving the stand-off distance is needed only to study the bow shock: since it determines the shock's position, its non-resolution does not affect large-scale flow morphology.
☆ TuMag: the tunable magnetograph for the Sunrise III mission
One of the instruments aboard the Sunrise III mission, the Tunable Magnetograph (TuMag), is a tunable imaging spectropolarimeter in visible wavelengths. It is designed to probe the vector magnetic field and the line-of-sight velocity of the photosphere and the lower chromosphere. The quasi-simultaneous observation of two spectral lines provides excellent diagnostic measurements of the magnetic and dynamic coupling in these layers. The key technologies employed for TuMag are an LCVR-based polarimeter and a solid, LiNbO3 Fabry-P\'erot etalon as a spectrometer. However, it also incorporates several innovative features, such as home-made high-sensitivity scientific cameras and a double filter wheel. TuMag can sequentially observe any two out of the three spectral lines of Fe I at 525.02 and 525.06 nm and of Mg I at 517.3 nm. Laboratory measurements have demonstrated outstanding performance, including a wavefront root-mean-square error better than {\lambda}/13 for image quality, a full-width-at-half-maximum of 8.7 pm for the filtergraph transmission profile, and polarimetric efficiencies > 0.54. Here we report on the concept, design, calibration, and integration phases of the instrument, as well as on the data reduction pipeline.
comment: Contains 58 pages and 25 figures; to be published in Solar Physics Topical Collection "The Sunrise III Solar Observatory" (https://link.springer.com/collections/jegdciedig)
☆ Disk reflection and energetics from the accreting millisecond pulsar SRGA J144459.2-604207
Accreting millisecond pulsars (AMSPs) are excellent laboratories to study reflection spectra and their features from an accretion disk truncated by a rapidly rotating magnetosphere near the neutron star surface. These systems also exhibit thermonuclear (type-I) bursts that can provide insights on the accretion physics and fuel composition. We explore spectral properties of the AMSP SRGA J144459.2-0604207 observed during the outburst that recently led to its discovery in February 2024. We aim to characterize the spectral shape of the persistent emission, both its continuum and discrete features, and to analyze type-I bursts properties. We employ XMM and NuSTAR overlapping observations taken during the most recent outburst from SRGA J1444. We perform spectral analysis of the persistent (i.e., non-bursting) emission employing a semi-phenomenological continuum model composed of a dominant thermal Comptonization plus two thermal contributions, and a physical reflection model. We also perform time-resolved spectral analysis of a type-I burst employing a blackbody model. We observe a broadened iron emission line, thus suggesting relativistic effects, supported by the physical model accounting for relativistically blurred reflection. The resulting accretion disk extends down to 6 gravitational radii, inclined at ~$53^{\circ}$, and only moderately ionized (log$\xi\simeq2.3$). We observe an absorption edge at ~9.7 keV that can be interpreted as an Fe XXVI edge blueshifted by an ultrafast ($\simeq0.04$c) outflow. Our broadband observations of type-I bursts do not find evidence of photospheric radius expansion. The burst recurrence time shows a dependence on the count rate with the steepest slope ever observed in these systems. We also observe a discrepancy of ~3 between the observed and expected burst recurrence time, which we discuss in the framework of fuel composition and high NS mass scenarios.
comment: 8 pages. Submitted to A&A
☆ On the light-curves of disk and bulge novae
We examine the light curves of a sample of novae, classifying them into single-peaked and multiple-peaked morphologies. Using accurate distances from Gaia, we determine the spatial distribution of these novae by computing their heights, $Z$, above the Galactic plane. We show that novae exhibiting a single peak in their light curves tend to concentrate near the Galactic plane, while those displaying multiple peaks are more homogeneously distributed, reaching heights up to 1000 pc above the plane. A KS test rejects the null hypothesis that the two distributions originate from the same population at a significance level corresponding to $4.2\sigma$.
comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal
☆ Analysis of the Gaia Data Release 3 parallax bias at bright magnitudes
The combination of visual and spectroscopic orbits in binary systems enables precise distance measurements without additional assumptions, making them ideal for examining the parallax zero-point offset (PZPO) at bright magnitudes (G < 13) in Gaia. We compiled 249 orbital parallaxes from 246 binary systems and used Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulations to exclude binaries where orbital motion significantly impacts parallaxes. After removing systems with substantial parallax errors, large discrepancies between orbital and Gaia parallaxes, and selecting systems with orbital periods under 100 days, a final sample of 44 binaries was retained.The weighted mean PZPO for this sample is -38.9 $\pm$ 10.3 $\mu$as, compared to -58.0 $\pm$ 10.1 $\mu$as for the remaining systems, suggesting that orbital motion significantly affects parallax measurements. These formal uncertainties of the PZPO appear to be underestimated by a factor of approximately 2.0. For bright stars with independent trigonometric parallaxes from VLBI and HST, the weighted mean PZPOs are -14.8 $\pm$ 10.6 and -31.9 $\pm$ 14.1 $\mu$as, respectively. Stars with $G \leq 8$ exhibit a more pronounced parallax bias, with some targets showing unusually large deviations, likely due to systematic calibration errors in Gaia for bright stars. The orbital parallaxes dataset compiled in this work serves as a vital resource for validating parallaxes in future Gaia data releases.
☆ Long Secondary Periods in Red Giants: AAVSO Observations and the Eclipse Hypothesis
At least a third of red giants show a long secondary period (LSP), 5 to 10 times longer than the pulsation period. There is strong evidence that the LSP is caused by eclipses of the red giant by a dust-enshrouded low-mass companion. We have used long-term AAVSO observations of 11 stars to study two aspects of the eclipse hypothesis: the relation between the LSP phase (eclipse) curve and the geometry of the eclipse, and the long-term (decades) changes in the LSP phenomenon in each star. The stars with the largest LSP amplitudes show evidence of a dust tail on the companion, but most of the 11 stars show only a small-amplitude sinusoidal phase curve. The LSP amplitudes of all the stars vary slowly by up to a factor of 8, suggesting that the amount of obscuring dust varies by that amount, but there is no strong evidence that the geometry of the system changes over many decades.
☆ The EXO-UV program: lastest advances of experimental studies to investigate the biological impact of UV radiation on exoplanets
The EXO-UV program is an international, interdisciplinary collaboration between astrophysicists and biologists aimed at expanding the characterization of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) environments on exoplanets. This approach combines astrophysical studies with biological experiments to better understand the potential impacts of UVR on exoplanetary surfaces. UVR is particularly relevant because it reaches the surface of planets and can influence their habitability. The specific wavelengths within the UVR spectrum depend on the planet's atmospheric composition and the spectral energy distribution of its host star. Additionally, high UVR fluxes emitted during flares and superflares are of particular interest due to the limited information available regarding their biological impact. The EXO-UV program has successfully led to the first experimental study examining the biological effects of high UVR fluences, such as those produced by flares and superflares. Future experimental studies aim to investigate the biological effects of repetitive flares. In this paper, we review the latest results from our EXO-UV program.
comment: To be published in "Solar System Research"
☆ Distribution of Cataclysmic Variables in our Galaxy and Their Position in the HR Diagram in the Gaia Era
In this study, the distances of stellar systems classified as cataclysmic variables in the literature were determined by using the distance compiled from Bailer-Jones et al. (2021). The spatial distributions of cataclysmic variables in the heliocentric Galactic coordinate system are obtained and their positions in the Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram constructed from Gaia colors are discussed.
comment: 7 pages, including 2 figures and 1 table, accepted for publication in the special issue of Contributions of the Astronomical Observatory Skalnate Pleso "Binary and Multiple Stars in the Era of Big Sky Surveys" (Kopal 2024)
♻ ☆ Impact of radiative accelerations on the stellar characterization of FGK-type stars using spectroscopic and seismic constraints
Chemical transport mechanisms are fundamental processes in stellar evolution models. They are responsible for the chemical distribution, and their impact determines how accurately we can characterize stars. Radiative accelerations are one of these processes. They allow the accumulation of elements at different depths in the star. We aim to assess the impact of radiative accelerations on the modeling of FGK-type stars and their impact on the prediction of surface abundances. To reduce the cost of the computation of radiative accelerations, we implemented the single-valued parameters (SVP) method in the stellar evolution code MESA. The SVP method is more efficient in calculating radiative accelerations, which enables computations of large enough grids of models for stellar characterization. Compared to models that include atomic diffusion (with only gravitational settling), the inclusion of radiative accelerations has a small effect on the inference of fundamental properties, with an impact of 2\%, 0.7\%, and 5\% for mass, radius, and age. However, the treatment of radiative accelerations is necessary to predict the chemical composition of and accurately characterize stars.
comment: 12 pafes,13 figures, 1 table
♻ ☆ The SPIRou Legacy Survey: near-infrared and optical radial velocity analysis of Gl 480 and Gl 382 using SPIRou, HARPS and CARMENES spectrographs
Context: Advancements in the field of exoplanetary research have extended radial velocity (RV) observations from the optical to the near-infrared (nIR) domain. M dwarf stars, characterized by their lower masses and higher prevalence of rocky planets, have become a focal point of investigation. This study uses data from the near-infrared spectropolarimeter SPIRou and data available in the literature from the HARPS and CARMENES spectrographs operating in the optical to analyze RVs of two nearby M dwarfs, Gl 480 and Gl 382. Aims: This work aims to detect and characterize exoplanetary companions around Gl 480 and Gl 382 by mitigating stellar activity effects through advanced data analysis techniques. The study seeks to improve the reliability of RV signals by integrating multi-wavelength observations and stellar activity diagnostics. Methods: The study employs a comprehensive approach that combines the line-by-line (LBL) framework with the Wapiti (Weighted principAl comPonent analysIs reconsTructIon) method to correct for systematics in SPIRou data. Through an extensive analysis of available stellar activity indicators and by combining optical data from the HARPS and CARMENES instruments, we perform a joint analysis of RV measurements in both the nIR and optical domains. Results: Our analysis confirms the detection of a planet orbiting Gl 480 with a period of $9.5537 \pm 0.0005$ d and a minimum mass of $8.8 \pm 0.7$ M$_\oplus$. Additionally, we detect a tentative signal at 6.4 d, whose significance depends strongly on the choice of Gaussian Process priors constrained by stellar activity indicators and would require further observations for confirmation. In contrast, no planetary signals are detected for Gl 382, where RV variations are dominated by stellar activity.
♻ ☆ Gaia 19cwm - an eclipsing dwarf nova of WZ Sge type with a magnetic white dwarf
The spectral and photometric studies of the cataclysmic variable Gaia 19cwm (or ZTF19aamkwxk) have been performed. Based on the analysis of long-term variability, it is concluded that the object belongs to WZ Sge type stars. The light curves show eclipses recurring with an orbital period of $86.32048 \pm 0.00005$ min, as well as an out-of-eclipse variability with a period of $\approx 6.45$ min. The latter period is stable for $\sim 4$ years and appears to correspond to the rotation of a magnetic white dwarf, i.e., Gaia 19cwm is an intermediate polar. The Gaia 19cwm spectra show photospheric lines of the white dwarf, and Doppler tomograms demonstrate the presence of an accretion disk and a hot spot. Analysis of the eclipse light curve gives an estimates of the white dwarf mass $M_1 = 0.66\pm0.06$ M$_{\odot}$, the donor mass $M_2 = 0.073 \pm 0.015$ M$_{\odot}$, and the orbital inclination $i=83.8 \pm 1.1^{\circ}$. Modeling of the spectral energy distribution gives the white dwarf temperature of $T_{eff}\approx 13000 $ K. The X-ray luminosity $L_X = (1.6 \pm 0.3) \times 10^{31}$ erg/s allows to assign Gaia 19cwm to a small group of low-luminosity intermediate polars.
♻ ☆ Enabling high mass accretion rates onto massive main sequence stars by outer envelope mass removal
Using the one-dimensional numerical code MESA, we simulate mass accretion at very high rates onto massive main sequence stars, M=30, 60, 80 Mo, and find that these stars can accrete up to 10% of their mass without expanding much if we consider a simultaneous mass removal by jets. In this jetted-mass-removal accretion scenario, the accretion is through an accretion disk that launches jets. When the star expands due to rapid mass accretion, it engulfs the inner zones of the accretion disk and the jets it launches. We assume that these jets remove the outer layers of the envelope. We mimic this in the one-dimensional numerical code by alternating mass addition and mass removal parts. We add mass and energy, the accretion energy, to the outer layers of the envelope, leading to rapid stellar expansion. When the star expands by a few tens of percent, we stop mass addition and start mass removal until the star returns to its initial radius. We also show that the density of the accretion disk is larger than the density of the outer layers of the inflated envelope, allowing the disk to launch jets inside the outer inflated envelope layers. Our results show that main sequence stars can accrete mass at high rates while maintaining the deep potential well, as some models of eruptive systems require, e.g., some luminous red novae, the grazing envelope evolution, and the 1837-1856 Great Eruption of Eta Carinae.
comment: Accepted for publication in Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
♻ ☆ Spatial and Chemical Complexity in the W75N Star-Forming Region
We present the analysis of NOEMA interferometric observations of the high-mass star-forming region W75N(B) with a focus on molecular composition and distribution of prebiotic molecules in the source's multiple cores. Over twenty molecules are identified across the region, with many being fit for column density, rotational temperature, spectral line full width half maximum, and v$_{lsr}$. This work includes the first known detection and initial analysis of complex organic molecules in the MM2 and MM3 regions. Furthermore, parameter maps were created from the six molecules that were well fit across multiple regions. The molecular emission was imaged and correlated across different molecules and the continuum to reveal structural features. From the spatial and spectral analysis of the MM1 region, these results concur with those from other studies showing that there is a difference in chemical composition between the MM1a and MM1b regions, with sulfur-bearing molecules tracing MM1a and organic molecules tracing MM1b. The molecular emission imaged toward the MM3 region reveals two peaks, possibly indicating the presence of multiple young stellar objects. These results provide detailed quantitative information about the physical parameters and distributions of molecules in this source. Additionally, these results are part of a follow-up of a single-dish survey of multiple star-forming regions and are discussed in this context.
comment: Accepted to the Astrophysical Journal
♻ ☆ Spectroscopic Detection of a 2.9-hour Orbit in a Long Period Radio Transient
Long Period radio Transients (LPTs) are a mysterious new class of radio transients pulsating on periods of minutes to hours. So far, eight LPTs have been discovered predominantly at low Galactic latitudes, yet their nature remains unknown. Here, I present the first phase-resolved optical spectroscopy of the 2.9-h LPT GLEAM-X J0704-37, acquired with the 10-m Keck I telescope. Radial velocity (RV) shifts of $189\pm 3 \textrm{km s}^{-1}$ of an M5-type star in a binary system are detected on a period nearly equal to the radio period. Weak H$\alpha$ emission is also present, with some of it possibly originating from outside of the M dwarf. Based on the RV amplitude, and assuming a typical M dwarf mass, the companion mass must be $M \geq 0.22 M_\odot$. Calibrating the spectra with space-based \textit{Gaia} photometry reveals that the system is nearly four times closer than previously reported, at $d \approx 400$ pc, suggesting that more systems could be nearby and amenable to optical characterization. The optical spectrum between 3500-10,000 Angstrom is well modeled by a binary comprised of a massive white dwarf (WD; $T_\textrm{eff}\approx$7,300 K, $M\approx0.8-1.0M_\odot$) and M dwarf ($T_\textrm{eff}\approx$3,000 K, $M\approx0.14M_\odot$). Radio pulses arrive when the WD is at nearly maximum blueshift and the M dwarf at nearly maximum redshift, in contrast to what has been reported in a similar LPT, ILT J1101+5521. GLEAM-X J0704-37 is now the second LPT with an orbital period nearly equal to the radio period, hinting at two classes of LPTs: ``long LPTs'' ($P\gtrsim$78 min) associated with WD + M dwarf binary orbits, and ``short LPTs'' ($P\lesssim$78 min) related to WD or neutron star spins. This work demonstrates that precise localization of LPTs, which enables optical follow-up, will be key in uncovering the mechanism(s) that power this new class of phenomenon.
comment: Accepted to A&A Letters
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena 27
☆ The Interaction of a Supernova Remnant with background interstellar turbulence
Supernova explosions (SNe) are among the most energetic events in the Universe. After the explosion, the material ejected by the Supernova expands throughout the interstellar medium (ISM) forming what is called Supernova Remnant (SNR). Shocks associated with the expanding SNR are sources of galactic cosmic rays, that can reach energy of the PeV order. In these processes, a key role is played by the magnetic field. It is known that the ISM is turbulent with an observed magnetic field of about a few $\mu$G, made by the superposition of a uniform and a fluctuating component. During the SNR expansion, the shock interacts with a turbulent environment, leading to a distortion of the shock front and a compression of the medium. In this work, we use the MagnetoHydroDynamics (MHD) PLUTO code to mimic the evolution of the blast wave associated with the SNR. We make a parametric study varying the level of density and magnetic field fluctuations in the interstellar medium, with the aim of understanding the best parameter values able to reproduce real observations. We introduce a novel analysis technique based on two-dimensional autocorrelation function $C({\ell})$ and the second order structure function $S_2(\ell)$, quantifying the level of anisotropy and the turbulence correlation lengths. By interpolating the autocorrelation function on a polar grid, we extract the power spectra of turbulence at the SNR. Finally, a preliminary comparison with Chandra observations of SN 1006 is also presented.
☆ Signatures of modified gravity from the gravitational Aharonov-Bohm effect
To date, no observational confirmation of dark matter particles has been found. In this paper, we put forward an alternative approach to inferring evidence for dark matter through modified gravity, without invoking fundamental dark matter particles. Specifically, we explore the possibility of extracting signatures of Kaluza-Klein gravity through the gravitational Aharonov-Bohm effect. Kaluza-Klein theory has recently been proposed as an alternative to the dark sector, and predicts a tower of particles, including spin-0 and spin-1 gravitons alongside the usual spin-2 gravitons, which can gravitationally couple to matter. We thus analyze a quantum system in free fall around a gravitating body in the presence of a modified Yukawa-like gravitational potential, and determine the gravitational phase induced by the additional degrees of freedom introduced by the Kaluza-Klein model. Our results reveal that, in addition to the usual result from General Relativity, the quantum wave function of the system exhibits an additional effect: a splitting of the energy levels with a new quantum number due to the extra vector gravitational degrees of freedom. The energy splitting difference between general relativity and Kaluza-Klein gravity is found to be of the order of meV for an atomic system and eV for a nuclear system. Similar values also arise in generic modified gravity models and can be feasibly tested in the future. Numerical estimates for the graviton mass are also provided, and potential imprints on gravitational waves are mentioned.
comment: v1: 13 pages, 2 figures, 4 tables
☆ Scaling relations for the uncertainty in neutron star radius inferred from pulse profile modelling: the effect of spin rate
Pulse profile modelling using X-ray data from NICER permits the inference of mass and radius for rotation-powered millisecond pulsars. This in turn constrains the equation of state of cold dense matter. Previous studies indicate that the uncertainty in the inferred radius should reduce as neutron star spin rate increases. Here we test this using one of the pipelines currently being used for pulse profile modelling with NICER data. We synthesize a set of pulse profiles, assuming different neutron star spin frequencies, spanning the range (25-700) Hz. All of the simulated data sets are generated with the same (single) hot spot configuration, assuming a neutron star mass and radius of $1.6\,M_{\mathrm{\odot}}$ and $10$ km. For this restricted set of synthetic data, we find no improvement in the radius credible interval once spin frequency exceeds a certain value (in this specific case $\sim 200$ Hz). If this result were to apply more generally, it would have important implications for the observing strategy for current and future pulse profile modelling missions: targets can be prioritized based on properties other than their spin frequencies, as long as we are in the millisecond range.
comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ Probing Dark Photons through Gravitational Decoupling of Mass-State Oscillations in Interstellar Media
We propose a novel mechanism for photon-dark photon mass state oscillations mediated by gravitational separation during propagation through the interstellar medium. This phenomenon establishes a new avenue for the detection of dark matter. By analyzing gravitational lensing data from quasars, we investigate the sensitivity of this approach to dark photons. Our analysis demonstrates constraints of$\epsilon<10^-2$ in the dark photon mass range of $10^{-14}eV$. Furthermore, we propose potential applications of this mechanism to astrophysical systems with strong gravitational fields, such as neutron stars and black hole accretion disks.
comment: 7 pages,3 figures
☆ Gaia~19cwm - a dwarf nova of WZ Sge type
The spectral and photometric studies of the cataclysmic variable Gaia 19cwm (or ZTF19aamkwxk) have been performed. Based on the analysis of long-term variability, it is concluded that the object belongs to WZ Sge type stars. The light curves show eclipses recurring with an orbital period of $86.32048 \pm 0.00005$ min, as well as an out-of-eclipse variability with a period of $\approx 6.45$ min. The latter period is stable for $\sim 4$ years and appears to correspond to the rotation of a magnetic white dwarf, i.e., Gaia 19cwm is an intermediate polar. The Gaia 19cwm spectra show photospheric lines of the white dwarf, and Doppler tomograms demonstrate the presence of an accretion disk and a hot spot. Analysis of the eclipse light curve gives an estimates of the white dwarf mass $M_1 = 0.66\pm0.06$ M$_{\odot}$, the donor mass $M_2 = 0.073 \pm 0.015$ M$_{\odot}$, and the orbital inclination $i=83.8 \pm 1.1^{\circ}$. Modeling of the spectral energy distribution gives the white dwarf temperature of $T_{eff}\approx 13000 $ K. The X-ray luminosity $L_X = (1.6 \pm 0.3) \times 10^{31}$ erg/s allows to assign Gaia 19cwm to a small group of low-luminosity intermediate polars.
☆ Modified theories of gravity at different curvature scales
General Relativity (GR) remains the cornerstone of gravitational physics, providing remarkable success in describing a wide range of astrophysical and cosmological phenomena. However, several challenges underscore the urgent need to explore modified gravity theories. GR struggles to reconcile with quantum mechanics, fails to provide fundamental explanations for dark matter and dark energy, and faces limitations in describing extreme regimes such as black hole singularities and the very early universe. This review provides an organized perspective on modified gravity theories by classifying them based on the principles of GR they preserve or violate. Specifically, we consider three broad categories: (1) metric theories that uphold local Lorentz invariance (LLI) and gauge invariance, (2) theories that break gauge invariance, LLI, or parity, and (3) beyond-metric theories that violate the Einstein's equivalence principle (EEP). This classification highlights the underlying assumptions of GR that these theories challenge or extend, providing a framework for understanding their motivations and implications. The review also discusses the current and upcoming experimental and observational tests of GR, including those probing its foundational principles, such as LLI, gauge invariance, and EEP. For each class of modified theories, we examine their ability to address critical open questions in cosmology and black hole physics. These include their potential to explain the accelerated expansion of the current universe, the nature of dark matter, and deviations in black hole dynamics from GR predictions. This review aims to provide a structured understanding of modified gravity theories and their observational implications in the multimessenger era by focusing on the principles preserved or violated. [abridged]
comment: 62 pages, 7 figures, This is a pre-print of two chapters for the Encyclopedia of Astrophysics (edited by I. Mandel, section editor C. Howlett) to be published by Elsevier as a Reference Module
☆ Stereograph: Stereoscopic event reconstruction using graph neural networks applied to CTAO
The CTAO (Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory) is an international observatory currently under construction. With more than sixty telescopes, it will eventually be the largest and most sensitive ground-based gamma-ray observatory. CTAO studies the high-energy universe by observing gamma rays emitted by violent phenomena (supernovae, black hole environments, etc.). These gamma rays produce an atmospheric shower when entering the atmosphere, which emits faint blue light, observed by CTAO's highly sensitive cameras. The event reconstruction consists of analyzing the images produced by the telescopes to retrieve the physical properties of the incident particle (mainly direction, energy, and type). A standard method for performing this reconstruction consists of combining traditional image parameter calculations with machine learning algorithms, such as random forests, to estimate the particle's energy and class probability for each telescope. A second step, called stereoscopy, combines these monoscopic reconstructions into a global one using weighted averages. In this work, we explore the possibility of using Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) as a suitable solution for combining information from each telescope. The "graph" approach aims to link observations from different telescopes, allowing analysis of the shower from multiple angles and producing a stereoscopic reconstruction of the events. We apply GNNs to CTAO-simulated data from the Northern Hemisphere and show that they are a very promising approach to improving event reconstruction, providing a more performant stereoscopic reconstruction. In particular, we observe better energy and angular resolutions(before event selection) and better separation between gamma photons and protons compared to the Random Forest method.
☆ Candidate intermediate-mass black hole discovered in an extremely young low-metallicity cluster in the tadpole galaxy KUG 1138+327
We explore what unusual products a starburst of about 6% solar metallicity and a mean estimated age of ~0.5 Myr can produce in KUG 1138 + 327 at a distance of 24.5 Mpc. Chandra X-ray observations show a dominant point-like source with an average 0.3-10 keV luminosity of 10^{40.3} erg/s and variability by a factor of ~2 over months. This extreme ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) is apparently associated with the young central cluster. A multicolor disk modeling of the X-ray spectrum of the source suggests a standard accretion around a black hole. It also has a morphologically elongated nonthermal radio continuum counterpart on the scale of ~200 pc, probably the longest detected from such a source. The radio, optical, and X-ray findings suggest that it could well be an intermediate-mass black hole undergoing sub-Eddington accretion from a massive star companion. Accounting for the presence of the ULX and the prominent emission lines HeII\lambda4658 and [ArIV]\lambda4711 while lacking Wolf-Rayet spectral features, we estimate the true age of the starburst to be about 2-4 Myr. Only with such a moderate age can the starburst host this extraordinary ULX, probably triggered by a recent influx of extremely low-metallicity gas. This study demonstrates the potential of multiwavelength studies of low-metallicity starbursts to provide insights into what may commonly occur in high-redshift galaxies.
comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. Comments are welcome
☆ Neutron star evolution by combining discontinuous Galerkin and finite volume methods
We present here a new hybrid scheme that combines a discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method with finite volume (FV) and finite difference (FD) methods. The computational mesh is divided into smaller elements that touch but do not overlap. Like a pure DG method, our new hybrid scheme requires information exchange only at the surface of neighboring elements. This avoids the need for ghostzones that are usually many points deep in traditional FV implementations. Furthermore, unlike traditional FV implementations, that require information exchange between each element and its 26 surrounding neighbors on non-cuboid meshes, our new hybrid method exchanges information only between each element and its six nearest neighbors. Through this reduction in communication, we aim to retain the high scalability of DG when using large supercomputers. The goal is to use DG in elements with smooth matter fields and to fall back onto the more robust FV/FD method in elements that contain non-smooth shocks or star surfaces. For this we devise trouble criteria to decide whether an element should be evolved with DG or FV/FD. We use the Nmesh program to implement and test the new scheme. We successfully evolve various single neutron star cases. These include the challenging cases of a neutron star initially in an unstable equilibrium migrating to a stable configuration and a boosted neutron star. These cases are simulated for the first time here in full 3D with general relativistic hydrodynamics using DG methods. We also describe additional numerical methods, such as the limiters and the atmosphere treatment we need for our simulations.
comment: 34 pages, 20 figures
☆ Disentangling the stellar atmosphere and the focused wind in different accretion states of Cygnus X-1
In high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs), the compact object accretes the strong stellar wind of an O-B supergiant companion star. X-ray flux variations alter the stellar wind's ionization state and optical line profiles, which are key in the determination of the orbital parameters of the system. Using the method of Fourier Disentangling, we decomposed the spectral contributions from the stellar atmosphere close to the photosphere and the accreted stream of matter (i.e. the focused wind). High-resolution optical spectroscopy of Cyg X-1 in its hard and soft-intermediate X-ray states revealed state-dependent variability in the line profiles. In both states, we detect H-alpha and He II in both the focused wind and the stellar photosphere, whereas He I is not detected in the focused wind. Additionally, we observe an X-ray/optical anticorrelation, where the lines' intensity decreases in the soft-intermediate state and the lines are more absorbed at the inferior conjunction of the star. These results suggest a stronger wind in the low-hard state and the presence of high-density clumps in the line of sight at the conjunction.
☆ Markarian 501 reincarnates with vigor as a temporary EHBL during VHE flaring in July 2014
Markarian 501, a well known high energy BL Lac object, has exhibited several epochs of very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray flaring events when its synchrotron peak frequency shifted above $10^{17}$ Hz, a signature of extreme behavior. From July 16 to July 31, 2014 such flaring events were observed for 15 days by various telescopes. On July 19 (MJD 56857.98), the X-ray outburst from the source was at its highest and on the same day an intriguing narrow peak-like feature around 3 TeV was observed by MAGIC telescopes, a feature inconsistent with standard interpretations. Using the well known two-zone photohadronic model, we study these VHE gamma-ray spectra on a day-by-day basis and offer explanation. Our two-zone photohadronic scenario shows that, on MJD 56857.98, the peak-like feature appears at a cutoff energy of $E^c_{\gamma}$ = 3.18 TeV. Below this energy the observed VHE spectrum increases slowly and above $E^c_{\gamma}$ it falls faster, thus resulting in a mild peak-like feature.
comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, 1 table
☆ Building Neutron Stars with the MUSES Calculation Engine
Exploring the equation of state of dense matter is an essential part of interpreting the observable properties of neutron stars. We present here the first results for dense matter in the zero-temperature limit generated by the MUSES Calculation Engine, a composable workflow management system that orchestrates calculation and data processing stages comprising a collection of software modules designed within the MUSES framework. The modules presented in this work calculate equations of state using algorithms spanning three different theories/models: (1) Crust Density Functional Theory, valid starting at low densities, (2) Chiral Effective Field Theory, valid around saturation density, and (3) the Chiral Mean Field model, valid beyond saturation density. Lepton contributions are added through the Lepton module to each equation of state, ensuring charge neutrality and the possibility of $\beta$-equilibrium. Using the Synthesis module, we match the three equations of state using different thermodynamic variables and different methods. We then couple the complete equation of state to a novel full-general-relativity solver (QLIMR) module that calculates neutron star properties. We find that the matching performed using different thermodynamic variables affects differently the range obtained for neutron star masses and radii (although never beyond a few percent difference). We also investigate the universality of equation of state-independent relations for our matched stars. Finally, for the first time, we use the Flavor Equilibration module to estimate bulk viscosity and flavor relaxation charge fraction and rates (at low temperature) for Chiral Effective Field Theory and the Chiral Mean Field model.
comment: 38 pages, 17 figures, 6 tables
☆ Long-Term X-ray Variability on the Benchmark YSO HL Tau
HL Tau is one of the most well-studied Class I young stellar objects, including frequent observations at near- and mid-infrared, (sub-) millimeter, and X-ray wavelengths. We present the results of an X-ray variability monitoring campaign with XMM-Newton in 2020 and X-ray gratings spectroscopy from Chandra/HETGS in 2018. We find that the X-ray spectrum of HL Tau is consistently hot (with characteristic plasma temperatures $T \gtrsim 30$ MK) over 31 epochs spanning 20 years, which is consistent in temperature with most Class I YSOs. The high-resolution HETG spectrum indicates the presence of some cooler plasma. We characterize the variability of the star across the 31 observations and find a subset of observations with significant variability on a $\sim$21-day timescale in the observed count rate and flux. We discuss the possible origins of this variability, and identify further observations that would better constrain the nature of the changes.
comment: 16 pages, nine figures. Accepted to the Astronomical Journal
☆ Gamma-ray emission from decays of boosted nuclei in proto-magnetar jets
We examine the detectability of $\gamma$-ray emission originating from the radioactive decays of unstable nuclei that are synthesized in relativistic outflows launched in magneto-rotational core-collapse supernovae. The observed lines have enhanced energies due to the Lorentz boosted nuclei and can also be seen until later times due to time dilation of the rest-frame half-lives. We find that instruments like $\textit{e-ASTROGAM}$ and $\textit{INTEGRAL/SPI}$ are sensitive to these boosted line emissions from 100s of keV to 10s of MeV at a distance of 10 kpc over time scales of 10s of days. For favorable viewing angles, these decays can be detected to extragalactic distances for rapidly spinning proto-magnetar models. On the other hand, detection for off-axis jets is challenging, even for a supernova at the galactic center. Measuring multiple decay lines in addition to the integrated luminosity over $\sim$10 days post-bounce would allow for the ability to distinguish between models and shed light on central engine properties like magnetic field and spin.
comment: 16 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables; comments welcome
☆ A Luminous Red Optical Flare and Hard X-ray Emission in the Tidal Disruption Event AT2024kmq
We present the optical discovery and multiwavelength follow-up observations of AT2024kmq, a likely tidal disruption event (TDE) associated with a supermassive ($M_{\rm BH}\sim 10^{8} M_\odot$) black hole in a massive galaxy at $z=0.192$. The optical light curve of AT2024kmq exhibits two distinct peaks: an early fast (timescale 1 d) and luminous ($M\approx-20$ mag) red peak, then a slower (timescale 1 month) blue peak with a higher optical luminosity ($M\approx-22$ mag) and featureless optical spectra. The second component is similar to the spectroscopic class of "featureless TDEs" in the literature, and during this second component we detect highly variable, luminous ($L_X\approx 10^{44}$ erg s$^{-1}$), and hard ($f_\nu \propto \nu^{-1.5}$) X-ray emission. Luminous ($10^{29} $erg s$^{-1}$ Hz$^{-1}$ at 10 GHz) but unchanging radio emission likely arises from an underlying active galactic nucleus. The luminosity, timescale, and color of the early red optical peak can be explained by synchrotron emission, or alternatively by thermal emission from material at a large radius ($R\approx\mathrm{few}\times10^{15}$ cm). Possible physical origins for this early red component include an off-axis relativistic jet, and shocks from self-intersecting debris leading to the formation of the accretion disk. Late-time radio observations will help distinguish between the two possibilities.
comment: 23 pages, 7 figures, 6 tables. Submitted to journal on 11 Feb 2025. Comments welcome
☆ Gravitational Waves from Accretion Disks: Turbulence, Mode Excitation and Prospects for Future Detectors
We study gravitational-wave emission by turbulent flows in accretion disks around spinning black holes or neutron stars. We aim to understand how turbulence can stochastically excite black hole quasinormal ringing and contribute to a stochastic gravitational-wave background from accretion disks around compact objects. We employ general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations and feed them as the source of the Teukolsky master equation to evaluate the gravitational wave energy spectrum of a single source. The stochastic gravitational wave background from accretion disks generated by the population of stellar-mass compact objects is far below the sensitivity of third-generation ground-based detectors. In contrast, the supermassive black hole population, in particular those actively accreting, could lead to $\Omega_{\mathrm{GW}}\sim 10^{-15}$ in the microHertz. This signal remains well below the sensitivities of pulsar-timing-arrays and LISA, making direct observation infeasible.
comment: 10 pages, 4 figures
♻ ☆ Modulation of X-ray flux by obscuration of neutron star boundary layer
The quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) observed in the X-ray variability of both black hole (BH) and neutron star (NS) systems provide a tool for probing strong gravity and dense matter equations of state. Nevertheless, the mechanism of QPO modulation in NS systems, where the amplitudes of QPOs with frequencies approaching kHz range are very high in comparison to BH high-frequency QPOs, remains an unsolved puzzle. Relativistic ray tracing of photons emitted from the immediate vicinity of compact objects has, to date, been used to investigate various mechanisms that explain the observed weak BH QPOs. However, it has not been applied to model the NS QPO signal, which requires incorporating the NS surface and a bright boundary layer (BL) on it. Here, we explore the QPO modulation mechanisms based on the BL obscuration. Using simplified models of axisymmetric oscillations of thick accretion discs (tori), we demonstrate that the disc oscillations drive the high NS QPO amplitudes through BL obscuration, which is relevant especially for vertical oscillations. We also demonstrate that obscuration effects enable the observability of the Keplerian frequency in the case of discs that decay due to instabilities.
comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal, final version
♻ ☆ X-ray Dips and Polarization Angle Swings in GX 13+1
We present the result from the April 2024 observation of the low-mass X-ray binary GX 13+1 with the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), together with NICER and Swift-XRT coordinated observations. Two light curve dips were observed; during them, the harder Comptonized spectral component was dominant and the polarization degree higher than in the softer, off-dip intervals. Through a joint analysis of the three IXPE observations, which also included the dip from the first observation, we demonstrate that the polarization properties varied in response to the intensity and spectral hardness changes associated with the dips. The polarization degree attained values up to ~4%. The polarization angle showed a swing of ~70{\deg} across the dip and off-dip states, comparable to the continuous rotation seen during the first IXPE observation. We discuss these results in the context of models for polarized emission from the accretion disk and the boundary/spreading layer on the neutron star surface. We also draw attention to the role that an extended accretion disk corona or disk wind can play in generating high polarization degrees and, possibly, swings of the polarization angle.
♻ ☆ flashcurve: A machine-learning approach for the simple and fast generation of adaptive-binning light curves with Fermi-LAT data
Gamma rays measured by the Fermi-LAT satellite tell us a lot about the processes taking place in high-energetic astrophysical objects. The fluxes coming from these objects are, however, extremely variable. Hence, gamma-ray light curves optimally use adaptive bin sizes in order to retrieve most information about the source dynamics and to combine gamma-ray observations in a multi-messenger perspective. However, standard adaptive binning approaches are slow, expensive and inaccurate in highly populated regions. Here, we present a novel, powerful, deep-learning-based approach to estimate the necessary time windows for adaptive binning light curves in Fermi-LAT data using raw photon data. The approach is shown to be fast and accurate. It can also be seen as a prototype to train machine-learning models for adaptive binning light curves for other astrophysical messengers.
comment: Submitted to Astronomy & Computing
♻ ☆ Neural Networks for the Analysis of Traced Particles in Kinetic Plasma Simulations
Cosmic-ray acceleration processes in astrophysical plasmas are often investigated with fully-kinetic or hybrid kinetic numerical simulations, which enable us to describe a detailed microphysics of particle energization mechanisms. Tracing of individual particles in such simulations is especially useful in this regard. However, visually inspecting particle trajectories introduces a significant amount of bias and uncertainty, making it challenging to pinpoint specific acceleration mechanisms. Here, we present a novel approach utilising neural networks to assist in the analysis of individual particle data. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach using the dataset from our recent particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of non-relativistic perpendicular shocks that consists of 252,000 electrons, each characterised by their position, momentum and electromagnetic field at particle's position, recorded in a time series of 1200 time steps. These electrons cross a region affected by the electrostatic Buneman instability, and a small percentage of them attain high energies. We perform classification, regression, and anomaly detection algorithms on the dataset by using a convolutional neural network, a multi-layer perceptron, and an autoencoder. Despite the noisy and imbalanced dataset, all methods demonstrate the capability to differentiate between thermal and accelerated electrons with remarkable accuracy. The proposed methodology may considerably simplify particle classification in large-scale PIC and hybrid simulations.
comment: 20 pages, 17 figures, 11 tables. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and AIP Publishing. This article appeared in "Torralba Paz, Bohdan and Niemiec, 2025" and may be found at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0248597
♻ ☆ Wide Binary Evaporation by Dark Solitons: Implications from the GAIA Catalog
An analytic calculation is given for binary star evaporation under the tidal perturbation from randomly distributed, spatially extended dark objects. In particular, the Milky Way's wide binary star population is susceptible to such disruption from dark matter solitons of comparable and larger sizes. We identify high-probability `halo-like' wide binaries in GAIA EDR3 with separations larger than 0.1 parsec. Survival of the farthest-separated candidates will provide a novel gravitational probe to dark matter in the form of solitons. In the case of dilute axion-like boson stars, the observational sensitivity extends into the axion mass range $m_a \sim 10^{-17}-10^{-15}$ eV.
comment: 23 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables
♻ ☆ Probing the Galactic neutrino flux at neutrino energies above 200 TeV with the Baikal Gigaton Volume Detector
Recent observations of the Galactic component of the high-energy neutrino flux, together with the detection of the diffuse Galactic gamma-ray emission up to sub-PeV energies, open new possibilities to study the acceleration and propagation of cosmic rays in the Milky Way. At the same time, both large non-astrophysical backgrounds at TeV energies and scarcity of neutrino events in the sub-PeV band currently limit these analyses. Here we use the sample of cascade events with estimated neutrino energies above 200 TeV, detected by the partially deployed Baikal Gigaton Volume Detector (GVD) in six years of operation, to test the continuation of the Galactic neutrino spectrum to sub-PeV energies. We find that the distribution of the arrival directions of Baikal-GVD cascades above 200 TeV in the sky suggests an excess of neutrinos from low Galactic latitudes with the chance probability of 1.4e-2. We find the excess above 200 TeV also in the most recent IceCube public data sets, both of cascades and tracks. The chance probability of the excess in the combined IceCube and Baikal-GVD analysis is 3.4e-4. The flux of Galactic neutrinos above 200~TeV challenges often-used templates for neutrino search based on cosmic-ray simulations.
comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, revtex 4.2. V2: minor corrections and clarifications, results unchanged. Version accepted by Astrophys. J
♻ ☆ Fundamental MHD scales -- II: the kinematic phase of the supersonic small-scale dynamo
Many astrophysical small-scale dynamos (SSDs) amplify weak magnetic fields via highly compressible, supersonic turbulence, but established SSD theories have overlooked these compressible effects. To address this, we perform visco-resistive SSD simulations across a range of sonic Mach numbers ($\mathcal{M}$), hydrodynamic Reynolds numbers ($\mathrm{Re}$), and magnetic Prandtl numbers ($\mathrm{Pm}$). We develop robust methods to measure kinetic and magnetic energy dissipation scales ($\ell_\nu$ and $\ell_\eta$) and the scale of strongest magnetic fields ($\ell_\mathrm{p}$) during the kinematic phase. We demonstrate that $\ell_\nu/\ell_\eta \sim \mathrm{Pm}^{1/2}$ is a universal feature for $\mathrm{Pm} \geq 1$ SSDs, regardless of $\mathcal{M}$ or $\mathrm{Re}$. Incompressible SSDs (either $\mathcal{M} \leq 1$ or $\mathrm{Re} < \mathrm{Re}\mathrm{crit} \approx 100$) concentrate magnetic energy at $\ell_\mathrm{p} \sim \ell_\eta$ with inversely correlated field strength and curvature. However, for compressible SSDs ($\mathcal{M} > 1$ and $\mathrm{Re} > \mathrm{Re}\mathrm{crit}$), shocks concentrate magnetic energy in large structures with $\ell_\mathrm{p} \sim (\ell_\mathrm{turb} / \ell_\mathrm{shock})^{1/3} \ell_\eta \gg \ell_\eta$, where $\ell_\mathrm{shock}$ is the characteristic shock width, and $\ell_\mathrm{turb}$ is the outer scale of the turbulent field. In this regime, magnetic field-line curvature becomes nearly independent of field strength. These results have implications for galaxy mergers and cosmic ray transport models in the interstellar medium.
comment: 30 pages, 15 figures, dataset available from MNRAS
♻ ☆ The thermodynamic structure and large-scale structure filament in MACS J0717.5+3745
We present the results of Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray imaging and spatially-resolved spectroscopy, as well as new MUSTANG2 90~GHz observations of the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect from MACS J0717.5+3745, an intermediate redshift ($z=0.5458$) and exceptionally massive ($3.5 \pm 0.6\ times 10^{15}~\rm M_\odot$) Frontier Fields cluster experiencing multiple mergers and hosting an apparent X-ray bright large scale structure filament. Thermodynamical maps are produced from Chandra, XMM-Newton, and ROSAT data using a new method for modeling the astrophysical and instrumental backgrounds. The temperature peak of $24 \pm 4$ keV is also the pressure peak of the cluster and closely correlates spatially with the Sunyaev-Zeldovich peak from the MUSTANG2 data. The cluster center hosts shock fronts to the north and south, for which we report estimates for the shock Mach numbers of $M = 1.6 \pm 0.4$ and $M = 1.9 \pm 0.3$, respectively. Bayesian X-ray Analysis methods were used to disentangle different projected spectral signatures for the filament structure, with Akaike and Bayes criteria being used to select the most appropriate model to describe the various temperature components. We report an X-ray filament temperature of $3.1_{-0.3}^{+0.6}$ keV and a density $(3.78\pm0.05)\times10^{-4}\,{\rm cm^{-3}}$, corresponding to an overdensity of $\sim400$ relative to the critical density of the Universe. We estimate the hot gas mass of the filament to be $\sim6.1\times10^{12}~\rm M_\odot$, while its total projected weak lensing measured mass is $\sim(6.8\pm2.7)\times10^{13}~\rm M_\odot$, indicating a hot baryon fraction of 4--10\%.
comment: 19 pages, 10+1 figures, 7 tables
♻ ☆ Light curves and spectra for stellar collisions between main-sequence stars in galactic nuclei
High-velocity stellar collisions in galactic nuclei produce ejecta that generate potentially observable electromagnetic radiation, making them promising nuclear transients. However, the photometric and spectroscopic properties of these collisions, which would more frequently involve main-sequence stars, remain largely unexplored. Here, using 3D hydrodynamics and 1D radiation-transfer simulations, we investigate the properties and observables of the debris produced in high-velocity collisions between terminal-age main-sequence stars, covering a wide range of collision configurations. The ejecta produce bright UV flares with bolometric luminosities typically peaking at $\gtrsim10^{43}$ erg s$^{-1}$, declining steeply as $t^{-2}-t^{-4}$ to reach $\gtrsim10^{41}-10^{42}$ erg s$^{-1}$ at 0.5 d and leveling off on a plateau at $10^{39}-10^{41.5}$ erg s$^{-1}$ ($M_V$ between $-$10 to $-$15 mag) after a few days. Their spectra evolve considerably during the first few days, morphing from UV- to optical-dominated. The UV range shows numerous resonance transitions from metals like C, N, and O, whereas the optical primarily shows H I Balmer lines. These properties are qualitatively similar to those observed, as well as obtained in models of Type II supernovae. Observables from these events exhibit clear correlations with collision configurations, including impact parameter, relative velocity, and stellar masses. We provide fitting formulae to describe these correlations. Detecting these flares requires sub-day cadence surveys such as ULTRASAT, combined with spectroscopic observations to disentangle degeneracies and infer collision characteristics.
comment: 20 page, 19 figures, 2 tables, submitted to A&A. Comments welcome!
♻ ☆ Is the Spin of the Black Hole in GX 339-4 Negative?
We have studied the accreting black hole binary GX 339--4 using two highly accurate broad-band X-ray data sets in very soft spectral states from simultaneous NICER and NuSTAR observations. Joint fitting of both data sets with relativistic models of the disk, its Comptonization and reflection allows us to relatively accurately determine the black-hole mass and spin, and the distance and inclination. However, we find the measured values strongly depend on the used disk model. With widely used Kerr disk models treating departures from local blackbody spectra using color corrections, we find relatively low black-hole masses and strongly negative spins (i.e., retrograde accretion). Then, models employing radiative transfer calculations of the disk atmosphere predict moderately positive spins and high masses. When adding a warm corona above the disk (as proposed before for both AGNs and accreting binaries), we find the spin is weakly constrained, but consistent with zero. In all cases, the fitted inclination is low, $\approx 30$--$34^\circ$. For the spin axis aligned with the binary axis, the mass function for this source implies large values of the mass, consistent only with those obtained with either disk-atmosphere models or the presence of a warm corona. We also test different disk models for an assumed set of mass, distance and inclination. We find that different models yield values of the spin parameter differing up to $\sim$0.3. Our results confirm previously found strong model dependencies of the measured black-hole spin, now by comparing different disk models and for a low-mass X-ray binary.
comment: ApJL, in press
♻ ☆ Ultrahigh-energy neutrinos as a probe of espresso-shear acceleration in jets of Centaurus A
It has been suggested that Centaurus A (Cen A) could make a contribution to the observed ultrahigh-energy cosmic-ray (UHECR) flux. We calculate the flux of astrophysical neutrinos produced by UHECRs accelerated in the jet of Cen A, a close-by jetted active galactic nucleus. We use a bottom-up approach, in which we follow the energization of protons and heavier elements in a magnetohydrodynamic simulation of a relativistic jet with proper parameters of Cen A, also accounting for attenuation losses based on the observed photon fields. We compare the expected neutrino flux with the sensitivity of current and planned neutrino detectors. We find that the detection of $\sim 10^{17}$-$10^{18}$ eV neutrinos from Cen A would require ultimate neutrino detectors that reach a point source sensitivity of $\sim {\rm a~few}\times10^{-13}~{\rm erg}~{\rm cm}^{-2}~{\rm s}^{-1}$. Successful detection, though challenging, would be useful in constraining the Cen A contribution to the UHECRs.
comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, Published in PRD
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics 12
☆ To clean or not to clean? Influence of pixel removal on event reconstruction using deep learning in CTAO
The Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) is the next generation of ground-based observatories employing the imaging air Cherenkov technique for the study of very high energy gamma rays. The software Gammalearn proposes to apply Deep Learning as a part of the CTAO data analysis to reconstruct event parameters directly from images captured by the telescopes with minimal pre-processing to maximize the information conserved. In CTAO, the data analysis will include a data volume reduction that will definitely remove pixels. This step is necessary for data transfer and storage but could also involve information loss that could be used by sensitive algorithms such as neural networks (NN). In this work, we evaluate the performance of the gamma-PhysNet when applying different cleaning masks on images from Monte-Carlo simulations from the first Large-Sized Telescope. This study is critical to assess the impact of pixel removal in the data processing, mainly motivated by data compression.
comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, proceedings submitted to ADASS XXXIV - 2024, Malta
☆ Exoplanet Transit Candidate Identification in TESS Full-Frame Images via a Transformer-Based Algorithm
The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is surveying a large fraction of the sky, generating a vast database of photometric time series data that requires thorough analysis to identify exoplanetary transit signals. Automated learning approaches have been successfully applied to identify transit signals. However, most existing methods focus on the classification and validation of candidates, while few efforts have explored new techniques for the search of candidates. To search for new exoplanet transit candidates, we propose an approach to identify exoplanet transit signals without the need for phase folding or assuming periodicity in the transit signals, such as those observed in multi-transit light curves. To achieve this, we implement a new neural network inspired by Transformers to directly process Full Frame Image (FFI) light curves to detect exoplanet transits. Transformers, originally developed for natural language processing, have recently demonstrated significant success in capturing long-range dependencies compared to previous approaches focused on sequential data. This ability allows us to employ multi-head self-attention to identify exoplanet transit signals directly from the complete light curves, combined with background and centroid time series, without requiring prior transit parameters. The network is trained to learn characteristics of the transit signal, like the dip shape, which helps distinguish planetary transits from other variability sources. Our model successfully identified 214 new planetary system candidates, including 122 multi-transit light curves, 88 single-transit and 4 multi-planet systems from TESS sectors 1-26 with a radius > 0.27 $R_{\mathrm{Jupiter}}$, demonstrating its ability to detect transits regardless of their periodicity.
☆ Stereograph: Stereoscopic event reconstruction using graph neural networks applied to CTAO
The CTAO (Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory) is an international observatory currently under construction. With more than sixty telescopes, it will eventually be the largest and most sensitive ground-based gamma-ray observatory. CTAO studies the high-energy universe by observing gamma rays emitted by violent phenomena (supernovae, black hole environments, etc.). These gamma rays produce an atmospheric shower when entering the atmosphere, which emits faint blue light, observed by CTAO's highly sensitive cameras. The event reconstruction consists of analyzing the images produced by the telescopes to retrieve the physical properties of the incident particle (mainly direction, energy, and type). A standard method for performing this reconstruction consists of combining traditional image parameter calculations with machine learning algorithms, such as random forests, to estimate the particle's energy and class probability for each telescope. A second step, called stereoscopy, combines these monoscopic reconstructions into a global one using weighted averages. In this work, we explore the possibility of using Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) as a suitable solution for combining information from each telescope. The "graph" approach aims to link observations from different telescopes, allowing analysis of the shower from multiple angles and producing a stereoscopic reconstruction of the events. We apply GNNs to CTAO-simulated data from the Northern Hemisphere and show that they are a very promising approach to improving event reconstruction, providing a more performant stereoscopic reconstruction. In particular, we observe better energy and angular resolutions(before event selection) and better separation between gamma photons and protons compared to the Random Forest method.
☆ Scattered light reduction in Sagnac Speed Meters with Tunable Coherence
Sagnac Speed Meter and ring resonators can be used as high precision instruments, but they are limited in their sensitivity through scattered light causing non-linear noise. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a technique called Tunable Coherence, where the long coherence length of the laser is broken in a controlled way, to suppress the coupling of scattered light in a Sagnac interferometer. We demonstrate a scattered light suppression of 24.2 dB in a Sagnac interferometer and discuss the experimental limitations. Further, we show an analytical discussion on how Tunable Coherence could be a fundamental solution to light scattering back from optical surfaces into the counter propagating beam, which is an issue particularly in ring resonators.
☆ Flat U-Net: An Efficient Ultralightweight Model for Solar Filament Segmentation in Full-disk H$α$ Images
Solar filaments are one of the most prominent features observed on the Sun, and their evolutions are closely related to various solar activities, such as flares and coronal mass ejections. Real-time automated identification of solar filaments is the most effective approach to managing large volumes of data. Existing models of filament identification are characterized by large parameter sizes and high computational costs, which limit their future applications in highly integrated and intelligent ground-based and space-borne observation devices. Consequently, the design of more lightweight models will facilitate the advancement of intelligent observation equipment. In this study, we introduce Flat U-Net, a novel and highly efficient ultralightweight model that incorporates simplified channel attention (SCA) and channel self-attention (CSA) convolutional blocks for the segmentation of solar filaments in full-disk H$\alpha$ images. Feature information from each network layer is fully extracted to reconstruct interchannel feature representations. Each block effectively optimizes the channel features from the previous layer, significantly reducing parameters. The network architecture presents an elegant flattening, improving its efficiency, and simplifying the overall design. Experimental validation demonstrates that a model composed of pure SCAs achieves a precision of approximately 0.93, with dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and recall rates of 0.76 and 0.64, respectively, significantly outperforming the classical U-Net. Introducing a certain number of CSA blocks improves the DSC and recall rates to 0.82 and 0.74, respectively, which demonstrates a pronounced advantage, particularly concerning model weight size and detection effectiveness. The data set, models, and code are available as open-source resources.
comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ
☆ Guiding interferometer improvements with the frequency-dependent inspiral range
The inspiral range is the most common metric for characterizing the performance of ground-based gravitational-wave interferometers. However, there is no clear formalism for working with frequency-dependent inspiral range quantities. We introduce a metric for the cumulative normalized range of a gravitational-wave interferometer, as well as methods to compare two separate noise curves. We show how this metric is a valuable tool for guiding the commissioning of these interferometers and provides increased clarity compared to other commonly used approaches.
comment: 8 pages, 6 figures
☆ Mapping Synthetic Observations to Prestellar Core Models: An Interpretable Machine Learning Approach
Observations of molecular lines are a key tool to determine the main physical properties of prestellar cores. However, not all the information is retained in the observational process or easily interpretable, especially when a larger number of physical properties and spectral features are involved. We present a methodology to link the information in the synthetic spectra with the actual information in the simulated models (i.e., their physical properties), in particular, to determine where the information resides in the spectra. We employ a 1D gravitational collapse model with advanced thermochemistry, from which we generate synthetic spectra. We then use neural network emulations and the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), a machine learning technique, to connect the models' properties to the specific spectral features. Thanks to interpretable machine learning, we find several correlations between synthetic lines and some of the key model parameters, such as the cosmic-ray ionization radial profile, the central density, or the abundance of various species, suggesting that most of the information is retained in the observational process. Our procedure can be generalized to similar scenarios to quantify the amount of information lost in the real observations. We also point out the limitations for future applicability.
comment: Accepted A&A
☆ Endurance Science Workshop 2023 Final Report
Endurance is a mission concept to explore and ultimately return samples from the Moon's largest and oldest impact basin, South Pole-Aitken (SPA). SPA holds the answers to many outstanding planetary science questions, including the earliest impact bombardment of the Solar System and the evolution of the Moon's interior. Endurance would address these questions by traversing 2,000 kilometers across the lunar farside, collecting samples, and delivering those samples to Artemis astronauts for return to Earth. Endurance was identified as the highest priority strategic mission for NASA's Lunar Discovery and Program in the recent Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey. This report summarizes the results from the first public workshop about the concept. Major findings include: (1) Endurance is an exciting concept that would address long-standing, high-priority lunar and planetary science questions, and the community is ready for it. (2) Endurance's sample science objectives are achievable, although they would require coordinated analysis techniques and numerous diverse samples. (3) Geologic context is essential for addressing Endurance's science objectives. (4) While Endurance's objectives center on sample return, Endurance's long traverse would enable a variety of additional transformative science investigations. (5) Endurance is an ambitious mission that would be enabled and enhanced by investing in developing key technologies now. (6) Endurance should strive to include more diverse perspectives in its formulation, particularly from early-career scientists and engineers who will ultimately operate the rover and analyze the samples. Endurance is early in its formulation and the next major activity will be a Science Definition Team (SDT). It is expected that this report and the findings therein may be useful input to the Endurance SDT.
comment: 58 pages, 14 figures
♻ ☆ Testing screened scalar-tensor theories of gravity with atomic clocks
In any scalar-tensor theory of gravity exhibiting a screening mechanism, the fifth force mediated by the scalar field is dynamically suppressed at sub-Solar system scales, allowing it to pass existing tests of gravity. As a result, a major research effort has been carried out over the past decades to `outsmart' screened scalars in this game of hide-and-seek. While most of such tests rely on fifth force effects, one should keep in mind that the latter are by no means the only physical feature of scalar-tensor gravity. In particular, this article investigates the possibility of testing screened scalar-tensor models by means of gravitational redshift measurements performed with atomic clocks. Upon deriving the expression for the redshift in this framework, we propose a thought experiment for testing the chameleon model by clock comparisons, which guides us towards more realistic experimental setups, in the laboratory and in space. We find that currently unconstrained regions of the chameleon parameter space could be ruled out by future redshift experiments.
comment: 25 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in PRD
♻ ☆ flashcurve: A machine-learning approach for the simple and fast generation of adaptive-binning light curves with Fermi-LAT data
Gamma rays measured by the Fermi-LAT satellite tell us a lot about the processes taking place in high-energetic astrophysical objects. The fluxes coming from these objects are, however, extremely variable. Hence, gamma-ray light curves optimally use adaptive bin sizes in order to retrieve most information about the source dynamics and to combine gamma-ray observations in a multi-messenger perspective. However, standard adaptive binning approaches are slow, expensive and inaccurate in highly populated regions. Here, we present a novel, powerful, deep-learning-based approach to estimate the necessary time windows for adaptive binning light curves in Fermi-LAT data using raw photon data. The approach is shown to be fast and accurate. It can also be seen as a prototype to train machine-learning models for adaptive binning light curves for other astrophysical messengers.
comment: Submitted to Astronomy & Computing
♻ ☆ Instrument design and performance of the first seven stations of RNO-G
The Radio Neutrino Observatory in Greenland (RNO-G) is the first in-ice radio array in the northern hemisphere for the detection of ultra-high energy neutrinos via the coherent radio emission from neutrino-induced particle cascades within the ice. The array is currently in phased construction near Summit Station on the Greenland ice sheet, with 7~stations deployed during the first two boreal summer field seasons of 2021 and 2022. In this paper, we describe the installation and system design of these initial RNO-G stations, and discuss the performance of the array as of summer 2024.
♻ ☆ Emulators for stellar profiles in binary population modeling
Knowledge about the internal physical structure of stars is crucial to understanding their evolution. The novel binary population synthesis code POSYDON includes a module for interpolating the stellar and binary properties of any system at the end of binary MESA evolution based on a pre-computed set of models. In this work, we present a new emulation method for predicting stellar profiles, i.e., the internal stellar structure along the radial axis, using machine learning techniques. We use principal component analysis for dimensionality reduction and fully-connected feed-forward neural networks for making predictions. We find accuracy to be comparable to that of nearest neighbor approximation, with a strong advantage in terms of memory and storage efficiency. By providing a versatile framework for modeling stellar internal structure, the emulation method presented here will enable faster simulations of higher physical fidelity, offering a foundation for a wide range of large-scale population studies of stellar and binary evolution.
comment: 12 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication by Astronomy and Computing
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 25
☆ Detectability of dark matter subhalo impacts in Milky Way stellar streams
Stellar streams are a promising way to probe the gravitational effects of low-mass dark matter (DM) subhalos. In recent years, there has been a remarkable explosion in the number of stellar streams detected in the Milky Way, and hundreds more may be discovered with future surveys such as LSST. Studies of DM subhalo impacts on streams have so far focused on a few of the thinnest and brightest streams, and it is not known how much information can be gained from the others. In this work, we develop a method to quickly estimate the minimum detectable DM subhalo mass of a given stream, where subhalo mass here refers to the total mass of a Plummer sphere. Our work is based on an analytic model for subhalo impacts on circular streams, which allows us to model streams with a wide range of properties including width, length, distance, and stellar density. We consider several observational scenarios, based on current and future surveys including Gaia, DESI, Via, and LSST. We find that at 95% confidence level, a stream like GD-1 has a minimum detectable subhalo mass of $\sim 6\times 10^6~\mathrm{M}_{\odot}$ in Gaia data and $\sim 8\times 10^5~\mathrm{M}_{\odot}$ with LSST 10 year sensitivity. Applying our results to confirmed Milky Way streams, we rank order them by their sensitivity to DM subhalos and identify promising ones for further study.
☆ Cosmic Polarisation Rotation from CMB Data: a Review for GR110
We provide an update on the work of di Serego Alighieri (2015), focusing on recent developments regarding constraints on Cosmic Polarization Rotation (CPR), also known as Cosmic Birefringence (CB), derived from Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) polarization data.
comment: 8 pages, 1 table. To appear in International Journal of Modern Physics D. This paper will also be published in the book "One Hundred and Ten Years of General Relativity: From Genesis and Empirical Foundations to Gravitational Waves, Cosmology, and Quantum Gravity", edited by Wei-Tou Ni (World Scientific, Singapore, 2025)
☆ Geometric Interpretations of the $k$-Nearest Neighbour Distributions
The $k$-Nearest Neighbour Cumulative Distribution Functions are measures of clustering for discrete datasets that are fast and efficient to compute. They are significantly more informative than the 2-point correlation function. Their connection to $N$-point correlation functions, void probability functions and Counts-in-Cells is known. However, the connections between the CDFs and other geometric and topological spatial summary statistics are yet to be fully explored in the literature. This understanding will be crucial to find optimally informative summary statistics to analyse data from stage 4 cosmological surveys. We explore quantitatively the geometric interpretations of the $k$NN CDF summary statistics. We establish an equivalence between the 1NN CDF at radius $r$ and the volume of spheres with the same radius around the data points. We show that higher $k$NN CDFs are equivalent to the volumes of intersections of $\ge k$ spheres around the data points. We present similar geometric interpretations for the $k$NN cross-correlation joint CDFs. We further show that the volume, or the CDFs, have information about the angles and arc lengths created at the intersections of spheres around the data points, which can be accessed through the derivatives of the CDF. We show this information is very similar to that captured by Germ Grain Minkowski Functionals. Using a Fisher analysis we compare the information content and constraining power of various data vectors constructed from the $k$NN CDFs and Minkowski Functionals. We find that the CDFs and their derivatives and the Minkowski Functionals have nearly identical information content. However, $k$NN CDFs are computationally orders of magnitude faster to evaluate. Finally, we find that there is information in the full shape of the CDFs, and therefore caution against using the values of the CDF only at sparsely sampled radii.
comment: 19 pages, 14 figures. Prepared for submission to MNRAS. Abstract shortened for arxiv
☆ Planck PR4 (NPIPE) map-space cosmic birefringence
Cosmic birefringence is an effect where the plane of polarisation of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) is rotated by an angle $\beta$ through coupling to a hypothetical parity-violating field. We analyse the Planck Public Release 4 (PR4 or NPIPE) data using a map-space analysis method and find $\beta=0.46^\circ\pm 0.04^\circ(\mathrm{stat.})\pm0.28^\circ(\mathrm{syst.})$ for SEVEM CMB maps and $\beta=0.48^\circ\pm 0.04^\circ(\mathrm{stat.})\pm 0.28^\circ(\mathrm{syst.})$ for Commander CMB maps. These values are slightly higher than previously published results, which may be explained by the fact that we have not attempted to remove any potential bias from miscalibration of the Planck polarimeters. The uncertainty in this miscalibration dominates the systematic uncertainty, which also means that our results are consistent with no parity violation. An advantage of the map-space analysis is that it is easy to investigate any variations on the sky, for example caused by foreground contamination. Our results for isotropic birefringence are fairly robust against different spatial data cuts, but there may be hints of a foreground systematic (north versus south hemispheres) or uncontrolled miscalibration effect (T peaks versus E peaks) that should be followed up in future studies. We additionally find no evidence of a cosmic birefringence dipole (anisotropic birefringence).
comment: 26 pages, 17 figures, 2 tables
☆ Modified theories of gravity at different curvature scales
General Relativity (GR) remains the cornerstone of gravitational physics, providing remarkable success in describing a wide range of astrophysical and cosmological phenomena. However, several challenges underscore the urgent need to explore modified gravity theories. GR struggles to reconcile with quantum mechanics, fails to provide fundamental explanations for dark matter and dark energy, and faces limitations in describing extreme regimes such as black hole singularities and the very early universe. This review provides an organized perspective on modified gravity theories by classifying them based on the principles of GR they preserve or violate. Specifically, we consider three broad categories: (1) metric theories that uphold local Lorentz invariance (LLI) and gauge invariance, (2) theories that break gauge invariance, LLI, or parity, and (3) beyond-metric theories that violate the Einstein's equivalence principle (EEP). This classification highlights the underlying assumptions of GR that these theories challenge or extend, providing a framework for understanding their motivations and implications. The review also discusses the current and upcoming experimental and observational tests of GR, including those probing its foundational principles, such as LLI, gauge invariance, and EEP. For each class of modified theories, we examine their ability to address critical open questions in cosmology and black hole physics. These include their potential to explain the accelerated expansion of the current universe, the nature of dark matter, and deviations in black hole dynamics from GR predictions. This review aims to provide a structured understanding of modified gravity theories and their observational implications in the multimessenger era by focusing on the principles preserved or violated. [abridged]
comment: 62 pages, 7 figures, This is a pre-print of two chapters for the Encyclopedia of Astrophysics (edited by I. Mandel, section editor C. Howlett) to be published by Elsevier as a Reference Module
☆ The Weinberg no-go theorem for cosmological constant and nonlocal gravity
We show how a nonlocal gravitational interaction can circumvent the Weinberg no-go theorem on cosmological constant, which forbids the existence of any solution to the cosmological constant problem within the context of local field theories unless some fine-tuning is assumed. In particular, Infinite Derivative Gravity theories hint at a possible understanding of the cosmological constant as a nonlocal gravitational effect on very large scales. In this perspective, one can describe the observed cosmic acceleration in terms of an effective field theory without relying on the fine-tuning of parameters or additional matter fields.
comment: 4 pages
☆ Expansion-history preferences of DESI and external data
We explore the origin of the preference of DESI Year-1 baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) measurements and external data from cosmic microwave background (CMB) and type Ia supernovae (SNIa) that dark energy behavior departs from that expected in the standard cosmological model with vacuum energy ($\Lambda$CDM). In our analysis, we allow a flexible scaling of the expansion rate with redshift that nevertheless allows reasonably tight constraints on the quantities of interest, and adopt and validate a simple yet accurate compression of the CMB data that allows us to constrain our phenomenological model of the expansion history. We find that data consistently show a preference for a $\sim$3-5% increase in the expansion rate at $z\simeq 0.5$ relative to that predicted by the standard $\Lambda$CDM model, in excellent agreement with results from the less flexible $(w_0, w_a)$ parameterization which was used in previous analyses. Even though our model allows a departure from the best-fit $\Lambda$CDM model at zero redshift, we find no evidence for such a signal. We also find no evidence (at greater than 1$\sigma$ significance) for a departure of the expansion rate from the $\Lambda$CDM predictions at higher redshifts for any of the data combinations that we consider. Overall, our results strengthen the robustness of the findings using the combination of DESI, CMB, and SNIa data to dark-energy modeling assumptions.
comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, plus appendices
☆ Gravitational Wave Signatures Induced by Dark Fluid Accretion in Binary Systems
We investigate the impact of dark fluid accretion on gravitational waveforms emitted by a compact binary system consisting of a supermassive black hole and a stellar-mass black hole. Using a Lagrangian framework with 1~PN and 2.5~PN corrections, we analyze the effects of the spherically symmetric accretion of a fluid with steady-state flow, including those characterized by an equation of state parameter resembling dark energy, on the binary's dynamics. We validate our approach by comparing it with previous studies in the common region of validity and extend the analysis to include both local effects, such as dynamical friction, and global gravitational interactions with the stellar-mass black hole, focusing on their dependence on the fluid's properties. Our analysis reveals that these interactions induce de-phasing in gravitational waveforms, with the phase shift influenced by the fluid's equation of state and energy density. We also extend the study to sudden cosmological singularities, finding that, although they can deform the binary's orbit from initially circular to elliptical, their effect on de-phasing is negligible for cosmologically relevant energy densities. By incorporating both the local and global gravitational interactions of a fluid on a two-body system into the equations of motion, this preliminary study provides a framework for understanding the interplay between fluid dynamics and gravitational wave emissions in astrophysical systems. It further reinforces the potential for probing the properties of astrophysically relevant fluids through gravitational wave observations.
comment: 32 pages, 7 figures, published in Universe 2025, 11(2), 62 (https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/11/2/62)
☆ The stellar mass composition of galaxy clusters and dependencies on dark matter halo properties
We analyze 700 clusters from the TNG300 hydrodynamical simulation ($M_{200}\geq5\times10^{13} \,M_{\odot}$ at (z=0)) to examine the radial stellar mass distribution of their central objects, consisting of the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) and the intracluster light (ICL). The BCG+ICL mass fraction weakly anticorrelates with $M_{200}$, but strongly correlates with the concentration, $c_{200}$, the assembly redshift, $z_{50}$, and the mass gap between the most massive and the fourth more massive member, $\Delta M_{\rm \ast, 4th}$. We explore different aperture radii to nominally separate the ICL from the BCG and calculate ICL fractions. For $r_{\rm{ap}}=2r_{\rm half}$, where $r_{\rm half}$ is the radius containing half the BCG+ICL mass, the ICL fraction is nearly independent of $M_{200}$, $c_{200}$, and $z_{50}$ with values $M_{\ast,\rm ICL}/(M_{\ast,\rm ICL}+M_{\ast,\rm BCG})= 0.33\pm0.03$. Including the stellar mass of the satellites, the fraction $M_{\ast,\rm ICL}/(M_{\ast,\rm ICL}+M_{\ast,\rm BCG}+M_{\rm \ast,sat})$ weakly anticorrelates with $M_{200}$ and strongly correlates with $c_{200}$, $z_{50}$, and $\Delta M_{\rm \ast, 4th}$, suggesting that in more concentrated/earlier assembled/more relaxed clusters more stellar mass is lost from the satellites (by tidal stripping, and mergers) in favour of the ICL and BCG. Indeed, we find that ex-situ stars dominate both in the BCG and ICL masses, with mergers contributing more to the BCG, while tidal stripping contributes more to the ICL. We find that the difference between the projected and 3D ICL fractions are only a few per cent and suggest using $2r_{\rm half}$ to separate the ICL from the BCG in observed clusters.
comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS (submitted 29 November 2024)
☆ $f(T)$ Gravity: Background Dependence and Propagating Degrees of Freedom
The standard cosmological model, rooted in General Relativity (GR), has achieved remarkable success, yet it still faces unresolved issues like the nature of dark matter, dark energy, and the Hubble tension. These challenges might imply the need for alternative gravitational theories. Teleparallel gravity offers a compelling framework by reformulating the gravitational interaction using torsion, rather than curvature, as its fundamental geometrical property. This paper delves into $f(T)$ gravity, an extension of the Teleparallel Equivalent of General Relativity (TEGR), which introduces non-linear modifications of the torsion scalar $T$. We focus on the role of spacetime-dependent Lorentz transformations in the vierbein formalism, examining their impact on both background solutions and perturbation dynamics. Special attention is given to the homogeneous and isotropic FLRW spacetime, as well as the anisotropic Bianchi I spacetime. Furthermore, the analysis of the propagating degrees of freedom on these spacetimes is performed. While it is well established that TEGR reproduces the same results as GR, the propagating degrees of freedom in its non-linear extension, $f(T)$ gravity, is still debated in the literature. In this work, we find that only two fields propagate in the gravity sector, independently of the background spacetime considered, either FLRW or Bianchi I. Although not definitive, this paper provides fresh insights into the issue of the propagating degrees of freedom in $f(T)$ gravity, opening the door to intriguing new directions for further investigation.
comment: 19 pages
☆ Phase transitions in an expanding medium -- hot remnants
We analyze the dynamics of a first order confinement/deconfinement phase transition in an expanding medium using an effective boundary description fitted to the holographic Witten model. We observe and analyze hot plasma remnants, which do not cool down or nucleate bubbles despite the expansion of the system. The appearance of the hot remnants, the dynamics of their shrinking and subsequent dissolution and further heating up is very robust and persists in such diverse scenarios as boost-invariant expansion with a flat Minkowski metric and cosmological expansion in a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker spacetime.
comment: 9 pages, 9 figures
☆ A Sizable Discrepancy in Ground-Based JAGB Distances to Nearby Galaxies
Recently, Freedman et al. (2024) report agreement of distances derived from the Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB) and the J-Region Asymptotic Giant Branch (JAGB) at the 1$\%$ level for both nearby galaxies with ground-based imaging (0.5-4 Mpc) as well distant galaxies with JWST imaging (7-23 Mpc). Here we compare the same ground-based JAGB distances to uniformly reduced space-based optical TRGB distances from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). We uncover a significant offset between these two distance scales of $\Delta\mu$ = 0.17 $\pm$ 0.04 (stat) $\pm$ 0.06 (sys) mag (9$\%$ in distance), with the HST TRGB distances being further. Inspections of the HST color-magnitude diagrams make a compelling case that the issue lies in the underlying JAGB distances. The source of the disagreement may lie with the lower resolution or photometric calibration of the ground-based near-infrared data, a contrast to the general agreement found between JWST JAGB and other space-based, second-rung distance indicators (Cepheids, Miras, TRGB) presented within Riess et al. (2024). High-resolution, near-infrared observations from an ongoing HST program will enable the simultaneous measurement of Cepheid, JAGB, and TRGB distances in four of these nearby galaxies and allow us to investigate whether the discrepancy noted here is due to ground-based observational systematics, or something intrinsic to the JAGB method relevant for this particular sample. A resolution of this discrepancy is required if the JAGB is to be used to determine a highly precise local value of the Hubble constant.
comment: Primary result shown in Figure 1. To be submitted to the AAS Journals within two weeks from arXiv posting. Comments welcome and appreciated
☆ Gauge hierarchy and metastability from Higgs-driven crunching
We present a new solution to the Higgs hierarchy problem based on a dynamical vacuum selection mechanism in a landscape which scans the Higgs mass. In patches where the Higgs mass parameter takes a natural value, the Higgs potential only admits a minimum with a large and negative energy density. This causes a cosmological crunch, removing such patches from the landscape. Conversely, in patches where the Higgs mass parameter is smaller than a critical value, the Higgs potential admits a metastable minimum with the standard cosmological history. This critical value is determined by the instability scale, where the quartic coupling turns negative due to its running. The ability of this mechanism to explain the observed Higgs mass hinges on new physics at the TeV scale, such as vector-like fermions. We study two simple realizations of this scenario in a heavy neutral lepton model and in the singlet-doublet model, the latter mimicking a Higgsino-bino system. We show that the relevant parts of their parameter spaces can be probed by proposed future colliders, such as the FCC-ee or a muon collider.
comment: 30 pages, 6 figures
♻ ☆ The Einstein Telescope standard siren simulations for $f(Q)$ cosmologies
To investigate the model and extra frictional effects in standard siren simulation of $f(Q)$ cosmologies, we simulated three types of standard siren data based on different fiducial models ($\Lambda$CDM and $f(Q)$ models). Both effects are important in standard siren simulation. Explicitly, the $f(Q)_P$ and $f(Q)_E$ models need more observational data (e.g.growth factor) to further study. The $f(Q)_{PE}$ model could be ruled out by the EM data. And both the $f(Q)_{HT}$ models will be excluded by the future standard siren data.
comment: 16 pages, 6 figures
♻ ☆ Calibrating the Absolute Magnitude of Type Ia Supernovae in Nearby Galaxies using [OII] and Implications for $H_{0}$
The present state of cosmology is facing a crisis where there is a fundamental disagreement in measurements of the Hubble constant ($H_{0}$), with significant tension between the early and late universe methods. Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are important to measuring $H_{0}$ through the astronomical distance ladder. However, there remains potential to better standardise SN Ia light curves by using known dependencies on host galaxy properties after the standard light curve width and colour corrections have been applied to the peak SN Ia luminosities. To explore this, we use the 5-year photometrically identified SNe Ia sample obtained by the Dark Energy Survey, along with host galaxy spectra obtained by the Australian Dark Energy Survey. Using host galaxy spectroscopy, we find a significant trend with the equivalent width (EW) of the [OII] $\lambda\lambda$ 3727, 29 doublet, a proxy for specific star formation rate, and Hubble residuals. We find that the correlation with [OII] EW is a powerful alternative to the commonly used mass step after initial light curve corrections. Applying this [OII] EW correction to 20 SNe Ia in calibrator galaxies observed with WiFeS, we examined the impact on SN Ia absolute magnitudes and $H_{0}$. Our [OII] EW corrections result in $H_{0}$ values ranging between 73.04 to 73.51 $\mathrm{km} \mathrm{s}^{-1} \mathrm{Mpc}^{-1}$, with a combined statistical and systematic uncertainty of $\sim$1.31 $\mathrm{km} \mathrm{s}^{-1} \mathrm{Mpc}^{-1}$. However, even with this additional correction, the impact of host galaxy properties in standardising SNe Ia appears limited in reducing the current tension ($\sim$5$\sigma$) with the CMB result for $H_{0}$.
comment: 16 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS
♻ ☆ A quantitative analysis of Gravitational Wave spectrum sourced from First-Order Chiral Phase Transition of QCD
We investigate the cosmological first-order chiral phase transition of QCD, and for the first time calculate its parameters which can fully determine the gravitational wave spectrum. With the state-of-the-art calculation from the functional QCD method, we found that the large chemical potential of QCD phase transition results in very weak and fast first-order phase transitions at the temperature lower than $\mathcal{O}(10^2)$ MeV. These results further suggest that the GW signals of NANOGrav are very unlikely sourced from the chiral phase transition of QCD.
♻ ☆ Interpreting Pulsar Timing Array data of Gravitational Waves with Ekpyrosis-Bouncing Cosmology
Recent pulsar timing array (PTA) experiments have reported strong evidence of the stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB). If interpreted as primordial Gravitational Waves (pGWs), the signal favors a strongly blue-tilted spectrum. On the other hand, the Ekpyrosis-bouncing cosmology with a strongly blue-tilted GW spectrum, i.e., $n_T \simeq 2$, offers a potential explanation for the observed SGWB signal. In this paper, we construct a concrete Ekpyrosis-bouncing model, and show its capacity to intepret the PTA result without pathologies. Both tensor and scalar perturbations are analysed with constraints from the current observations.
comment: 27 pages, 4 figures and 1 table. Accepted by PRD
♻ ☆ Constraints on $f(R)$ gravity from tSZE-selected SPT galaxy clusters and weak lensing mass calibration from DES and HST
We present constraints on the $f(R)$ gravity model using a sample of 1,005 galaxy clusters in the redshift range $0.25 - 1.78$ that have been selected through the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect (tSZE) from South Pole Telescope (SPT) data and subjected to optical and near-infrared confirmation with the Multi-component Matched Filter (MCMF) algorithm. We employ weak gravitational lensing mass calibration from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) Year 3 data for 688 clusters at $z < 0.95$ and from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) for 39 clusters with $0.6 < z < 1.7$. Our cluster sample is a powerful probe of $f(R)$ gravity, because this model predicts a scale-dependent enhancement in the growth of structure, which impacts the halo mass function (HMF) at cluster mass scales. To account for these modified gravity effects on the HMF, our analysis employs a semi-analytical approach calibrated with numerical simulations. Combining calibrated cluster counts with primary cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature and polarization anisotropy measurements from the Planck2018 release, we derive robust constraints on the $f(R)$ parameter $f_{R0}$. Our results, $\log_{10} |f_{R0}| < -5.32$ at the 95 % credible level, are the tightest current constraints on $f(R)$ gravity from cosmological scales. This upper limit rules out $f(R)$-like deviations from general relativity that result in more than a $\sim$20 % enhancement of the cluster population on mass scales $M_\mathrm{200c}>3\times10^{14}M_\odot$.
comment: 21 pages, 6 figures, published in Phys. Rev. D
♻ ☆ The thermodynamic structure and large-scale structure filament in MACS J0717.5+3745
We present the results of Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray imaging and spatially-resolved spectroscopy, as well as new MUSTANG2 90~GHz observations of the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect from MACS J0717.5+3745, an intermediate redshift ($z=0.5458$) and exceptionally massive ($3.5 \pm 0.6\ times 10^{15}~\rm M_\odot$) Frontier Fields cluster experiencing multiple mergers and hosting an apparent X-ray bright large scale structure filament. Thermodynamical maps are produced from Chandra, XMM-Newton, and ROSAT data using a new method for modeling the astrophysical and instrumental backgrounds. The temperature peak of $24 \pm 4$ keV is also the pressure peak of the cluster and closely correlates spatially with the Sunyaev-Zeldovich peak from the MUSTANG2 data. The cluster center hosts shock fronts to the north and south, for which we report estimates for the shock Mach numbers of $M = 1.6 \pm 0.4$ and $M = 1.9 \pm 0.3$, respectively. Bayesian X-ray Analysis methods were used to disentangle different projected spectral signatures for the filament structure, with Akaike and Bayes criteria being used to select the most appropriate model to describe the various temperature components. We report an X-ray filament temperature of $3.1_{-0.3}^{+0.6}$ keV and a density $(3.78\pm0.05)\times10^{-4}\,{\rm cm^{-3}}$, corresponding to an overdensity of $\sim400$ relative to the critical density of the Universe. We estimate the hot gas mass of the filament to be $\sim6.1\times10^{12}~\rm M_\odot$, while its total projected weak lensing measured mass is $\sim(6.8\pm2.7)\times10^{13}~\rm M_\odot$, indicating a hot baryon fraction of 4--10\%.
comment: 19 pages, 10+1 figures, 7 tables
♻ ☆ Core to Cosmic Edge: SIMBA-C's New Take on Abundance Profiles in the Intragroup Medium at z = 0
We employ the SIMBA-C cosmological simulation to study the impact of its upgraded chemical enrichment model (Chem5) on the distribution of metals in the intragroup medium (IGrM). We investigate the projected X-ray emission-weighted abundance profiles of key elements over two decades in halo mass ($10^{13} \leq M_{500}/\mathrm{M_\odot} \leq 10^{15}$). Typically, SIMBA-C generates lower-amplitude abundance profiles than SIMBA with flatter cores, in better agreement with observations. For low-mass groups, both simulations over-enrich the IGrM with Si, S, Ca, and Fe compared to observations, a trend likely related to inadequate modeling of metal dispersal and mixing. We analyze the 3D mass-weighted abundance profiles, concluding that the lower SIMBA-C IGrM abundances are primarily a consequence of fewer metals in the IGrM, driven by reduced metal yields in Chem5, and the removal of the instantaneous recycling of metals approximation employed by SIMBA. Additionally, an increased IGrM mass in low-mass SIMBA-C groups is likely triggered by changes to the AGN and stellar feedback models. Our study suggests that a more realistic chemical enrichment model broadly improves agreement with observations, but physically motivated sub-grid models for other key processes, like AGN and stellar feedback and turbulent diffusion, are required to realistically reproduce observed group environments.
comment: 40 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables. Published in Universe. This article belongs to the Special Issue Universe: Feature Papers 2024--"Galaxies and Clusters"
♻ ☆ The Status of Neutrino Cosmology: Standard $Λ$CDM, Extensions, and Tensions
We examine the performance of the six-parameter $\Lambda$CDM model and its extensions in light of recent cosmological observations, with particular focus on neutrino properties inferred from cosmology. Using a broad suite of nine combinations of datasets, with three separate analyses of the Planck Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) data, and three separate supernovae (SNe) survey data, plus the recent DESI baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) scale results, we derive constraints on the sum of neutrino masses ($\Sigma m_\nu$). Our results show upper limits in the range of $\Sigma m_\nu < 76.9\,\mathrm{meV}$ to $\Sigma m_\nu < 108\,\mathrm{meV}$ (95\% CL). The variation in the limits on $\Sigma m_\nu$ arises from the separate analyses of the Planck CMB data and the separate supernovae datasets, as they relate to the inferred matter density and its relation to the sensitivity of the BAO scale and CMB lensing to $\Sigma m_\nu$. In the context of hierarchical mass models in $\Lambda$CDM, we find a $1.47\sigma$ preference for normal ordering (NO) over inverted ordering (IO), with similar values of preference across all datasets. Despite the strong constraints, an inclination towards massless neutrinos over NO remains weak at $1.36\sigma$. We find that a ``negative'' neutrino mass, inferred from the shape of the likelihood in the physical regime, $\Sigma m_\nu > 0$, is only present at less than $2\sigma$. We confirm that models allowing extra relativistic degrees of freedom, with $N_{\rm eff} \approx 3.5$, alleviate the Hubble tension. Significantly, we find a $3.3\sigma$ preference for a 0.1 eV partially thermalized sterile neutrino when the SH0ES $H_0$ measurement is included, a scale of interest in short-baseline oscillation experiment results. [abridged]
comment: 20 pages, 7 figures, v2: matches published version
♻ ☆ Dark Matter from Dark Glueball Dominance
New gauge forces can play an important role in the evolution of the early universe. In this work we investigate the cosmological implications of a pure Yang-Mills dark sector that is dominantly populated after primordial inflation. Such a dark sector takes the form of a bath of dark gluons at high temperatures, but confines at lower temperatures to produce a spectrum of dark glueballs. These glueballs then undergo a freezeout process such that the remnant population is nearly completely dominated by the lightest state. To reproduce the observed cosmology, this lightest glueball species must decay to the Standard Model to repopulate and reheat it. At leading order, this can occur through a connector operator of dimension-6. In contrast, other glueballs can be parametrically long-lived or stable, and remain as contributors to dark matter or modify the observed cosmology through their later decays. In this work we study the evolution of such dark sectors in detail. We demonstrate that stable remnant glueballs can produce the measured dark matter abundance. We also derive broad constraints on non-Abelian dark sectors from overproduction of remnant glueballs when they are stable or from their destructive impact when they are able to decay.
comment: V1: 26 pages, 7 figures. V2: references added; 27 pages, 7 figures in the revised version accepted for Physical Reviews D
♻ ☆ An Analytically Tractable Marked Power Spectrum
The increasing precision of cosmology data in the modern era is calling for methods to allow the extraction of non-Gaussian information using tools beyond two-point statistics. The marked power spectrum has the potential to extract beyond two-point information in a computationally efficient way while using much of the infrastructure already available for the power-spectrum. In this work we explore the marked power spectrum from an analytical perspective. In particular, we explore a low-order polynomial for the mark that allows us to better control the theoretical uncertainties and we show that with minimal new degrees of freedom the analytical results match measurements from N-body simulations for both the matter field and biased tracers in redshift space. Finally, we show that even within the limited forms of mark that we consider, there are degeneracies that can be broken by inclusion of the marked auto-spectrum or the cross-spectrum with the unmarked field. We discuss future theoretical developments that would enable us to apply this approach to survey data.
comment: 30 pages, 10 figures; minor revisions to match version accepted by JCAP
♻ ☆ Joint Modelling of Astrophysical Systematics for Cosmology with LSST Cosmic Shear
We present a novel framework for jointly modelling the weak lensing source galaxy redshift distribution and the intrinsic alignment of galaxies via a shared luminosity function (LF). Considering this framework within the context of a Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) Year 1 and Year 10 cosmic shear analysis, we first demonstrate the substantial impact of the LF on both source galaxy redshift distributions and the intrinsic alignment contamination. We establish how the individual parameters of a Schechter LF model impact the redshift distribution of a magnitude-limited sample, and we demonstrate the effect of marginalising over the LF parameters as incorporated in the intrinsic alignment modelling of a standard cosmic shear analysis set-up. We forecast the impact of our joint modelling framework on cosmological parameter constraints. Our preliminary results are promising, indicating that this framework can yield cosmological constraints consistent with those expected from standard analyses, enhanced by the flexibility of not fixing LF parameters. We plan to further validate these findings with comprehensive Markov chain Monte Carlo simulations to robustly quantify bias avoidance and underscore the framework's efficacy. Taking advantage of our forecasting results and the parameter degeneracies, we identify the specific impact of the shape of the LF of source galaxies on the cosmic shear data vector. We also discuss the potential of this method in providing a way to model generic selection functions in redshift distribution estimation, as well as its possibilities for extension to a 3x2pt analysis, particularly with respect to incorporating galaxy bias in this luminosity-function-based framework. Although we consider the context of LSST cosmic shear in this work, the proposed joint modelling framework is generically applicable to weak lensing surveys.
comment: 19 pages, 16 figures, 3 tables; v3: updated to match the published version
♻ ☆ Dark Matter-Radiation Scattering Enhances CMB Phase Shift through Dark Matter-loading
A phase shift in the acoustic oscillations of CMB spectra is a characteristic signature for the presence of non-photon radiation propagating differently from photons, even when the radiation couples to SM particles solely gravitationally. It is well-established that compared to the presence of free-streaming radiation, CMB spectra shift to higher $\ell$-modes in the presence of self-interacting non-photon radiation such as neutrinos and dark radiation. In this study, we further demonstrate that the scattering of non-photon radiation with dark matter can further amplify this phase shift. We show that when the energy density of the interacting radiation surpasses that of interacting dark matter around matter-radiation equality, the phase shift enhancement is proportional to the interacting dark matter abundance and remains insensitive to the radiation energy density. Given the presence of dark matter-radiation interaction, this additional phase shift emerges as a generic signature of models featuring an interacting dark sector or neutrino-dark matter scattering. Using neutrino-dark matter scattering as an example, we numerically calculate the amplified phase shift and offer an analytical interpretation of the result by modeling photon and neutrino perturbations with coupled harmonic oscillators. This framework also explains the phase shift contrast between self-interacting and free-streaming neutrinos. Fitting models with neutrino-dark matter or dark radiation-dark matter interactions to CMB and large-scale structure data, we validate the presence of the enhanced phase shift, affirmed by the linear dependence observed between the preferred regions of the sound horizon angle $\theta_s$ and interacting dark matter abundance. An increased $\theta_s$ and a suppressed matter power spectrum is therefore a generic feature of models containing dark matter scattering with abundant dark radiation.
comment: 54 pages, 22 figures, 5 tables, v2 to match version published in JCAP
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 12
☆ Statistical Reevaluation of the USP Classification Boundary: Smaller Planets Within 1 Day, Larger Period Ratios Below 2 Days
Terrestrial worlds with $P < 1$ day, known as ultra-short period planets (USPs), comprise a physically distinct population whose origins may be attributed to various possible formation channels within multi-planet systems. However, the conventional 1 day boundary adopted for USPs is an arbitrary prescription, and it has yet to be evaluated whether this specific cutoff, or any alternatives, may emerge from the data with minimal assumptions. We accordingly present a statistical evaluation of the USP classification boundary for 376 multi-planet systems across Kepler, K2, and TESS. We find that USPs are smaller in size ($p = 0.004$) and exhibit larger period ratios with their immediate neighbors ($\mathcal{P} = P_{2}/P_{1}$; $p < 10^{-4}$) when compared to non-USP short-period ($1 < P/\text{days} < 5$) worlds, and that these discrepancies rapidly transition towards statistical insignificance ($p > 0.05$) at respective orbital periods of $P_{R} = 0.97^{+0.25}_{-0.19}$ days and $P_{\mathcal{P}} = 2.09^{+0.16}_{-0.22}$ days (see Figure 3). We verify that these results are not driven by imprecise planetary parameters, giant companions, low-mass host stars, or detection biases. Our findings provide qualitative support for pathways in which proto-USPs are detached from companions and delivered to $P \lesssim 2$ days via eccentric migration, while a subset of these objects near $P \sim 1$ day experience subsequent orbital decay and refractory mass loss to become USPs. These results lend evidence towards an astrophysical basis for the 1 day USP cutoff and encourage consideration of an additional 2 day boundary within future investigations of USP architectures and evolutionary dynamics.
comment: 19 pages, 4 figures, 1 table. Accepted to AJ (9 Feb 2025)
☆ A Tentative Detection of a Point Source in the Disk Gap of HD 100546 with VLT/SPHERE-IRDIS Sparse Aperture Masking Interferometry
We re-analyze VLT/SPHERE-IRDIS K and H-band sparse aperture masking interferometry data of the transition disk HD 100546 observed in 2018 and 2021, respectively. We fit geometrical models to the closure phases extracted from both datasets. We compare three model classes: a forward scattering disk, a forward scattering disk plus an arbitrary asymmetric disk feature and a forward scattering disk plus an unresolved point source in the disk-gap. We find that the forward scattering disk plus point source model is the best representation of the data. We find that this point source candidate moved from a position of sep. = $39.9^{+2.8}_{-3.3}$ mas, P.A. = $124.1^{+1.0}_{-1.0}$ degrees to a sep. = $50.0^{+1.0}_{-1.0}$ mas, P.A. = $106.4^{+1.4}_{-1.4}$ degrees between 2018 and 2021. Both of these positions are well within the $\sim$13 au ($\sim$120 mas) disk-gap, favouring the point source interpretation. We explore the orbital parameter space that is consistent with the measured relative astrometry. We find orbits either with a similar orientation to the outer disk, with a high eccentricity $e \gtrapprox 0.65$, or orbits with a large relative inclination ($\sim$60 degrees) to the outer disk, and any eccentricity. Despite the significance of the observed point-source signal, follow-up observations will be necessary to conclusively determine its nature.
comment: Accepted for publication in AJ
☆ Exoplanet Transit Candidate Identification in TESS Full-Frame Images via a Transformer-Based Algorithm
The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is surveying a large fraction of the sky, generating a vast database of photometric time series data that requires thorough analysis to identify exoplanetary transit signals. Automated learning approaches have been successfully applied to identify transit signals. However, most existing methods focus on the classification and validation of candidates, while few efforts have explored new techniques for the search of candidates. To search for new exoplanet transit candidates, we propose an approach to identify exoplanet transit signals without the need for phase folding or assuming periodicity in the transit signals, such as those observed in multi-transit light curves. To achieve this, we implement a new neural network inspired by Transformers to directly process Full Frame Image (FFI) light curves to detect exoplanet transits. Transformers, originally developed for natural language processing, have recently demonstrated significant success in capturing long-range dependencies compared to previous approaches focused on sequential data. This ability allows us to employ multi-head self-attention to identify exoplanet transit signals directly from the complete light curves, combined with background and centroid time series, without requiring prior transit parameters. The network is trained to learn characteristics of the transit signal, like the dip shape, which helps distinguish planetary transits from other variability sources. Our model successfully identified 214 new planetary system candidates, including 122 multi-transit light curves, 88 single-transit and 4 multi-planet systems from TESS sectors 1-26 with a radius > 0.27 $R_{\mathrm{Jupiter}}$, demonstrating its ability to detect transits regardless of their periodicity.
☆ Estimate the Mass Escaping Rates of Radius-valley-spanning Planets in TOI-431 System via XUV Evaporation
TOI-431 system has 3 close-in exoplanets, which gives an ideal lab to study gas escape. In this study, we measure the XUV luminosity for TOI-431 with XMM-Newton/EPIC-pn and OM data, then calculate the fluxes for the planets in the system. We find that, TOI-431 b's $\rm F_{XUV,b}=$$70286^{+12060}_{-2611}$$\rm \ erg\ cm^{-2}s^{-1}$ is 75 times of TOI-431 d $\rm F_{XUV,d}=$$935^{+160}_{-35}$$\rm \ erg\ cm^{-2}s^{-1}$. Adopting the energy limit method and hydrodynamic code $ATES$ with a set of He/H ratios, we obtain the mass-loss rates of $10^{10.51^{+0.07}_{-0.02}}$ g s$^{-1}$ for TOI-431 b, $10^{9.14^{+0.07}_{-0.02}}$ and $10^{9.84\sim 9.94}$ g s$^{-1}$ for TOI-431 d. We predict the $2.93\sim 7.91 \%$ H I Ly$\alpha$ and $0.19\sim 10.65\%$ He I triplet absorption depths for TOI-431 d, thus its gas escaping is detectable in principle. For both TOI-431 b and d, we select similar planets from the New Generation Planetary Population Synthesis (NGPPS) data. Then show that considering the mass-loss rates, TOI-431 b should be a naked solid planet, and TOI-431 d will likely maintain its gas envelope until the host star dies. According to the formation and evolution tracks, we find that TOI-431 b's potential birthplace (0.1-2 AU) should be inner than TOI-431 d (2-12 AU). Our results are consistent with the interpretation of the radius valley being caused by atmospheric escape. The intrinsic reason may be their birthplace, which will determine how close they can migrate to the host star, then lose mass and result in the Fulton gap.
comment: 16 pages, 14 figures, 4 tabels. Accepted by ApJ
☆ In-depth characterization of the Kepler-10 three-planet system with HARPS-N RVs and Kepler TTVs
The old G3V star Kepler-10 is known to host two transiting planets, the ultra-short-period super-Earth Kepler-10b ($P=0.837$ d; $R_{\rm p}=1.47~\rm R_\oplus$) and the long-period sub-Neptune Kepler-10c ($P=45.294$ d; $R_{\rm p}=2.35~\rm R_\oplus$), and a non-transiting planet causing variations in the Kepler-10c transit times. Measurements of the mass of Kepler-10c in the literature have shown disagreement, depending on the radial-velocity dataset and/or the modeling technique used. Here we report on the analysis of almost 300 high-precision radial velocities gathered with the HARPS-N spectrograph at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo over $\sim11$~years, and extracted with the YARARA-v2 tool correcting for possible systematics and/or low-level activity variations at the spectrum level. To model these radial velocities, we used three different noise models and various numerical techniques, which all converged to the solution: $M_{\rm p, b}=3.24 \pm 0.32~\rm M_\oplus$ (10$\sigma$) and $\rho_{\rm p, b}=5.54 \pm 0.64~\rm g\;cm^{-3}$ for planet b; $M_{\rm p, c}=11.29 \pm 1.24~\rm M_\oplus$ (9$\sigma$) and $\rho_{\rm p, c}=4.75 \pm 0.53~\rm g\;cm^{-3}$ for planet c; and $M_{\rm p, d}\sin{i}=12.00 \pm 2.15~\rm M_\oplus$ (6$\sigma$) and $P=151.06 \pm 0.48$ d for the non-transiting planet Kepler-10d. This solution is further supported by the analysis of the Kepler-10c transit timing variations and their simultaneous modeling with the HARPS-N radial velocities. While Kepler-10b is consistent with a rocky composition and a small or no iron core, Kepler-10c may be a water world that formed beyond the water snowline and subsequently migrated inward.
comment: 15 pages, 12 figures, 5 tables, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics
☆ Searching for Hot Water World Candidates with CHEOPS: Refining the radii and analysing the internal structures and atmospheric lifetimes of TOI-238 b and TOI-1685 b
Studying the composition of exoplanets is one of the most promising approaches to observationally constrain planet formation and evolution processes. However, this endeavour is complicated for small exoplanets by the fact that a wide range of compositions is compatible with their bulk properties. To overcome this issue, we identify triangular regions in the mass-radius space where part of this degeneracy is lifted for close-in planets, since low-mass H/He envelopes would not be stable due to high-energy stellar irradiation. Planets in these Hot Water World triangles need to contain at least some heavier volatiles and are therefore interesting targets for atmospheric follow-up observations. We perform a demographic study to show that only few well-characterised planets in these regions are currently known and introduce our CHEOPS GTO programme aimed at identifying more of these potential hot water worlds. Here, we present CHEOPS observations for the first two targets of our programme, TOI-238 b and TOI-1685 b. Combined with TESS photometry and published RVs, we use the precise radii and masses of both planets to study their location relative to the corresponding Hot Water World triangles, perform an interior structure analysis and study the lifetimes of H/He and water-dominated atmospheres under these conditions. We find that TOI-238 b lies, at the 1-sigma level, inside the corresponding triangle. While a pure H/He atmosphere would have evaporated after 0.4-1.3 Myr, it is likely that a water-dominated atmosphere would have survived until the current age of the system, which makes TOI-238 b a promising hot water world candidate. Conversely, TOI-1685 b lies below the mass-radius model for a pure silicate planet, meaning that even though a water-dominated atmosphere would be compatible both with our internal structure and evaporation analysis, we cannot rule out the planet to be a bare core.
comment: 25 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in A&A
☆ Measuring the Distances to Asteroids from One Observatory in One Night with Upcoming All-Sky Telescopes
Upcoming telescopes like the Vera Rubin Observatory (VRO) and the Argus Array will image large fractions of the sky multiple times per night yielding numerous Near Earth Object (NEO) discoveries. When asteroids are measured with short observation time windows, the dominant uncertainty in orbit construction is due to distance uncertainty to the NEO. One approach to recover distances is from topocentric parallax, which is a technique that leverages the rotation of the Earth, causing a small but detectable sinusoidal additive signal to the Right Ascension (RA) of the NEO following a period of 1 day. In this paper, we further develop and evaluate this technique to recover distances in as quickly as a single night. We first test the technique on synthetic data of 19 different asteroids ranging from $\sim0.05 \,\text{AU}$ to $\sim2.4 \,\text{AU}$. We modify previous algorithms and quantify the limitations of the method, recovering distances with uncertainties as low as the $\sim1.3\%$ level for more nearby objects ($\lesssim$ 0.3 AU) assuming typical astrometric uncertainties. We then acquire our own observations of two asteroids within a single night with $\sim0.1''$ uncertainties on RA, and we find we are able to recover distances to the $3\%$ level. We forecast likely scenarios with the VRO and the Argus Array with varying levels of astrometric precision and expected pointings per night. Our analysis indicates that distances to NEOs on the scale of $\sim0.5$ AU can be constrained to below the percent level within a single night, depending on spacing of observations from one observatory. In a follow-up paper, we will compare these constraints with synchronous and asynchronous observations from two separate observatories to measure parallax even more efficiently, an exciting and likely possibility over the upcoming decade.
comment: Submitting to the Astronomical Journal, comments welcome
☆ Prospects for biological evolution on Hycean worlds
Recent detections of carbon-bearing molecules in the atmosphere of a candidate Hycean world, K2-18 b, with JWST are opening the prospects for characterising potential biospheres on temperate exoplanets. Hycean worlds are a recently theorised class of habitable exoplanets with ocean covered surfaces and hydrogen-rich atmospheres. Hycean planets are thought to be conducive for hosting microbial life under conditions similar to those in the Earth's oceans. In the present work we investigate the potential for biological evolution on Hycean worlds and their dependence on the thermodynamic conditions. We find that a large range of evolutionary rates and origination times are possible for unicellular life in oceanic environments for a relatively marginal range in environmental conditions. For example, a relatively small (10 K) increase in the average ocean temperature can lead to over twice the evolutionary rates, with key unicellular groups originating as early as $\sim$1.3 billion years from origin of life. On the contrary, similar decreases in temperatures can also significantly delay the origination times by several billion years. This delay in turn could affect their observable biomarkers such as dimethylsulfide, which is known to be produced predominantly by Eukaryotic marine phytoplankton in Earth's oceans. Therefore, Hycean worlds that are significantly cooler than Earth may be expected to host simpler microbial life than Earth's oceans and may show weaker biosignatures, unless they orbit significantly older stars than the Sun. Conversely, Hycean worlds with warmer surface temperatures than Earth are more likely to show stronger atmospheric biosignatures due to microbial life if present.
comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ The Magnetically Induced Radial Velocity Variation of Gliese 341 and an Upper Limit to the Mass of Its Transiting Earth-sized Planet
The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission identified a potential 0.88 REarth planet with a period of 7.577 days, orbiting the nearby M1V star GJ 341 (TOI 741.01). This system has already been observed by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to search for presence of an atmosphere on this planet. Here, we present an in-depth analysis of the GJ 341 system using all available public data. We provide improved parameters for the host star, an updated value of the planet radius, and support the planetary nature of the object (now GJ 341 b). We use 57 HARPS radial velocities to model the magnetic cycle and activity of the host star, and constrain the mass of GJ 341 b to upper limits of 4.0 MEarth (3 sigma) and 2.9 MEarth (1 sigma). We also rule out the presence of additional companions with M sin i > 15.1 MEarth, and P < 1750 days, and the presence of contaminating background objects during the TESS and JWST observations. These results provide key information to aid the interpretation of the recent JWST atmospheric observations and other future observations of this planet.
comment: 18 pages, 17 figures
☆ Endurance Science Workshop 2023 Final Report
Endurance is a mission concept to explore and ultimately return samples from the Moon's largest and oldest impact basin, South Pole-Aitken (SPA). SPA holds the answers to many outstanding planetary science questions, including the earliest impact bombardment of the Solar System and the evolution of the Moon's interior. Endurance would address these questions by traversing 2,000 kilometers across the lunar farside, collecting samples, and delivering those samples to Artemis astronauts for return to Earth. Endurance was identified as the highest priority strategic mission for NASA's Lunar Discovery and Program in the recent Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey. This report summarizes the results from the first public workshop about the concept. Major findings include: (1) Endurance is an exciting concept that would address long-standing, high-priority lunar and planetary science questions, and the community is ready for it. (2) Endurance's sample science objectives are achievable, although they would require coordinated analysis techniques and numerous diverse samples. (3) Geologic context is essential for addressing Endurance's science objectives. (4) While Endurance's objectives center on sample return, Endurance's long traverse would enable a variety of additional transformative science investigations. (5) Endurance is an ambitious mission that would be enabled and enhanced by investing in developing key technologies now. (6) Endurance should strive to include more diverse perspectives in its formulation, particularly from early-career scientists and engineers who will ultimately operate the rover and analyze the samples. Endurance is early in its formulation and the next major activity will be a Science Definition Team (SDT). It is expected that this report and the findings therein may be useful input to the Endurance SDT.
comment: 58 pages, 14 figures
♻ ☆ The First Spin-Orbit Obliquity of an M dwarf/brown dwarf System: An eccentric and aligned TOI-2119 b
We report the first instance of an M dwarf/brown dwarf obliquity measurement for the TOI-2119 system using the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect. TOI-2119 b is a transiting brown dwarf orbiting a young, active early M dwarf ($T_{\rm{eff}}$ = 3553 K). It has a mass of 64.4 M$_{\rm{J}}$ and radius of 1.08 R$_{\rm{J}}$, with an eccentric orbit ($e$ = 0.3) at a period of 7.2 days. For this analysis, we utilise NEID spectroscopic transit observations and ground based simultaneous transit photometry from the Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC) and the Las Campanas Remote Observatory (LCRO). We fit all available data of TOI-2119 b to refine the brown dwarf parameters and update the ephemeris. The classical Rossiter-McLaughlin technique yields a projected star-planet obliquity of $\lambda=-0.8\pm1.1^\circ$ and a three-dimensional obliquity of $\psi=15.7\pm5.5^\circ$. Additionally, we spatially resolve the stellar surface of TOI-2119 utilising the Reloaded Rossiter-McLaughlin technique to determine the projected star-planet obliquity as $\lambda=1.26 \pm 1.3^{\circ}$. Both of these results agree within $2\sigma$ and confirm the system is aligned, where TOI-2119 b joins an emerging group of aligned brown dwarf obliquities. We also probe stellar surface activity on the surface of TOI-2119 in the form of centre-to-limb variations as well as the potential for differential rotation. Overall, we find tentative evidence for centre-to-limb variations on the star but do not detect evidence of differential rotation.
comment: Accepted and published in MNRAS. 12 pages, 9 figures, 4 tables. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2304.12163
♻ ☆ Anatomy of a Fall: Stationary and super-Keplerian spiral arms generated by accretion streamers in protostellar discs
Late-stage infall onto evolved protoplanetary discs is an important source of material and angular momentum replenishment, and disc substructures. In this paper we used 3D smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations to model streamer-disc interactions for a prograde streamer. The initially parabolic streamer interacts with the disc material to excite disc eccentricity, which can last on the order of $10^5$ years. We found that the spiral arms the streamer excited in the disc can have a variety of pattern speeds, ranging from stationary to super-Keplerian. Spiral arms with various pattern speeds can exist simultaneously, providing a way to diagnose them in observations. Streamer induced spirals appear similar to those generated by a massive outer companion, where the pitch angle of the spiral increases towards the source of the perturbation. Additionally, the spirals arms can show large and sudden pitch angle changes. Streamer induced spirals are long-lived, lasting approximately $3-4\times$ longer than the initial streamer infall timescale ($\sim$$10^4$ years). After the initial interaction with the disc, a long lasting low $m$ azimuthal mode persists in the disc.
comment: 12 pages, 11 figures, acception version
Astrophysics of Galaxies 26
☆ Detectability of dark matter subhalo impacts in Milky Way stellar streams
Stellar streams are a promising way to probe the gravitational effects of low-mass dark matter (DM) subhalos. In recent years, there has been a remarkable explosion in the number of stellar streams detected in the Milky Way, and hundreds more may be discovered with future surveys such as LSST. Studies of DM subhalo impacts on streams have so far focused on a few of the thinnest and brightest streams, and it is not known how much information can be gained from the others. In this work, we develop a method to quickly estimate the minimum detectable DM subhalo mass of a given stream, where subhalo mass here refers to the total mass of a Plummer sphere. Our work is based on an analytic model for subhalo impacts on circular streams, which allows us to model streams with a wide range of properties including width, length, distance, and stellar density. We consider several observational scenarios, based on current and future surveys including Gaia, DESI, Via, and LSST. We find that at 95% confidence level, a stream like GD-1 has a minimum detectable subhalo mass of $\sim 6\times 10^6~\mathrm{M}_{\odot}$ in Gaia data and $\sim 8\times 10^5~\mathrm{M}_{\odot}$ with LSST 10 year sensitivity. Applying our results to confirmed Milky Way streams, we rank order them by their sensitivity to DM subhalos and identify promising ones for further study.
☆ In Search of the First Stars: An Ultra-Compact and Very Low Metallicity Lyman-$α$ Emitter Deep Within the Epoch of Reionization
We present {\it JWST} observations of a gravitationally-lensed, extremely metal-poor galaxy at redshift $z=8.203\pm 0.001$ from the CANUCS survey. Based on the low oxygen to Balmer line ratios we infer a gas-phase metallicity of $12+{\rm log(O/H)}=6.85$ (1.4\% solar), making CANUCS-A370-z8-LAE the most metal-poor galaxy known at $z>7$. With a high H$\beta$ equivalent width of $225\pm50$\,\AA\ and a half-light radius of only $r_{\rm hl} = 38 ^{+3}_{-19} $\,pc, the galaxy has a high star-formation-rate density of $50 - 100\,M_{\odot}$\,yr$^{-1}$\,kpc$^{-2}$. The galaxy shows high equivalent width Lyman-$\alpha$ emission with an inferred Lyman-$\alpha$ escape fraction of $0.21 \pm 0.05$. The high escape fraction of Lyman-$\alpha$ is likely due to the compact starbursting nature of the galaxy combined with its location in an overdensity traced by at least two other galaxies spectroscopically confirmed to lie within $\delta z = 0.01$ that have helped to reionize the environment. The low metallicity of CANUCS-A370-z8-LAE is best explained by a model where infalling metal-poor gas dilutes the interstellar medium, rather than being a young galaxy forming its first stellar populations.
comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, ApJ submitted
☆ Statistical selection of high-redshift, neutral-hydrogen-rich, lensed galaxies with the Square Kilometre Array
Deep wide spectral line surveys with the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will expand the cosmic frontiers of neutral atomic hydrogen (HI) in galaxies. However, at cosmologically significant redshifts ($z \gtrsim 0.5$), detections will typically be spatially unresolved and limited to the highest mass systems. Gravitational lensing could potentially alleviate these limitations, enabling lower mass systems to be studied at higher redshift and spatially resolved dynamical studies of some HI discs. Additionally, lensed HI systems would select foreground dark matter haloes using a different, more extended baryonic tracer compared to other lens surveys. This may result in a wider selected range of foreground dark matter halo properties, such as the concentration parameter. This paper uses the distortion of the observed HI mass function (HIMF) produced by strong gravitational lensing to find a flux density criterion for selecting lensed HI sources in future SKA-Mid spectral line surveys. This selection approach could yield lensed HI source densities in the range of $\sim 0.1$--$10$ galaxies per square degree out to a redshift of $z \simeq 3$ covered by SKA-MID Band 1. Although the sample sizes are modest, even with the proposed SKA-Mid surveys, the selection approach is straightforward and should have a 50% efficiency without any additional information, such as low-impact-factor or lower-redshift massive galaxies. The efficiency of selecting high-redshift, neutral-hydrogen-rich, lensed galaxies should then be greatly enhanced by using SKA-MID data in concert with the Vera C. Rubin Large Survey of Space and Time.
comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, 1 table; Accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ Exploring the mysterious high-ionization source powering [Ne V] in high-z analog SBS0335-052 E with JWST/MIRI
Nearby blue compact dwarf galaxies (BCDs) share similar properties with objects from the Epoch of Reionization revealed by JWST, in terms of low stellar mass, low metallicity and high specific star-formation rate. Thus, they represent ideal local laboratories for detailed multi-wavelength studies to understand their properties and the mechanisms shaping them. We report the first JWST MIRI/MRS observations of the BCD SBS 0335-052 E, analyzing MIR emission lines tracing different levels of ionization (e.g., [NeII], [SIV], [NeIII], [OIV], [NeV]) of the ionized gas. SBS 0335-052 E MIR emission is characterized by a bright point source, located in one of the youngest and most embedded stellar clusters ($t\sim3$ Myr, $A_V\sim20$), and underlying extended high-ionization emission (i.e., [OIV], [NeV]) from the surroundings of the older and less dusty stellar clusters ($t< 20 $ Myr, $A_V\sim8$). From the comparison with state-of-the-art models, we can exclude shocks, X-ray binaries, and old stellar populations as the main sources of the high ionization. Interestingly, a 4-16% contribution of a $\sim10^5$ M$_\odot$ intermediate massive black hole (IMBH) is needed to justify the strong [NeV]/[NeII] and would be consistent with optical/UV line ratios from previous studies. However, even IMBH models cannot explain the strongest [OIV]/[NeIII]. Also, star-forming models (regardless of including X-ray binaries) struggle to reproduce even the lower ionization line ratios (e.g., [SIV]/[NeII]) typically observed in BCDs. Overall, while current models suggest the need to account for an accreting IMBH in this high-$z$ analog, limitations still exist in predicting high-ionization emission lines (I.P. $>54$ eV) when modeling these low-metallicity environments, thus other sources of ionization cannot be fully ruled out.
comment: Submitted to ApJ
☆ Spatial and Chemical Complexity in the W75N Star-Forming Region
We present the analysis of NOEMA interferometric observations of the high-mass star-forming region W75N(B) with a focus on molecular composition and distribution of prebiotic molecules in the source's multiple cores. Over twenty molecules are identified across the region, with many being fit for column density, rotational temperature, spectral line full width half maximum, and v$_{lsr}$. This work includes the first known detection and initial analysis of complex organic molecules in the MM2 and MM3 regions. Furthermore, parameter maps were created from the six molecules that were well fit across multiple regions. The molecular emission was imaged and correlated across different molecules and the continuum to reveal structural features. From the spatial and spectral analysis of the MM1 region, these results concur with those from other studies showing that there is a difference in chemical composition between the MM1a and MM1b regions, with sulfur-bearing molecules tracing MM1a and organic molecules tracing MM1b. The molecular emission imaged toward the MM3 region reveals two peaks, possibly indicating the presence of multiple young stellar objects. These results provide detailed quantitative information about the physical parameters and distributions of molecules in this source. Additionally, these results are part of a follow-up of a single-dish survey of multiple star-forming regions and are discussed in this context.
comment: Accepted to the Astrophysical Journal
☆ The Expanding 3-Kiloparsec Arms are neither Expanding nor Spiral Arms, but X1 Orbits driven by the Galactic Bar
Near the center of our Milky Way is a bar-like structure and the so-called Expanding 3-kpc arms. We currently have limited knowledge of this important region, since we are about 8.2 kpc from the center and cannot directly observe it at optical wavelengths, owing to strong extinction from interstellar dust. Here we present extremely precise VLBI measurements of water maser sources from the BeSSeL Survey, where extinction is not a problem, which accurately determine the 3-dimensional locations and motions of three massive young stars. Combined with previous measurements, these stars delineate a trail of orbits outlining the Milky Way's Galactic Bar. We present the first measurements capturing the dynamics of quasi-elliptical (X1) orbits around the Galactic Bar. Our findings provide evidence substantiating the existence of such orbits populated by massive young stars. Our measurements of the position and velocity of a number of massive young stars, previously identified with the Expanding 3-kpc arms, show that they are more likely located in the X1 orbits about the Galactic Bar. Also, some stars previously assigned to the Norma spiral arm appear to be in these orbits, which suggests that this spiral arm does not extend past the end of the bar.
☆ Exoplanet Transit Candidate Identification in TESS Full-Frame Images via a Transformer-Based Algorithm
The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is surveying a large fraction of the sky, generating a vast database of photometric time series data that requires thorough analysis to identify exoplanetary transit signals. Automated learning approaches have been successfully applied to identify transit signals. However, most existing methods focus on the classification and validation of candidates, while few efforts have explored new techniques for the search of candidates. To search for new exoplanet transit candidates, we propose an approach to identify exoplanet transit signals without the need for phase folding or assuming periodicity in the transit signals, such as those observed in multi-transit light curves. To achieve this, we implement a new neural network inspired by Transformers to directly process Full Frame Image (FFI) light curves to detect exoplanet transits. Transformers, originally developed for natural language processing, have recently demonstrated significant success in capturing long-range dependencies compared to previous approaches focused on sequential data. This ability allows us to employ multi-head self-attention to identify exoplanet transit signals directly from the complete light curves, combined with background and centroid time series, without requiring prior transit parameters. The network is trained to learn characteristics of the transit signal, like the dip shape, which helps distinguish planetary transits from other variability sources. Our model successfully identified 214 new planetary system candidates, including 122 multi-transit light curves, 88 single-transit and 4 multi-planet systems from TESS sectors 1-26 with a radius > 0.27 $R_{\mathrm{Jupiter}}$, demonstrating its ability to detect transits regardless of their periodicity.
☆ The Extraordinary Maser Flaring Event in the Massive Protostellar System NGC6334I: Multi-epoch milliarcsecond resolution investigation of the 6.7-GHz Methanol Masers
Wereportthefirstmulti-epochmilliarcsecondresolutionimagingofthe6.7-GHzclassIImethanolmaseremissionassociated with the high-mass protocluster system NGC6334I. The observations cover 4 epochs over a 10-year period between March 2010 and March 2020. We confirm the emergence of a number of new regions of 6.7-GHz methanol maser emission in the molecular gas surrounding NGC6334-MM1, which lies north of the previously known class II methanol maser sites which are associated with NGC6334-MM3 and -MM2. The new maser emission is located close to the strongest (sub)millimetre source in the NGC6334I cluster MM1B which experienced a sudden increase in intensity in 2015, produced by an episodic accretion event. We are able to compare the location and intensity of the 6.7-GHz methanol maser emission before, during, and after the flare, providing new insights into the relationship between maser flares and periodic accretion events in high-mass stars.
☆ On the long-term evolution of razor-thin galactic discs: Balescu-Lenard prediction and perspectives
In the last five decades, numerical simulations have provided invaluable insights into the evolution of galactic discs over cosmic times. As a complementary approach, developments in kinetic theory now also offer a theoretical framework to understand statistically their long-term evolution. The current state-of-the-art kinetic theory of isolated stellar systems is the inhomogeneous Balescu-Lenard equation. It can describe the long-term evolution of a self-gravitating razor-thin disc under the effect of resonant interactions between collectively amplified noise-driven fluctuations. In this work, confronting theoretical predictions to numerical simulations, we quantitatively show that kinetic theory indeed captures the average long-term evolution of cold stellar discs. Leveraging the versatility of kinetic methods, we then offer some new perspectives on this problem, namely (i) the crucial impact of collective effects in accelerating the relaxation; (ii) the role of (weakly) damped modes in shaping the disc's orbital heating; (iii) the bias introduced by gravitational softening on long timescales; (iv) the resurgence of strong stochasticity near marginal stability. These elements call for an appropriate choice of softening kernel when simulating the long-term evolution of razor thin discs and for an extension of kinetic theory beyond the average evolution. Notwithstanding, kinetic theory captures quantitatively the ensemble-averaged long-term response of such discs.
comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, submitted to A&A
☆ Ly-$α$ processing of solid-state Ethanolamine: Potential Precursors to Sugar and Peptide Derivatives
Ethanolamine (EA), a key component of phospholipids, has recently been detected in the interstellar medium within molecular clouds. To understand this observation, laboratory studies of its formation and destruction are essential and should be complemented by astrochemical models. This study investigates the photostability of EA ice under Lyman (Ly)-$\alpha$ (10.2 eV) irradiation at 10 K, and explores its potential role in the formation of simple and complex organic molecules in molecular clouds. The UV destruction cross section of EA was estimated to be ($4.7\pm0.3)\times10^{-18}$ cm$^2$, providing insight into its half-life of $6.5\times10^{7}$ yr in dense interstellar clouds. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and quadrupole mass spectrometry were used to identify various photoproducts, with their formation pathways discussed. Ethylene glycol and serine were tentatively detected during the warming up process following irradiation, suggesting that EA could contribute to the formation of prebiotic molecules such as sugars, peptides and their derivatives. High mass signals detected in the mass spectrometer suggest the presence of several complex organic molecules, and further analysis of residues at room temperature is planned for future work. The results suggest that EA could contribute to the formation of prebiotic molecules in space, with implications for the origin of life.
☆ The stellar mass composition of galaxy clusters and dependencies on dark matter halo properties
We analyze 700 clusters from the TNG300 hydrodynamical simulation ($M_{200}\geq5\times10^{13} \,M_{\odot}$ at (z=0)) to examine the radial stellar mass distribution of their central objects, consisting of the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) and the intracluster light (ICL). The BCG+ICL mass fraction weakly anticorrelates with $M_{200}$, but strongly correlates with the concentration, $c_{200}$, the assembly redshift, $z_{50}$, and the mass gap between the most massive and the fourth more massive member, $\Delta M_{\rm \ast, 4th}$. We explore different aperture radii to nominally separate the ICL from the BCG and calculate ICL fractions. For $r_{\rm{ap}}=2r_{\rm half}$, where $r_{\rm half}$ is the radius containing half the BCG+ICL mass, the ICL fraction is nearly independent of $M_{200}$, $c_{200}$, and $z_{50}$ with values $M_{\ast,\rm ICL}/(M_{\ast,\rm ICL}+M_{\ast,\rm BCG})= 0.33\pm0.03$. Including the stellar mass of the satellites, the fraction $M_{\ast,\rm ICL}/(M_{\ast,\rm ICL}+M_{\ast,\rm BCG}+M_{\rm \ast,sat})$ weakly anticorrelates with $M_{200}$ and strongly correlates with $c_{200}$, $z_{50}$, and $\Delta M_{\rm \ast, 4th}$, suggesting that in more concentrated/earlier assembled/more relaxed clusters more stellar mass is lost from the satellites (by tidal stripping, and mergers) in favour of the ICL and BCG. Indeed, we find that ex-situ stars dominate both in the BCG and ICL masses, with mergers contributing more to the BCG, while tidal stripping contributes more to the ICL. We find that the difference between the projected and 3D ICL fractions are only a few per cent and suggest using $2r_{\rm half}$ to separate the ICL from the BCG in observed clusters.
comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS (submitted 29 November 2024)
☆ A Sizable Discrepancy in Ground-Based JAGB Distances to Nearby Galaxies
Recently, Freedman et al. (2024) report agreement of distances derived from the Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB) and the J-Region Asymptotic Giant Branch (JAGB) at the 1$\%$ level for both nearby galaxies with ground-based imaging (0.5-4 Mpc) as well distant galaxies with JWST imaging (7-23 Mpc). Here we compare the same ground-based JAGB distances to uniformly reduced space-based optical TRGB distances from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). We uncover a significant offset between these two distance scales of $\Delta\mu$ = 0.17 $\pm$ 0.04 (stat) $\pm$ 0.06 (sys) mag (9$\%$ in distance), with the HST TRGB distances being further. Inspections of the HST color-magnitude diagrams make a compelling case that the issue lies in the underlying JAGB distances. The source of the disagreement may lie with the lower resolution or photometric calibration of the ground-based near-infrared data, a contrast to the general agreement found between JWST JAGB and other space-based, second-rung distance indicators (Cepheids, Miras, TRGB) presented within Riess et al. (2024). High-resolution, near-infrared observations from an ongoing HST program will enable the simultaneous measurement of Cepheid, JAGB, and TRGB distances in four of these nearby galaxies and allow us to investigate whether the discrepancy noted here is due to ground-based observational systematics, or something intrinsic to the JAGB method relevant for this particular sample. A resolution of this discrepancy is required if the JAGB is to be used to determine a highly precise local value of the Hubble constant.
comment: Primary result shown in Figure 1. To be submitted to the AAS Journals within two weeks from arXiv posting. Comments welcome and appreciated
☆ Mapping Synthetic Observations to Prestellar Core Models: An Interpretable Machine Learning Approach
Observations of molecular lines are a key tool to determine the main physical properties of prestellar cores. However, not all the information is retained in the observational process or easily interpretable, especially when a larger number of physical properties and spectral features are involved. We present a methodology to link the information in the synthetic spectra with the actual information in the simulated models (i.e., their physical properties), in particular, to determine where the information resides in the spectra. We employ a 1D gravitational collapse model with advanced thermochemistry, from which we generate synthetic spectra. We then use neural network emulations and the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), a machine learning technique, to connect the models' properties to the specific spectral features. Thanks to interpretable machine learning, we find several correlations between synthetic lines and some of the key model parameters, such as the cosmic-ray ionization radial profile, the central density, or the abundance of various species, suggesting that most of the information is retained in the observational process. Our procedure can be generalized to similar scenarios to quantify the amount of information lost in the real observations. We also point out the limitations for future applicability.
comment: Accepted A&A
☆ Investigating photometric and spectroscopic variability in the multiply-imaged Little Red Dot A2744-QSO1
JWST observations have uncovered a new population of red, compact objects at high redshifts dubbed 'Little Red Dots' (LRDs), which typically show broad emission lines and are thought to be dusty Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). Some of their other features, however, challenge the AGN explanation, such as prominent Balmer breaks and extremely faint or even missing metal high-ionization lines, X-ray, or radio emission, including in deep stacks. Broad-line AGN are known to vary in time, which is why we take advantage of two years of available JWST observations of the multiply-imaged $z=7.045$ LRD A2744-QSO1, with lensing-induced time delays between the three images spanning 22 yr (2.7 yr in the rest-frame), to investigate its photometric and spectroscopic variability. We find the equivalent widths (EWs) of the broad H$\alpha$ and H$\beta$ lines, which are independent of magnification and other systematics, to exhibit significant variations, up to $18\pm3$ % for H$\alpha$ and up to $22\pm8$ % in H$\beta$, on a timescale of 875 d (2.4 yr) in the rest-frame. This suggests that A2744-QSO1 is indeed an AGN. We find no significant photometric variability beyond the limiting systematic uncertainties, so it currently cannot be determined whether the EW variations are due to line-flux or continuum variability. These results are consistent with a typical damped random walk (DRW) variability model for an AGN like A2744-QSO1 ($M_{\mathrm{BH}}=4\times10^7 \mathrm{M}_{\odot}$) given the sparse sampling of the light-curve with the available data. Our results therefore support the AGN interpretation of this LRD, and highlight the need for further photometric and spectroscopic monitoring in order to build a detailed and reliable light-curve.
comment: Submitted to A&A letters
♻ ☆ The PARADIGM project I: How early merger histories shape the present-day sizes of Milky-Way-mass galaxies
How mergers affect galaxy formation depends on both feedback processes, and on the geometry and strength of the mergers themselves. We introduce the PARADIGM project, where we study the response of a simulated Milky-Way-mass galaxy ($M_{\rm 200c} \sim 10^{12}M_{\odot}$ at $z=0$) forming in a cosmological setting to differing merger histories, using genetically modified initial conditions, each simulated with the VINTERGATAN and IllustrisTNG codes. While VINTERGATAN has been developed with an emphasis on resolving the cold interstellar medium, IllustrisTNG uses a subgrid two-phase model and consequently scales to large volume simulations, making them ideal to examine complementary views on how merger histories and feedback interact. Our genetic modifications alter the mass ratio of an important $z \approx 2$ merger while maintaining the halo's $z=0$ mass. Whether simulated with VINTERGATAN or IllustrisTNG, smaller mass ratios for this early merger result in larger galaxies at $z=0$, due to a greater build up of a kinematically cold disc. We conclude that such broad trends are robustly reproducible; however, the normalization of the resulting stellar sizes is substantially different in the two codes (ranging between $0.5-1.7\ \rm{kpc}$ for VINTERGATAN but $1.3-7.0\ \rm{kpc}$ for IllustrisTNG). The VINTERGATAN galaxies systematically form stars earlier, leading to a larger bulge component. Despite the difference in size normalization, both simulation suites lie on the observed size-mass relation for their respective morphological types. In light of these results, we discuss the interplay between internal processes and large scale gravitational interactions and gas accretion, and how the two galaxy models converge on similar emergent trends but along different evolutionary pathways.
comment: Accepted to MNRAS
♻ ☆ Scylla IV: Intrinsic Stellar Properties and Line-of-Sight Dust Extinction Measurements Towards 1.5 Million Stars in the SMC and LMC
By analyzing the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of resolved stars in nearby galaxies, we can constrain their stellar properties and line-of-sight dust extinction. From the Scylla survey, we obtain ultraviolet to near-infrared photometry from Wide Field Camera 3 onboard the {\it Hubble Space Telescope} for more than 1.5 million stars in the SMC and LMC. We use the Bayesian Extinction and Stellar Tool (BEAST) to analyze the multi-band SEDs of these sources and characterize their initial masses, ages, metallicities, distances, and line-of-sight extinction properties (e.g.~$A_V$, $R_V$). We apply quality cuts and perform validation simulations to construct a catalog of over 550,000 stars with high-reliability SED fits, which we use to analyze the stellar content and extinction properties of the SMC and LMC. We detect stars with masses as low as 0.6 $M_{\odot}$. BEAST stellar age distributions show a jump in observed stars around 6 Gyrs ago, which agrees with star-formation histories. Extinctions ($A_V$) in both galaxies follow a log-normal distribution. We compare $A_V$ with ancillary gas and dust tracers like $HI$, $H_\alpha$, and far infrared (FIR) dust emission and find positive correlations on a field-by-field basis. We convert observed $A_V$ to predicted dust surface densities using the Draine et. al. (2014) model and find $A_V$-based dust surface densities are a factor of $\sim$2.5 lower than observed FIR-based dust surface densities, a correction factor similar to other studies.
comment: Accepted to ApJ, updated to 38 pages, 20 figures
♻ ☆ EPOCHS IV: SED Modelling Assumptions and their impact on the Stellar Mass Function at 6.5 < z < 13.5 using PEARLS and public JWST observations
We utilize deep JWST NIRCam observations for the first direct constraints on the Galaxy Stellar Mass Function (GSMF) at $z>10$. Our EPOCHS v1 sample includes 1120 galaxy candidates at $6.5
comment: 36 pages, 16 figures. Published in ApJ. Data is avaible on Github: https://github.com/tHarvey303/EpochsIV . Comments to corresponding author welcome at thomas.harvey-3@manchester.ac.uk
♻ ☆ PAMS: The Perseus Arm Molecular Survey -- I. Survey description and first results
The external environments surrounding molecular clouds vary widely across galaxies such as the Milky Way, and statistical samples of clouds are required to understand them. We present the Perseus Arm Molecular Survey (PAMS), a James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) survey combining new and archival data of molecular cloud complexes in the outer Perseus spiral arm in $^{12}$CO, $^{13}$CO, and C$^{18}$O ($J$=3-2). With a survey area of $\sim$8 deg$^2$, PAMS covers well-known complexes such as W3, W5 and NGC 7538 with two fields at $\ell \approx 110^{\circ}$ and $\ell \approx 135^{\circ}$. PAMS has an effective resolution of 17 arcsec, and rms sensitivity of $T_\mathrm{mb} = 0.7$-1.0 K in 0.3 km s$^{-1}$ channels. Here we present a first look at the data, and compare the PAMS regions in the Outer Galaxy with Inner Galaxy regions from the CO Heterodyne Inner Milky Way Plane Survey (CHIMPS). By comparing the various CO data with maps of H$_2$ column density from Herschel, we calculate representative values for the CO-to-H$_2$ column density $X$-factors, which are $X_{^{12}\mathrm{CO (3-2)}}=4.0\times10^{20}$ and $X_{^{13}\mathrm{CO (3-2)}}=4.0\times10^{21}$cm$^{-2}$ (K km s$^{-1}$)$^{-1}$ with a factor of 1.5 uncertainty. We find that the emission profiles, size-linewidth and mass-radius relationships of $^{13}$CO-traced structures are similar between the Inner and Outer Galaxy. Although PAMS sources are slightly more massive than their Inner Galaxy counterparts for a given size scale, the discrepancy can be accounted for by the Galactic gradient in gas-to-dust mass ratio, uncertainties in the $X$-factors, and selection biases. We have made the PAMS data publicly available, complementing other CO surveys targeting different regions of the Galaxy in different isotopologues and transitions.
comment: Accepted by MNRAS
♻ ☆ Anatomy of a Fall: Stationary and super-Keplerian spiral arms generated by accretion streamers in protostellar discs
Late-stage infall onto evolved protoplanetary discs is an important source of material and angular momentum replenishment, and disc substructures. In this paper we used 3D smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations to model streamer-disc interactions for a prograde streamer. The initially parabolic streamer interacts with the disc material to excite disc eccentricity, which can last on the order of $10^5$ years. We found that the spiral arms the streamer excited in the disc can have a variety of pattern speeds, ranging from stationary to super-Keplerian. Spiral arms with various pattern speeds can exist simultaneously, providing a way to diagnose them in observations. Streamer induced spirals appear similar to those generated by a massive outer companion, where the pitch angle of the spiral increases towards the source of the perturbation. Additionally, the spirals arms can show large and sudden pitch angle changes. Streamer induced spirals are long-lived, lasting approximately $3-4\times$ longer than the initial streamer infall timescale ($\sim$$10^4$ years). After the initial interaction with the disc, a long lasting low $m$ azimuthal mode persists in the disc.
comment: 12 pages, 11 figures, acception version
♻ ☆ A sample of 25 radio galaxies with highly unusual radio morphologies, selected from the LoTSS-DR2 survey at 144 MHz
From a careful visual scrutiny of the radio structures of a well-defined sample of 2428 sources in the LoTSS DR2 survey made at 144 MHz with a 6" beam, we have selected a subset of 25 (i.e., 1%) sources showing highly unusual radio structures, not conforming to the prevalent radio morphological classification. Here we present and briefly discuss the basic properties of these rare morphological outliers and attempt to dissect their morphological peculiarities, based on multi-wavelength radio images and radio-optical overlays. Also, we underscore the need to accord due importance to such anomalous radio sources, considering the challenge they pose to the standard theoretical models and simulations of extragalactic double radio sources.
comment: 29 pages, 26 figures, Accepted for publication in Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy
♻ ☆ Fundamental MHD scales -- II: the kinematic phase of the supersonic small-scale dynamo
Many astrophysical small-scale dynamos (SSDs) amplify weak magnetic fields via highly compressible, supersonic turbulence, but established SSD theories have overlooked these compressible effects. To address this, we perform visco-resistive SSD simulations across a range of sonic Mach numbers ($\mathcal{M}$), hydrodynamic Reynolds numbers ($\mathrm{Re}$), and magnetic Prandtl numbers ($\mathrm{Pm}$). We develop robust methods to measure kinetic and magnetic energy dissipation scales ($\ell_\nu$ and $\ell_\eta$) and the scale of strongest magnetic fields ($\ell_\mathrm{p}$) during the kinematic phase. We demonstrate that $\ell_\nu/\ell_\eta \sim \mathrm{Pm}^{1/2}$ is a universal feature for $\mathrm{Pm} \geq 1$ SSDs, regardless of $\mathcal{M}$ or $\mathrm{Re}$. Incompressible SSDs (either $\mathcal{M} \leq 1$ or $\mathrm{Re} < \mathrm{Re}\mathrm{crit} \approx 100$) concentrate magnetic energy at $\ell_\mathrm{p} \sim \ell_\eta$ with inversely correlated field strength and curvature. However, for compressible SSDs ($\mathcal{M} > 1$ and $\mathrm{Re} > \mathrm{Re}\mathrm{crit}$), shocks concentrate magnetic energy in large structures with $\ell_\mathrm{p} \sim (\ell_\mathrm{turb} / \ell_\mathrm{shock})^{1/3} \ell_\eta \gg \ell_\eta$, where $\ell_\mathrm{shock}$ is the characteristic shock width, and $\ell_\mathrm{turb}$ is the outer scale of the turbulent field. In this regime, magnetic field-line curvature becomes nearly independent of field strength. These results have implications for galaxy mergers and cosmic ray transport models in the interstellar medium.
comment: 30 pages, 15 figures, dataset available from MNRAS
♻ ☆ Light curves and spectra for stellar collisions between main-sequence stars in galactic nuclei
High-velocity stellar collisions in galactic nuclei produce ejecta that generate potentially observable electromagnetic radiation, making them promising nuclear transients. However, the photometric and spectroscopic properties of these collisions, which would more frequently involve main-sequence stars, remain largely unexplored. Here, using 3D hydrodynamics and 1D radiation-transfer simulations, we investigate the properties and observables of the debris produced in high-velocity collisions between terminal-age main-sequence stars, covering a wide range of collision configurations. The ejecta produce bright UV flares with bolometric luminosities typically peaking at $\gtrsim10^{43}$ erg s$^{-1}$, declining steeply as $t^{-2}-t^{-4}$ to reach $\gtrsim10^{41}-10^{42}$ erg s$^{-1}$ at 0.5 d and leveling off on a plateau at $10^{39}-10^{41.5}$ erg s$^{-1}$ ($M_V$ between $-$10 to $-$15 mag) after a few days. Their spectra evolve considerably during the first few days, morphing from UV- to optical-dominated. The UV range shows numerous resonance transitions from metals like C, N, and O, whereas the optical primarily shows H I Balmer lines. These properties are qualitatively similar to those observed, as well as obtained in models of Type II supernovae. Observables from these events exhibit clear correlations with collision configurations, including impact parameter, relative velocity, and stellar masses. We provide fitting formulae to describe these correlations. Detecting these flares requires sub-day cadence surveys such as ULTRASAT, combined with spectroscopic observations to disentangle degeneracies and infer collision characteristics.
comment: 20 page, 19 figures, 2 tables, submitted to A&A. Comments welcome!
♻ ☆ Core to Cosmic Edge: SIMBA-C's New Take on Abundance Profiles in the Intragroup Medium at z = 0
We employ the SIMBA-C cosmological simulation to study the impact of its upgraded chemical enrichment model (Chem5) on the distribution of metals in the intragroup medium (IGrM). We investigate the projected X-ray emission-weighted abundance profiles of key elements over two decades in halo mass ($10^{13} \leq M_{500}/\mathrm{M_\odot} \leq 10^{15}$). Typically, SIMBA-C generates lower-amplitude abundance profiles than SIMBA with flatter cores, in better agreement with observations. For low-mass groups, both simulations over-enrich the IGrM with Si, S, Ca, and Fe compared to observations, a trend likely related to inadequate modeling of metal dispersal and mixing. We analyze the 3D mass-weighted abundance profiles, concluding that the lower SIMBA-C IGrM abundances are primarily a consequence of fewer metals in the IGrM, driven by reduced metal yields in Chem5, and the removal of the instantaneous recycling of metals approximation employed by SIMBA. Additionally, an increased IGrM mass in low-mass SIMBA-C groups is likely triggered by changes to the AGN and stellar feedback models. Our study suggests that a more realistic chemical enrichment model broadly improves agreement with observations, but physically motivated sub-grid models for other key processes, like AGN and stellar feedback and turbulent diffusion, are required to realistically reproduce observed group environments.
comment: 40 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables. Published in Universe. This article belongs to the Special Issue Universe: Feature Papers 2024--"Galaxies and Clusters"
♻ ☆ Jetted Subgalactic-Size Radio Sources in Merging Galaxies -- A Jet Redirection Scenario
The long-standing question concerning Jetted Sub-Galactic Size (JSS) radio sources is whether they will evolve into large radio galaxies, die before escaping the host galaxy, or remain indefinitely confined to their compact size. Our main goal is to propose a scenario that explains the relative number of JSS radio sources and their general properties. We studied the parsec-scale radio morphology of a complete sample of 21 objects using Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations at various frequencies and analyzed the morphological characteristics of their optical hosts. Many of these radio sources exhibit radio morphologies consistent with transverse motions of their bright edges and are located in dynamically disturbed galaxies. VLBI images indicate the possibility of large-angle, short-period precessing jets, and the orbital motion of the radio-loud AGN in a dual or binary system. The majority of JSS radio sources appear to be in systems in different stages of their merging evolution. We propose a scenario where rapid jet redirection, through precession or orbital motion, prevents the jet from penetrating the interstellar medium (ISM) sufficiently to escape the host galaxy. Most JSS radio sources remain compact due to their occurrence in merging galaxies.
comment: 35 pages, 24 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in A&A
♻ ☆ The Sunburst Arc with JWST: III. An Abundance of Direct Chemical Abundances
We measure the gas-phase abundances of the elements He, N, O, Ne, S, Ar, and Fe in an individual H\textsc{ii} region known to be leaking Lyman-continuum photons in the Sunburst Arc, a highly magnified galaxy at redshift $z=2.37$. We detect the temperature-sensitive auroral lines [SII]$\lambda\lambda4069,4076$, [OII]$\lambda\lambda7320,7330$, [SIII]$\lambda6312$, [OIII]$\lambda4363$, and [NeIII]$\lambda3343$ in a stacked spectrum of 5 multiple images of the Lyman-continuum emitter (LCE), from which we directly measure the electron temperature in the low, intermediate, and high ionization zones. We also detect the density-sensitive doublets of [OII]$\lambda\lambda3727,3729$, [SII]$\lambda\lambda6717,6731$, and [ArIV]$\lambda\lambda4713,4741$, which constrain the density in both the low- and high-ionization gas. With these temperature and density measurements, we measure gas-phase abundances with similar rigor as studies of local galaxies. We measure a gas-phase metallicity for the LCE of $12+\log(\textrm{O}/\textrm{H}) = 7.97 \pm 0.05$, and find an enhanced nitrogen abundance $\log(\textrm{N}/\textrm{O}) = -0.65^{+0.16}_{-0.25}$. This nitrogen abundance is consistent with enrichment from a population of Wolf-Rayet stars, additional signatures of which are reported in a companion paper. Abundances of sulfur, argon, neon, and iron are consistent with local low-metallicity H\textsc{ii} regions and low-redshift galaxies. This study represents the most complete chemical abundance analysis of an individual H\textsc{ii} region at Cosmic Noon to date, which enables direct comparisons between local H\textsc{ii} regions and those in the distant universe.
comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables. Accepted to ApJ
♻ ☆ Emulators for stellar profiles in binary population modeling
Knowledge about the internal physical structure of stars is crucial to understanding their evolution. The novel binary population synthesis code POSYDON includes a module for interpolating the stellar and binary properties of any system at the end of binary MESA evolution based on a pre-computed set of models. In this work, we present a new emulation method for predicting stellar profiles, i.e., the internal stellar structure along the radial axis, using machine learning techniques. We use principal component analysis for dimensionality reduction and fully-connected feed-forward neural networks for making predictions. We find accuracy to be comparable to that of nearest neighbor approximation, with a strong advantage in terms of memory and storage efficiency. By providing a versatile framework for modeling stellar internal structure, the emulation method presented here will enable faster simulations of higher physical fidelity, offering a foundation for a wide range of large-scale population studies of stellar and binary evolution.
comment: 12 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication by Astronomy and Computing
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 17
☆ Discovery of Staircase delta Scuti Variables
Analysis of the previously classified delta Scuti variable star MW Camelopardalis using data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Telescope sparked a deeper inquiry due to the unexpected patterns within the target's observed-calculated graph. From the shape of the O-C diagram we have designed these objects as Staircase delta Scuti. The pattern was found to be replicated in the O-C graphs of seven additional targets. The objects are TIC 17931346, TIC 44845403, TIC 123580083, TIC 173503902, TIC 302394816, TIC 194944219, and TIC 396465600. The Q value for the targets, their position in the delta Scuti Leavitt Law, and location in the instability strip would show these objects to be low mass, fundamental pulsators, near the red edge of the instability strip. We also discuss the impact this phenomenon could have on the analysis of all pulsating variable stars.
comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables, will be submitted to Astronomical Journal
☆ A Tentative Detection of a Point Source in the Disk Gap of HD 100546 with VLT/SPHERE-IRDIS Sparse Aperture Masking Interferometry
We re-analyze VLT/SPHERE-IRDIS K and H-band sparse aperture masking interferometry data of the transition disk HD 100546 observed in 2018 and 2021, respectively. We fit geometrical models to the closure phases extracted from both datasets. We compare three model classes: a forward scattering disk, a forward scattering disk plus an arbitrary asymmetric disk feature and a forward scattering disk plus an unresolved point source in the disk-gap. We find that the forward scattering disk plus point source model is the best representation of the data. We find that this point source candidate moved from a position of sep. = $39.9^{+2.8}_{-3.3}$ mas, P.A. = $124.1^{+1.0}_{-1.0}$ degrees to a sep. = $50.0^{+1.0}_{-1.0}$ mas, P.A. = $106.4^{+1.4}_{-1.4}$ degrees between 2018 and 2021. Both of these positions are well within the $\sim$13 au ($\sim$120 mas) disk-gap, favouring the point source interpretation. We explore the orbital parameter space that is consistent with the measured relative astrometry. We find orbits either with a similar orientation to the outer disk, with a high eccentricity $e \gtrapprox 0.65$, or orbits with a large relative inclination ($\sim$60 degrees) to the outer disk, and any eccentricity. Despite the significance of the observed point-source signal, follow-up observations will be necessary to conclusively determine its nature.
comment: Accepted for publication in AJ
☆ High-resolution Observation of Mini-Filament Eruptions Near Coronal Hole Boundary and Their Response in Solar Corona
We investigated mini-filament (MF) eruptions near coronal hole (CH) boundaries to explore their role in coronal dynamics and their potential contributions to the solar wind. Using high-resolution H$\alpha$ images from the 1.6m Goode Solar Telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory and EUV data from AIA 193 \AA~ from Solar Dynamic Observatory, we analyzed 28 MFE events over 7.5 hours of observation spanning 5 days. Three largest MF eruptions triggered distinct coronal responses: two consecutive MFEs produced a small-scale eruptive coronal ejection, while the other generated a jet-like brightening. Furthermore, the 25 smaller-scale MFEs were associated with localized brightenings in coronal bright points (CBPs). These findings suggest that MFs play a significant role in transferring mass and magnetic flux to the corona, particularly within CH regions. We found certain trend that the size of MFEs is correlated with the EUV emissions. In addition, we observed magnetic flux cancellation associated with MFEs. However, except for a few largest MFEs, quantitative analysis of magnetic field evolution is beyond the capability of the data. These results underscore the importance of MFEs in the dynamic coupling between the chromosphere and corona, highlighting their potential role in shaping heliospheric structures. Although current study covers smallest MFEs ever studied, future higher-cadence, more accurate magnetograms and multi-wavelength observations are essential to fully resolve the fine-scale dynamics of these ubiquitous solar phenomena.
comment: 14 pages, 7 figures
☆ The Impacts of Magnetogram Projection Effects on Solar Flare Forecasting
This work explores the impacts of magnetogram projection effects on machine learning-based solar flare forecasting models. Utilizing a methodology proposed by Falconer et al. (2016), we correct for projection effects present in Georgia State University's Space Weather Analytics for Solar Flares (SWAN-SF) benchmark data set. We then train and run a support vector machine classifier on the corrected and uncorrected data, comparing differences in performance. Additionally, we provide insight into several other methodologies that mitigate projection effects, such as stacking ensemble classifiers and active region location-informed models. Our analysis shows that data corrections slightly increase both the true positive (correctly predicted flaring samples) and false positive (non-flaring samples predicted as flaring) prediction rates, averaging a few percent. Similarly, changes in performance metrics are minimal for the stacking ensemble and location-based model. This suggests that a more complicated correction methodology may be needed to see improvements. It may also indicate inherent limitations when using magnetogram data for flare forecasting.
comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ; 22 pages, 9 figures, 4 tables
☆ Spatial and Chemical Complexity in the W75N Star-Forming Region
We present the analysis of NOEMA interferometric observations of the high-mass star-forming region W75N(B) with a focus on molecular composition and distribution of prebiotic molecules in the source's multiple cores. Over twenty molecules are identified across the region, with many being fit for column density, rotational temperature, spectral line full width half maximum, and v$_{lsr}$. This work includes the first known detection and initial analysis of complex organic molecules in the MM2 and MM3 regions. Furthermore, parameter maps were created from the six molecules that were well fit across multiple regions. The molecular emission was imaged and correlated across different molecules and the continuum to reveal structural features. From the spatial and spectral analysis of the MM1 region, these results concur with those from other studies showing that there is a difference in chemical composition between the MM1a and MM1b regions, with sulfur-bearing molecules tracing MM1a and organic molecules tracing MM1b. The molecular emission imaged toward the MM3 region reveals two peaks, possibly indicating the presence of multiple young stellar objects. These results provide detailed quantitative information about the physical parameters and distributions of molecules in this source. Additionally, these results are part of a follow-up of a single-dish survey of multiple star-forming regions and are discussed in this context.
comment: Accepted to the Astrophysical Journal
☆ Estimation of Polar Magnetic Fields using Ca II K Polar Network as a Proxy
The polar magnetic field plays a crucial role in the solar dynamo model and contributes to predicting future solar cycles. However, continuous and direct measurements of this polar field have been available only since 1976, with data provided by the Wilcox Solar Observatory (WSO). Recent findings suggest that the Ca ii K Polar Network Index (PNI) can serve as a promising proxy for estimating the polar field of the Sun. In this study, we aim to reconstruct the polar field for the pre-1976 period by leveraging Ca ii K data from the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (KoSO; 1904-2007) and modern Ca ii K observations from the Rome Precision Solar Photometric Telescope (Rome-PSPT; 2000-2022). We employ an automatic adaptive threshold technique to detect polar networks and calculate PNI values. Then, we calibrate these PNI values with the WSO polar field to reconstruct the polar field over 119 years.
comment: IAUG South Africa Proceeding
☆ Gaia~19cwm - a dwarf nova of WZ Sge type
The spectral and photometric studies of the cataclysmic variable Gaia 19cwm (or ZTF19aamkwxk) have been performed. Based on the analysis of long-term variability, it is concluded that the object belongs to WZ Sge type stars. The light curves show eclipses recurring with an orbital period of $86.32048 \pm 0.00005$ min, as well as an out-of-eclipse variability with a period of $\approx 6.45$ min. The latter period is stable for $\sim 4$ years and appears to correspond to the rotation of a magnetic white dwarf, i.e., Gaia 19cwm is an intermediate polar. The Gaia 19cwm spectra show photospheric lines of the white dwarf, and Doppler tomograms demonstrate the presence of an accretion disk and a hot spot. Analysis of the eclipse light curve gives an estimates of the white dwarf mass $M_1 = 0.66\pm0.06$ M$_{\odot}$, the donor mass $M_2 = 0.073 \pm 0.015$ M$_{\odot}$, and the orbital inclination $i=83.8 \pm 1.1^{\circ}$. Modeling of the spectral energy distribution gives the white dwarf temperature of $T_{eff}\approx 13000 $ K. The X-ray luminosity $L_X = (1.6 \pm 0.3) \times 10^{31}$ erg/s allows to assign Gaia 19cwm to a small group of low-luminosity intermediate polars.
☆ Flat U-Net: An Efficient Ultralightweight Model for Solar Filament Segmentation in Full-disk H$α$ Images
Solar filaments are one of the most prominent features observed on the Sun, and their evolutions are closely related to various solar activities, such as flares and coronal mass ejections. Real-time automated identification of solar filaments is the most effective approach to managing large volumes of data. Existing models of filament identification are characterized by large parameter sizes and high computational costs, which limit their future applications in highly integrated and intelligent ground-based and space-borne observation devices. Consequently, the design of more lightweight models will facilitate the advancement of intelligent observation equipment. In this study, we introduce Flat U-Net, a novel and highly efficient ultralightweight model that incorporates simplified channel attention (SCA) and channel self-attention (CSA) convolutional blocks for the segmentation of solar filaments in full-disk H$\alpha$ images. Feature information from each network layer is fully extracted to reconstruct interchannel feature representations. Each block effectively optimizes the channel features from the previous layer, significantly reducing parameters. The network architecture presents an elegant flattening, improving its efficiency, and simplifying the overall design. Experimental validation demonstrates that a model composed of pure SCAs achieves a precision of approximately 0.93, with dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and recall rates of 0.76 and 0.64, respectively, significantly outperforming the classical U-Net. Introducing a certain number of CSA blocks improves the DSC and recall rates to 0.82 and 0.74, respectively, which demonstrates a pronounced advantage, particularly concerning model weight size and detection effectiveness. The data set, models, and code are available as open-source resources.
comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ
☆ Metis Observations of Alfvénic Outflows Driven by Interchange Reconnection in a Pseudostreamer
This study presents observations of a large pseudostreamer solar eruption and, in particular, the post-eruption relaxation phase, as captured by Metis onboard the Solar Orbiter on October 12, 2022, during its perihelion passage. Utilizing total brightness data, we observe the outward propagation of helical features up to 3 solar radii along a radial column that appears to correspond to the stalk of the pseudostreamer. The helical structures persisted for more than 3 hours following a jet-like coronal mass ejection associated with a polar crown prominence eruption. A notable trend is revealed: the inclination of these features decreases as their polar angle and height increase. Additionally, we measured their helix pitch. Despite a 2-minute time cadence limiting direct correspondence among filamentary structures in consecutive frames, we find that the Metis helical structure may be interpreted as a consequence of twist (nonlinear torsional Alfv\'{e}n waves) and plasma liberated by interchange reconnection. A comparison was performed of the helix parameters as outlined by fine-scale outflow features with those obtained from synthetic white-light images derived from the high-resolution magnetohydrodynamics simulation of interchange reconnection in a pseudostreamer topology by Wyper et al. (2022). A remarkable similarity between the simulation-derived images and the observations was found. We conjecture that these Metis observations may represent the upper end in spatial and energy scale of the interchange reconnection process that has been proposed recently as the origin of the Alfv\'{e}nic solar wind.
☆ In-depth characterization of the Kepler-10 three-planet system with HARPS-N RVs and Kepler TTVs
The old G3V star Kepler-10 is known to host two transiting planets, the ultra-short-period super-Earth Kepler-10b ($P=0.837$ d; $R_{\rm p}=1.47~\rm R_\oplus$) and the long-period sub-Neptune Kepler-10c ($P=45.294$ d; $R_{\rm p}=2.35~\rm R_\oplus$), and a non-transiting planet causing variations in the Kepler-10c transit times. Measurements of the mass of Kepler-10c in the literature have shown disagreement, depending on the radial-velocity dataset and/or the modeling technique used. Here we report on the analysis of almost 300 high-precision radial velocities gathered with the HARPS-N spectrograph at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo over $\sim11$~years, and extracted with the YARARA-v2 tool correcting for possible systematics and/or low-level activity variations at the spectrum level. To model these radial velocities, we used three different noise models and various numerical techniques, which all converged to the solution: $M_{\rm p, b}=3.24 \pm 0.32~\rm M_\oplus$ (10$\sigma$) and $\rho_{\rm p, b}=5.54 \pm 0.64~\rm g\;cm^{-3}$ for planet b; $M_{\rm p, c}=11.29 \pm 1.24~\rm M_\oplus$ (9$\sigma$) and $\rho_{\rm p, c}=4.75 \pm 0.53~\rm g\;cm^{-3}$ for planet c; and $M_{\rm p, d}\sin{i}=12.00 \pm 2.15~\rm M_\oplus$ (6$\sigma$) and $P=151.06 \pm 0.48$ d for the non-transiting planet Kepler-10d. This solution is further supported by the analysis of the Kepler-10c transit timing variations and their simultaneous modeling with the HARPS-N radial velocities. While Kepler-10b is consistent with a rocky composition and a small or no iron core, Kepler-10c may be a water world that formed beyond the water snowline and subsequently migrated inward.
comment: 15 pages, 12 figures, 5 tables, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics
☆ Long-Term X-ray Variability on the Benchmark YSO HL Tau
HL Tau is one of the most well-studied Class I young stellar objects, including frequent observations at near- and mid-infrared, (sub-) millimeter, and X-ray wavelengths. We present the results of an X-ray variability monitoring campaign with XMM-Newton in 2020 and X-ray gratings spectroscopy from Chandra/HETGS in 2018. We find that the X-ray spectrum of HL Tau is consistently hot (with characteristic plasma temperatures $T \gtrsim 30$ MK) over 31 epochs spanning 20 years, which is consistent in temperature with most Class I YSOs. The high-resolution HETG spectrum indicates the presence of some cooler plasma. We characterize the variability of the star across the 31 observations and find a subset of observations with significant variability on a $\sim$21-day timescale in the observed count rate and flux. We discuss the possible origins of this variability, and identify further observations that would better constrain the nature of the changes.
comment: 16 pages, nine figures. Accepted to the Astronomical Journal
☆ The Magnetically Induced Radial Velocity Variation of Gliese 341 and an Upper Limit to the Mass of Its Transiting Earth-sized Planet
The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission identified a potential 0.88 REarth planet with a period of 7.577 days, orbiting the nearby M1V star GJ 341 (TOI 741.01). This system has already been observed by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to search for presence of an atmosphere on this planet. Here, we present an in-depth analysis of the GJ 341 system using all available public data. We provide improved parameters for the host star, an updated value of the planet radius, and support the planetary nature of the object (now GJ 341 b). We use 57 HARPS radial velocities to model the magnetic cycle and activity of the host star, and constrain the mass of GJ 341 b to upper limits of 4.0 MEarth (3 sigma) and 2.9 MEarth (1 sigma). We also rule out the presence of additional companions with M sin i > 15.1 MEarth, and P < 1750 days, and the presence of contaminating background objects during the TESS and JWST observations. These results provide key information to aid the interpretation of the recent JWST atmospheric observations and other future observations of this planet.
comment: 18 pages, 17 figures
♻ ☆ The First Spin-Orbit Obliquity of an M dwarf/brown dwarf System: An eccentric and aligned TOI-2119 b
We report the first instance of an M dwarf/brown dwarf obliquity measurement for the TOI-2119 system using the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect. TOI-2119 b is a transiting brown dwarf orbiting a young, active early M dwarf ($T_{\rm{eff}}$ = 3553 K). It has a mass of 64.4 M$_{\rm{J}}$ and radius of 1.08 R$_{\rm{J}}$, with an eccentric orbit ($e$ = 0.3) at a period of 7.2 days. For this analysis, we utilise NEID spectroscopic transit observations and ground based simultaneous transit photometry from the Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC) and the Las Campanas Remote Observatory (LCRO). We fit all available data of TOI-2119 b to refine the brown dwarf parameters and update the ephemeris. The classical Rossiter-McLaughlin technique yields a projected star-planet obliquity of $\lambda=-0.8\pm1.1^\circ$ and a three-dimensional obliquity of $\psi=15.7\pm5.5^\circ$. Additionally, we spatially resolve the stellar surface of TOI-2119 utilising the Reloaded Rossiter-McLaughlin technique to determine the projected star-planet obliquity as $\lambda=1.26 \pm 1.3^{\circ}$. Both of these results agree within $2\sigma$ and confirm the system is aligned, where TOI-2119 b joins an emerging group of aligned brown dwarf obliquities. We also probe stellar surface activity on the surface of TOI-2119 in the form of centre-to-limb variations as well as the potential for differential rotation. Overall, we find tentative evidence for centre-to-limb variations on the star but do not detect evidence of differential rotation.
comment: Accepted and published in MNRAS. 12 pages, 9 figures, 4 tables. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2304.12163
♻ ☆ Anatomy of a Fall: Stationary and super-Keplerian spiral arms generated by accretion streamers in protostellar discs
Late-stage infall onto evolved protoplanetary discs is an important source of material and angular momentum replenishment, and disc substructures. In this paper we used 3D smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations to model streamer-disc interactions for a prograde streamer. The initially parabolic streamer interacts with the disc material to excite disc eccentricity, which can last on the order of $10^5$ years. We found that the spiral arms the streamer excited in the disc can have a variety of pattern speeds, ranging from stationary to super-Keplerian. Spiral arms with various pattern speeds can exist simultaneously, providing a way to diagnose them in observations. Streamer induced spirals appear similar to those generated by a massive outer companion, where the pitch angle of the spiral increases towards the source of the perturbation. Additionally, the spirals arms can show large and sudden pitch angle changes. Streamer induced spirals are long-lived, lasting approximately $3-4\times$ longer than the initial streamer infall timescale ($\sim$$10^4$ years). After the initial interaction with the disc, a long lasting low $m$ azimuthal mode persists in the disc.
comment: 12 pages, 11 figures, acception version
♻ ☆ Light curves and spectra for stellar collisions between main-sequence stars in galactic nuclei
High-velocity stellar collisions in galactic nuclei produce ejecta that generate potentially observable electromagnetic radiation, making them promising nuclear transients. However, the photometric and spectroscopic properties of these collisions, which would more frequently involve main-sequence stars, remain largely unexplored. Here, using 3D hydrodynamics and 1D radiation-transfer simulations, we investigate the properties and observables of the debris produced in high-velocity collisions between terminal-age main-sequence stars, covering a wide range of collision configurations. The ejecta produce bright UV flares with bolometric luminosities typically peaking at $\gtrsim10^{43}$ erg s$^{-1}$, declining steeply as $t^{-2}-t^{-4}$ to reach $\gtrsim10^{41}-10^{42}$ erg s$^{-1}$ at 0.5 d and leveling off on a plateau at $10^{39}-10^{41.5}$ erg s$^{-1}$ ($M_V$ between $-$10 to $-$15 mag) after a few days. Their spectra evolve considerably during the first few days, morphing from UV- to optical-dominated. The UV range shows numerous resonance transitions from metals like C, N, and O, whereas the optical primarily shows H I Balmer lines. These properties are qualitatively similar to those observed, as well as obtained in models of Type II supernovae. Observables from these events exhibit clear correlations with collision configurations, including impact parameter, relative velocity, and stellar masses. We provide fitting formulae to describe these correlations. Detecting these flares requires sub-day cadence surveys such as ULTRASAT, combined with spectroscopic observations to disentangle degeneracies and infer collision characteristics.
comment: 20 page, 19 figures, 2 tables, submitted to A&A. Comments welcome!
♻ ☆ Higher-order moment convergent method in weakly anisotropic plasma and the NLVFP code for solution of the 0D-2V Vlasov-Fokker-Planck equation
Fusion plasma and space plasma are typical non-equilibrium and nonlinear systems, with the interactions between different species well described by the Vlasov-Fokker-Planck (VFP) equations. The transport of mass, momentum, energy, and temperature relaxation are important issues, which are affected by the collision term of VFP even in so-called collisionless plasma domain. Hence, nonlinearity and collisions are important features in large regime. A successful numerical simulation for non-equilibrium plasma has to be able to conserve mass, momentum and energy, while satisfying Boltzmann's H-theorem and higher-order moment convergence. An expansion of the distribution function in spherical harmonics (Legendre basis when the velocity space exhibits axisymmetry) in angle coordinate and in King basis in speed coordinate of velocity space is well suited to address these requirements. This paper reviews the formulation of the 0D-2V VFP equation in terms of spherical harmonics coupled with King function and its solution in our NLVFP code. In this topic review, we will introduce the background physics related to the nonlinear VFP simulation, then describe NLVFP for 0D-2V homogeneous, weakly anisotropic plasma with utilization of the Shkarofsky's form of Fokker-Planck-Rosenbluth (FPRS) collision operator.
comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2409.10060
♻ ☆ Emulators for stellar profiles in binary population modeling
Knowledge about the internal physical structure of stars is crucial to understanding their evolution. The novel binary population synthesis code POSYDON includes a module for interpolating the stellar and binary properties of any system at the end of binary MESA evolution based on a pre-computed set of models. In this work, we present a new emulation method for predicting stellar profiles, i.e., the internal stellar structure along the radial axis, using machine learning techniques. We use principal component analysis for dimensionality reduction and fully-connected feed-forward neural networks for making predictions. We find accuracy to be comparable to that of nearest neighbor approximation, with a strong advantage in terms of memory and storage efficiency. By providing a versatile framework for modeling stellar internal structure, the emulation method presented here will enable faster simulations of higher physical fidelity, offering a foundation for a wide range of large-scale population studies of stellar and binary evolution.
comment: 12 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication by Astronomy and Computing
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena 25
☆ Study of the 2024 major Vela glitch at the Argentine Institute of Radioastronomy
We report here on new results of the systematic monitoring of southern glitching pulsars at the Argentine Institute of Radioastronomy. In particular, we study in this work the new major glitch in the Vela pulsar (PSR J0835$-$4510) that occurred on 2024 April 29. We aim to thoroughly characterise the rotational behaviour of the Vela pulsar around its last major glitch and investigate the statistical properties of its individual pulses around the glitch. We characterise the rotational behaviour of the pulsar around the glitch through the pulsar timing technique. We measured the glitch parameters by fitting timing residuals to the data collected during the days surrounding the event. In addition, we study Vela individual pulses during the days of observation just before and after the glitch. We selected nine days of observations around the major glitch on 2024 April 29 and studied their statistical properties with the Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) technique. We used Variational AutoEncoder (VAE) reconstruction of the pulses to separate them clearly from the noise. We obtain a precise timing solution for the glitch. We find two recovery terms of $\sim 3~\mathrm{days}$ and $\sim 17~\mathrm{days}$. We find a correlation of high amplitude with narrower pulses while not finding notable qualitative systematic changes before and after the glitch.
comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, 11 tables
☆ Cosmic electron spectra by the Voyager instruments and the Galactic electrostatic field
The Voyager spacecrafts have been measuring since 2012 the rates of electron and nuclei of the cosmic radiation beyond the solar cavity at a distance of more than $10^{13}$ $meters$ from the Earth. A record of unique and notable findings have been reported and, among them, the electron-to-proton flux ratio of 50 to 100 below energies of $50$ $MeV$. This ratio is thoroughly opposite of that of 0.01 measured at higher energies in the range 10 $GeV$ to 10 $TeV$. The difference amounts to four orders of magnitude. Arguments and calculations to show how this surprising and fundamental ratio lends support to the empirical evidence of the ubiquitous electrostatic field in the Milky Way Galaxy are presented. In other respects this paper examines and calculates, for the first time, the electric charge balance in the solar system delimited by the $termination$ $shock$ of the solar wind.
comment: 37 pages, 7 figures
☆ MAD accretion and AGN jets - an observational perspective
One of the major open questions related to the production of jets by accreting black holes is: why do sources with similar accretion powers produce so vastly different jet powers? What conditions are required to make a powerful jet? If jets are powered by the Blandford-Zjanek mechanism, two further parameters control the jet power besides the black hole mass - black hole spin and the magnetic flux threading it. Since highly spinning black holes without jets appear to exist, the jet production efficiency may depend on whether the black hole managed to accrete high enough magnetic flux in the past. The highest-efficiency jets in this picture are launched from magnetically arrested disks (MADs). Here we discuss a method to test this hypothesis using VLBI core-shift measurements to estimate the jet magnetic flux.
comment: Published in the Proceedings of the 16th EVN Symposium, Eds. E. Ros, P. Benke, S.A. Dzib, I. Rottmann, & J.A. Zensus, Bonn: Max-Planck-Institut f\"ur Radioastronomie, 2024
☆ On the distance to the black hole X-ray binary Swift J1727.8$-$1613
We review the existing distance estimates to the black hole X-ray binary Swift J1727.8$-$1613 with a discussion of the accuracies and caveats of the associated methodologies. As part of this, we present new line-of-sight HI absorption spectra captured using the MeerKAT radio telescope. We estimate a maximum radial velocity with respect to the local standard of rest of $24.8 \pm 2.8$ km s$^{-1}$, which is significantly lower than that found towards an extragalactic reference source. Given the location of Swift J1727.8$-$1613 at Galactic longitude and latitude $(l, b) \approx (8.6\deg, 10.3\deg)$, we explore the feasibility of the HI absorption method. From this we derive a near kinematic distance of $d_{\rm{near}} = 3.6 \pm 0.3\ (stat) \pm 2.3\ (sys)$ kpc as lower bound for the distance to Swift J1727.8$-$1613. We compare our results with those derived from different distance determination methods including the use of colour excess or reddening along the line of sight, which we constrain to $E(B-V) = 0.37 \pm 0.01\ (stat) \pm 0.025\ (sys)$ using near-UV spectra. By combining this with donor star magnitudes reported by Mata S\'anchez et al. (2024b), we suggest an increased distance of $5.5^{+1.4}_{-1.1}$ kpc, which would imply a natal kick velocity of $190 \pm 30$ km s$^{-1}$.
comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables, submitted to ApJL
☆ Relativistic Gas Accretion onto Supermassive Black Hole Binaries from Inspiral through Merger
Accreting supermassive black hole binaries are powerful multimessenger sources emitting both gravitational and electromagnetic (EM) radiation. Understanding the accretion dynamics of these systems and predicting their distinctive EM signals is crucial to informing and guiding upcoming efforts aimed at detecting gravitational waves produced by these binaries. To this end, accurate numerical modeling is required to describe both the spacetime and the magnetized gas around the black holes. In this paper, we present two key advances in this field of research. First, we have developed a novel 3D general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (GRMHD) framework that combines multiple numerical codes to simulate the inspiral and merger of supermassive black hole binaries starting from realistic initial data and running all the way through merger. Throughout the evolution, we adopt a simple but functional prescription to account for gas cooling through the emission of photons. Next, we have applied our new computational method to follow the time evolution of a circular, equal-mass, non-spinning black hole binary for ${\sim\!200}$ orbits starting from a separation of ${20\,r_g}$ and reaching the post-merger evolutionary stage of the system. We have identified how and when the minidisks dissolve as the binary compresses. We also show that even when the binary ``decouples'' from its surrounding disk, its luminosity decreases by only a factor of a few and abruptly increases by ${\sim\!50\%}$ at the time of merger, accompanied by an equally abrupt change in spectrum. Finally, the magnetic flux brought to the spin-parameter ${\sim\!0.68}$ merger remnant is able to drive a relativistic, Poynting-flux-dominated jet.
comment: 36 pages, 22 figures. Submitted to Physical Review D
☆ Impact of mass transfer on the orbital evolution of a white dwarf close to an intermediate-mass black hole
Extreme mass ratio inspiral (EMRI) systems composed of low-mass white dwarfs (WDs, $0.1 - 0.3$ $\mathrm{M}_{\odot } $) and intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs, $10^{3} - 10^{5}$ $\mathrm{M}_{\odot } $) are ideal objects for multi-messenger astronomy because they produce both gravitational wave (GW) and electromagnetic (EM) signals. Both relativistic effects and the mass transfer (MT) process are important for determining orbital dynamics, but the current model has not taken these ingredients fully into account. Here we use a perturbed Keplerian framework and the post-Newtonian (PN) formalism to model the relativistic orbit of a WD around a spinning IMBH. We pay special attention to the dynamical evolution during a narrow phase near the orbital pericenter where the WD fills the Roche lobe and starts MT. We find that gravitational radiation and MT have opposing effects on orbital evolution. When MT predominates, the orbital period and eccentricity could may increase, sometimes enabling the WD to escape and avoid tidal disruption. Additionally, we estimate the time required for the GW phase to shift by one radian due to the MT process and identify cases where this phase shift will be detectable by future GW observations. The temporal expansion of the orbit during MT offers a potential explanation for the disappearance of quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs) found in several X-ray transients, highlighting the importance of including both the relativistic and MT processes in the WD-IMBH model.
comment: 21 pages, 11 figures, prepared for submission to MNRAS
☆ Gravitational Wave Memory from Accelerating Relativistic Jets in Multiple Thick Shell Scenarios
Gravitational wave (GW) memory, a permanent distortion of the space-time metric, is anticipated during the acceleration of relativistic jets in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). While the precise mechanism behind GRBs is not yet fully understood, detecting GW memory may contribute to clarifying their nature. In this paper, we consider various scenarios of GW memory emission, including both single and multiple shells with thin- and thick-shells. In particular, the memory spectrum for each scenario is compared with the sensitivity of next-generation detectors, namely DECIGO and ET-D. Physical properties spread over a broad-band region, emphasizing the importance of combined and wide-band observations. We also simulate GW memory based on nearby, realistic scenarios and demonstrate its detectability.
☆ Resonances of compressible stars in precessing orbits around a spinning black hole
In our previous paper, we reported the presence of a new resonance of an incompressible star orbiting a spinning black hole and showed that it can set in before the tidal disruption limit if the star has an inclined spherical orbit around the black hole. Using the affine model developed by Carter and Luminet, we extend our result to the stars with polytropic equations of state. We give further credence to the result previously given. We also derive the formula for the growth rate of the resonant motion, which is useful for checking the results of hydrodynamics simulations.
☆ WilloWISPs: A New Dark Growth Channel for Black Holes Suggests a Full-Spectrum Hierarchical MACHO Mass Function for Dark Matter
Evidence of neutron stars with deconfined quark-matter cores suggest a new pathway for the evolution of black holes. New theories about the cores of neutron stars support the idea that quarkonium is likely to grow there as the neutron star ages. Surveys of stellar remnants have shown that there is no major mass gap between neutron stars and black holes. Black holes, specifically primordial ones (PBHs), have been suggested as an explanation for dark matter before. However, the way that very large black holes can form in the lifetime of the visible universe has only recently been explained with the solution to The Final Parsec Problem. If neutron stars can become exotic stars or black holes, then they may persist long enough to quiescently provide enough mass in dense matter regions to allow Intermediate-Mass Black Holes (IMBH) and Supermassive Black Holes (SMBH) to form quickly via coalescence. We find that a hierarchical clustering of Massive and Compact Halo Objects (MACHOs) with axion-dominated mini-halos can help to explain all of the missing dark matter. The model presented here suggests that this type of MACHO is likely equivalent to black holes above an unknown critical mass, which is less than ~5 $M_{\odot}$, and that they ought to form quark stars below this mass. If quark stars are a metastable transition between neutron stars and black holes, then black holes ought to be equivalent to boson stars with event horizons, after all the residual quark material has formed a Bose-Einstein condensate of mesons.
☆ Multi-band study of the flaring mode emission in the transitional millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038
We present a comprehensive study of the flaring mode of the transitional millisecond pulsar (tMSP) PSR J1023+0038 during its X-ray sub-luminous state, using strictly simultaneous X-ray, UV, optical, and radio observations. The X-ray flares exhibit UV and optical counterparts and coincide with the brightest radio flare observed in the past decade, reaching 1.2 mJy at 6 GHz and lasting ~1 hour. During the flare, the optical polarization drops from ~1.4% to ~0.5%, indicating the emergence of an unpolarized component. We propose that the thickening of the disc, which enlarges the shock region between the pulsar wind and the accretion flow and may drive the X-ray flaring observed in tMSPs, enhances the ionization level of the disc, thereby generating an increased number of free electrons. These electrons could then be channelled by magnetic field lines into the jet. This increased jet mass-loading could drive the associated radio and optical variability. The radio spectral evolution during flares is consistent with synchrotron self-absorption in jet ejecta or internal shocks within the compact jet. We infer radio polarization upper limits (<8.7%, <2.3%, and <8.2%, before, during, and after the radio flare) that further support a compact jet origin but do not rule out discrete ejections. Our findings suggest that tMSPs could serve as essential laboratories for investigating jet-launching mechanisms, mainly because they operate under very low mass accretion rates. This accretion regime has not been explored before in the context of the accretion-ejection coupling.
comment: Accepted for publication in A&AL
☆ Cryoscope: A Cryogenic Infrared Survey Telescope SP
We present Cryoscope -- a new 50 sq. deg field-of-view, 1.2 m aperture, K-dark survey telescope to be located at Dome C, Antarctica. Cryoscope has an innovative optical-thermal design wherein the entire telescope is cryogenically cooled. Cryoscope also explores new detector technology to cost-effectively tile the full focal plane. Leveraging the dark Antarctic sky and minimizing telescope thermal emission, Cryoscope achieves unprecedented deep, wide, fast and red observations, matching and exceeding volumetric survey speeds from the Ultraviolet Explorer, Vera Rubin Observatory, and Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. By providing coverage beyond wavelengths of 2 $\mu$m, we aim to create the most comprehensive dynamic movie of the most obscured reaches of the Universe. Cryoscope will be a dedicated discovery engine for electromagnetic emission from coalescing compact binaries, Earth-like exoplanets orbiting cold stars, and multiple facets of time-domain, stellar and solar system science. In this paper, we describe the scientific drivers and technical innovations for this new discovery engine operating in the K-dark passband, why we choose to deploy it in Antarctica, and the status of a fifth-scale prototype designed as a Pathfinder to retire technological risks prior to full-scale implementation.
comment: 36 pages, 20 figures, 4 tables; submitted to PASP on 2025-02-09
☆ Emergence of a neutrino flux above 5 PeV and implications for ultrahigh energy cosmic rays
The rare detections of astrophysical neutrinos with energies above 5 PeV by two neutrino telescopes underscore the existence of a flux at these energies. In addition to over a decade of data taken by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, the KM3NeT neutrino telescope has recently highlighted their discovery of a possible $\mathcal{O}(100~\mathrm{PeV})$ neutrino candidate. A connection between the highest-energy astrophysical neutrinos and the highest-energy cosmic rays is expected, and well-established theoretically. Here, we model the global multimessenger dataset by simultaneously fitting the neutrino data and the ultrahigh energy cosmic ray spectrum and composition data from the Pierre Auger Observatory (Auger). We show that the model is able to describe the combined data across these three observatories, and, depending on the true energy of the event detected by KM3NeT, suggests an additional cosmic ray source population not yet robustly detected by Auger. Although a measurement of the neutrino flux in this energy regime is at the sensitivity limit of cubic-kilometer-scale neutrino telescopes, next-generation observatories, such IceCube-Gen2, will have the sensitivity to make a significant detection of this flux.
☆ Observational Constraints on Cool Gas Clouds in M82's Starburst-Driven Outflow
Star formation feedback can drive large-scale, multi-phase galactic outflows. The dynamical and thermodynamical interaction between the hot and cooler phases is a prime focus of both observational and theoretical work. Here, we analyze H$\alpha$-emitting structures in the extraplanar wind of the nearby starburst M82. We use high-resolution, narrow-band, observations from the Hubble Legacy Archive (Mutchler et al. 2007). Our analysis constrains the morphology, number density, and column density of the structures. We highlight conspicuous arc-like structures that differ significantly from the linear cometary clouds that emerge from galactic wind simulations and discuss their possible origins, such as bow shocks or instabilities driven by cosmic rays. The most prominent structures range in size from $\sim24 -110$ pc. Using the H$\alpha$ brightness and assumptions about the depth of the emitting structures, we estimate number densities of $\sim1-23$ cm$^{-3}$, which are lower than previous constraints from spectroscopic nebular line studies. The derived column densities, $\sim10^{20}-10^{21}$ cm$^{-2}$, along the path of the outflow are above theoretical thresholds for cool cloud survival in a hot supersonic background, but small enough that the structures could be accelerated by the hot wind momentum. Using diffuse X-ray emission maps from $\textit{Chandra}$, we also find that even on small ($\sim100$ pc) scales, the H$\alpha$ "leads" the X-rays, a behavior long noted in the literature on kiloparsec scales, and one we observe in the brightness profiles of the structures we analyze. This behavior, along with previous observational studies of ionization in the wind, may signal that shock ionization is responsible for the H$\alpha$ emission we observe.
comment: 22 pages, 9 Figures; submitted to ApJ (10 February 2025)
☆ Collective flavor conversions are interactions of neutrinos with quantized flavor waves
Collective oscillations in dense neutrino gases (flavor waves) are notable for their instabilities that cause fast flavor conversion. We develop a quantum theory of interacting neutrinos and flavor wave quanta, which are analogous to plasmons, but also carry flavor. The emission or absorption of such flavor plasmons $\psi$, or flavomons, changes the neutrino flavor. When an angular crossing occurs, the process $\nu_\mu\to\nu_e+\psi$ is more rapid than its inverse along the direction of the crossing, triggering stimulated $\psi$ emission and fast instability. Calculating the rate via Feynman diagrams matches the fast instability growth rate. Our novel $\nu$ and $\psi$ kinetic equations, corresponding to quasi-linear theory, describe instability evolution without resolving the small scales of the flavomon wavelength, potentially overcoming the main challenge of fast flavor evolution.
comment: 5 pages, 1 figures, plus Supplemental Material
☆ Non-adiabatic dynamics of eccentric black-hole binaries in post-Newtonian theory
Eccentric black-hole binaries are among the most awaited sources of gravitational waves, yet their dynamics lack a consistent framework that provides a detailed and physically robust evolutionary description due to gauge issues. We present a new set of non-orbit-averaged equations, free from radiation-reaction gauge ambiguities, that accurately describe the evolution of orbital elements for eccentric, non-spinning black-hole binaries. We derive these equations by mapping the Keplerian orbital elements to a new set of characteristic parameters using energy and angular momentum definitions combined with near-identity transformations. The resulting framework is valid for arbitrary eccentricities, including parabolic and hyperbolic limits. Using this framework, we demonstrate the strictly observable effects of the non-adiabatic emission of gravitational waves -- characteristic of eccentric binaries -- on the orbital parameters. Furthermore, we assess the regime of validity of the widely used orbit-averaged equations first derived by Peters in 1964. Importantly, their breakdown becomes evident at the first pericenter passage, implying that the validity of the orbit-averaged approximation cannot be inferred solely from binary initial conditions. The formalism we introduce, accurate up to 2.5 post-Newtonian order, aims to provide a robust tool for making reliable astrophysical predictions and accurately interpreting current and future gravitational wave data, paving the way for deeper insights into the dynamics of eccentric black hole binaries.
comment: 18 pages, 7 figures
♻ ☆ Understanding Streaming Instabilities in the Limit of High Cosmic Ray Current Density
A critical component of particle acceleration in astrophysical shocks is the non-resonant (Bell) instability, where the streaming of cosmic rays (CRs) leads to the amplification of magnetic fields necessary to scatter particles. In this work we use kinetic particle-in-cells simulations to investigate the high-CR current regime, where the typical assumptions underlying the Bell instability break down. Despite being more strongly driven, significantly less magnetic field amplification is observed compared to low-current cases, an effect due to the anisotropic heating that occurs in this regime. We also find that electron-scale modes, despite being fastest growing, mostly lead to moderate electron heating and do not affect the late evolution or saturation of the instability.
♻ ☆ Impact of Sub-MeV Dark Matter on the Cooling of Pulsating White Dwarfs
In our galaxy, white dwarfs inevitably undergo scattering and capture processes with the interstellar diffuse dark matter. The captured dark matter forms a dark halo that eventually evaporates or annihilates. Theoretical pulsation modes and observations of pulsating white dwarfs provide predictions about their evolution. This motivates us to study the impact of sub-MeV interstellar dark matter on the cooling processes of white dwarfs. In this work, we consider the collisions between dark matter and relativistic degenerate electrons inside white dwarfs, numerically calculating the energy input and output results from scattering, capture, evaporation, and annihilation processes. Based on observational data from G117-B15, we conclude that the maximum cooling luminosity of the interstellar sub-MeV dark matter is approximately $10^{22} \, \text{erg}/\text{s}$, which is insufficient to provide an effective cooling mechanism for white dwarfs. Finally, if future observations detect a pulsating white dwarf in the Galactic center, the potential sensitivity of this scenario could extend to the region$10^{-3}\,\text{MeV} < m_\chi < 10 \, \text{MeV}$ and $6.02 \times 10^{-38}\,\text{cm}^2 > \sigma_0 \geq 1.5 \times 10^{40} \, \text{cm}^2$.
comment: 15 pages,8 figures
♻ ☆ Formation of twin compact stars in low-mass X-ray binaries: Implications on eccentric and isolated millisecond pulsar populations
Millisecond pulsars (MSPs) are laboratories for stellar evolution, strong gravity, and ultra-dense matter. Although MSPs are thought to originate in low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), approximately 27% lack a binary companion, and others are found in systems with large orbital eccentricities. Understanding how these systems form may provide insight into the internal properties of neutron stars (NSs). We studied the formation of a twin compact star through rapid first-order phase transitions in NS cores due to mass accretion in LMXBs. We investigated whether this mechanism, possibly coupled with secondary kick effects such as neutrino or electromagnetic rocket effects, leaves an observable long-lasting imprint on the orbit. We simulated mass accretion in LMXBs consisting of a NS and a low-mass main-sequence companion and followed the evolution of the NS mass, radius, and spin until a strong phase transition is triggered. For the NS structure, we assumed a multi-polytrope equation of state that allows for a sharp phase transition from hadronic to quark matter and satisfies observational constraints. We find that in compact binaries with relatively short pre-Roche lobe overflow orbital periods, an accretion-induced phase transition can occur during the LMXB phase. In contrast, in systems with wider orbits, this transition can take place during the spin-down phase, forming an eccentric binary MSP. If the transition is accompanied by a secondary kick, then the binary is likely to be disrupted, forming an isolated MSP or re-configured into an ultra-wide orbit. Our findings suggest that accretion in LMXBs provides a viable path for forming twin compact stars, potentially leaving an observable imprint on the orbit. The eccentricity distribution of binary MSPs with long orbital periods (> 50 d) could provide constraints on first-order phase transitions in dense nuclear matter.
comment: 12 pages, 6 figures. Accepted in Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A)
♻ ☆ Generation of cosmic ray trajectories by a Diffusion Model trained on test particles in 3D magnetohydrodynamic turbulence
Models for the transport of high energy charged particles through strong magnetic turbulence play a key role in space and astrophysical studies, such as describing the propagation of solar energetic particles and high energy cosmic rays. Inspired by the recent advances in high-performance machine learning techniques, we investigate the application of generative diffusion models to synthesizing test particle trajectories obtained from a turbulent magnetohydrodynamics simulation. We consider velocity increment, spatial transport and curvature statistics, and find excellent agreement with the baseline trajectories for fixed particle energies. Additionally, we consider two synthetic turbulence models for comparison. Finally, challenges towards an application-ready transport model based on our approach are discussed.
comment: 19 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
♻ ☆ BASS XLVII: 22 GHz Radio Atlas of Swift-BAT Selected AGN
We present the third phase of the largest high-frequency, high-resolution imaging survey of 231 nearby, hard X-ray selected AGN, with a very high $98 \pm 1\%$ detection fraction. This survey presents VLA 22 GHz radio observations with 1" spatial resolution covering over $6$ orders of magnitude in radio luminosity in nearby AGN that span $\sim4$ orders of magnitude in black hole mass and X-ray luminosity. We identify three different radio morphologies: $44 \pm 3\%$ (102/231) are compact or unresolved, $46 \pm 3\%$ (106/231) show an extended structure (star formation, possible one-sided jets, etc.), and $8 \pm 2\%$ (19/231) have a biconical or two-sided jet-like morphology. The remaining $2 \pm 1\%$ (4/231) sources are non-detections. The radio-to-X-ray luminosity ratios of the Swift-BAT AGN ($\text{L}_R/\text{L}_{14-195 \text{keV}} \sim 10^{-5.5}$ and $\text{L}_R/\text{L}_{2-10 \text{keV}} \sim 10^{-5}$) with a scatter of $\sim0.5$ dex are similar to that of coronally active stars ($\text{L}_R/\text{L}_X \sim 10^{-5}$). For most targets, extended emission in radio-quiet objects is broadly consistent with the expectation for star formation from previous FIR observations, once the contribution from the radio core has been subtracted. Our sample represents nearby analogs of distant AGN at the peak of black hole growth, and thus the high detection fraction in our work has important implications for future high frequency AGN radio surveys with the next generation VLA (ngVLA) or Square Kilometre Array (SKA), both of which should detect large fractions of more distant AGN.
comment: 26 pages, 8 figures, 4tables. Accepted for publication in ApJ
♻ ☆ Revisiting the Fundamental Planes of Black Hole Activity for Strong Jet Sources
Whether the X-ray emissions of strong jet sources originate from disk+coronas or jets is still controversial. In this work, we constructed a strong jet sample containing 50 flat-spectrum radio quasars, 51 low-synchrotron-peaked BL Lac objects and 18 intermediate-synchrotron-peaked BL Lac objects to explore the origin of X-ray emissions. Generally, blazars are the typical radio-loud active galactic nucleus with a powerful jet toward the observer, causing their broadband emissions to be boosted. By considering the Doppler boosting effect, we obtain the intrinsic radio--X-ray correlation and the fundamental plane (FP) of black hole activity for the strong jet sources: the intrinsic radio--X-ray correlation is $L_{\rm{R,int}}\propto L_{\rm{X,int}}^{1.04}$, which favor the jet-dominated mode, the intrinsic FP is $\log L_{\rm{R,int}}=(1.07\pm0.06)\log L_{\rm{X,int}}-(0.22\pm0.10)\log M_{\rm{BH}}-(3.77\pm2.11)$, which can be interpreted by the hybrid mode of jet+standard disk. Our results suggest that the X-ray emissions of strong jet sources are dominated by the jets, but there may also be a small contribution from the disk. In addition, the radio--X-ray correlation and FP of strong jet sources do not have a significant dependence on the Eddington-ratio.
♻ ☆ Constraints from Gamma-ray Burst Phenomenology on the Hypothesis of Quark Star as the central engine of Gamma-ray Bursts
The existence of a strange quark star (QS) predicted in the Bodmer-Witten hypothesis has been a matter of debate. The combustion from a neutron star to a strange QS in its accreted process in a low-mass X-ray binary is proposed to be a scenario that generates gamma-ray bursts (GRBs); the baryon contamination of the outflow is very low and mainly from the masses of crusts ($M_{\rm crust}$) of QSs. A special subset of GRBs detected in the past 16 years are collected and used to estimate $M_{\rm crust}$ under this assumption of QSs as central engines. Correspondingly, $M_{\rm crust}$ is calculated in the frameworks of several models for cold dense quark matter (MIT bag model and Nambu-Jona-Lasino model with or without the impacts from the formation of color superconducting condensates being considered), for comparison with the observation. In conclusion, we find that the GRB samples have so far failed to provide positive support for this hypothesis, and the NJL model in which the existence of hybrid stars is allowed might be more consistent with the observation.
comment: 9 pages, 2 figues; comments and suggestions are welcome, submitted to PRD
♻ ☆ The vela supernova remnant: The unique morphological features of jittering jets
We identify an S-shaped main-jet axis in the Vela core-collapse supernova (CCSN) remnant (CCSNR) that we attribute to a pair of precessing jets, one of the tens of pairs of jets that exploded the progenitor of Vela according to the jittering jets explosion mechanism (JJEM). A main-jet axis is a symmetry axis across the CCSNR and through the center. We identify the S-shaped main-jet axis by the high abundance of ejecta elements, oxygen, neon, and magnesium. We bring the number of identified pairs of clumps and ears in Vela to seven, two pairs shaped by the pair of precessing jets that formed the main-jet axis. The pairs and the main-jet axis form the point-symmetric wind-rose structure of Vela. The other five pairs of clumps/ears do not have signatures near the center, only on two opposite sides of the CCSNR. We discuss different possible jet-less shaping mechanisms to form such a point-symmetric morphology and dismiss these processes because they cannot explain the point-symmetric morphology of Vela, the S-shaped high ejecta abundance pattern, and the enormous energy to shape the S-shaped structure. Our findings strongly support the JJEM and further severely challenge the neutrino-driven explosion mechanism.
comment: Accepted for publication in Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics
♻ ☆ Lightest to Heavy UHECR nuclei in a Local Universe
UHECR are evaluated in the frame role of different nuclei composition. Most of the past and present models are considering proton or iron as their main courier. Some attention has been paid to the role of the UHECR light nuclei in recent years. We update here the lightest nuclei UHECR model, able to explain the nearest AGN or Star Burst sources with the few observed Hot Spot clustering in AUGER and TA array data. Any additional components of the heaviest nuclei with the highest energy, more bent and smeared, may also fit recent AUGER and TA homogeneous records at those energy edges.
comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, accepted
♻ ☆ AsterX: a new open-source GPU-accelerated GRMHD code for dynamical spacetimes
We present AsterX, a novel open-source, modular, GPU-accelerated, fully general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) code designed for dynamic spacetimes in 3D Cartesian coordinates, and tailored for exascale computing. We utilize block-structured adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) through CarpetX, the new driver for the Einstein Toolkit, which is built on AMReX, a software framework for massively parallel applications. AsterX employs the Valencia formulation for GRMHD, coupled with the Z4c formalism for spacetime evolution, while incorporating high resolution shock capturing schemes to accurately handle the hydrodynamics. AsterX has undergone rigorous testing in both static and dynamic spacetime, demonstrating remarkable accuracy and agreement with other codes in literature. Using subcycling in time, we find an overall performance gain of factor 2.5 to 4.5. Benchmarking the code through scaling tests on OLCF's Frontier supercomputer, we demonstrate a weak scaling efficiency of about 67%-77% on 4096 nodes compared to an 8-node performance.
comment: 42 pages, 13 figures
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics 12
☆ Expanding the Quantum-Limited Gravitational-Wave Detection Horizon
We demonstrate the potential of new adaptive optical technology to expand the detection horizon of gravitational-wave observatories. Achieving greater quantum-noise-limited sensitivity to spacetime strain hinges on achieving higher circulating laser power, in excess of 1~MW, in conjunction with highly-squeezed quantum states of light. The new technology will enable significantly higher levels of laser power and squeezing in gravitational-wave detectors, by providing high-precision, low-noise correction of limiting sources of thermal distortions directly to the core interferometer optics. In simulated projections for LIGO~A+, assuming an input laser power of 125~W and an effective injected squeezing level of 9~dB entering the interferometer, an initial concept of this technology can reduce the noise floor of the detectors by up to 20\% from 200~Hz to 5~kHz, corresponding to an increment of 4~Mpc in the sky-averaged detection range for binary neutron star mergers. This work lays the foundation for one of the key technology improvements essential to fully utilize the scientific potential of the existing 4-km LIGO facilities, to observe black hole merger events past a redshift of~5, and opens a realistic pathway towards a next-generation 40-km gravitational-wave observatory in the United States, Cosmic~Explorer.
comment: 8 pages, 5 figures
☆ Radial velocity homogeneous analysis of M dwarfs observed with HARPS I. Exoplanet detection and candidates
The census of planets around M dwarfs in the solar neighbourhood meets two challenges: detecting the best targets for the future characterisation of planets with ELTs, and studying the statistics of planet occurrence that are crucial to formation scenarios. The radial velocity (RV) method remains the most appropriate for such a census as it is sensitive to the widest ranges of masses and periods. HARPS, mounted on the 3.6 m telescope at La Silla Observatory (ESO, Chile), has been obtaining velocity measurements since 2003, and can therefore be used to analyse a very large and homogeneous dataset. We performed a homogeneous analysis of the RV time series of 200 M dwarfs observed with HARPS from 2003 to 2019 (gathering more than 15000 spectra), with the aim of understanding detectable signals such as stellar and planetary companions and activity signals. The RVs were computed with a template matching method before carrying out the time series analysis. First, we focused on the systematic analysis of the presence of a dominant long-term pattern in the RV time series (linear or quadratic trend and sine function). Then, we analysed higher-frequency perdiodic signals using periodograms of the residual time series and Keplerian function fitting. We found long-term variability in 57 RV time series (28.5%). This led to the revision of the parameters of the massive planet (GJ9482 b), as well as the detection of four substellar and stellar companions (around GJ3307, GJ4001, GJ4254, andGJ9588), for which we characterised inclinations and masses by combining RV and astrometry. The periodic analysis allowed us to recover 97% of the planetary systems already published in this sample, but also to propose three new planetary candidates orbiting GJ300 (7.3Me), GJ654(5Me), and GJ739 (39Me), which require additional measurements before they can be confirmed.
☆ Sunrise III: Overview of Observatory and Instruments
In July 2024, Sunrise completed its third successful science flight. The Sunrise III observatory had been upgraded significantly after the two previous successful flights in 2009 and 2013. Three completely new instruments focus on the small-scale physical processes and their complex interaction from the deepest observable layers in the photosphere up to chromospheric heights. Previously poorly explored spectral regions and lines are exploited to paint a three-dimensional picture of the solar atmosphere with unprecedented completeness and level of detail. The full polarimetric information is captured by all three instruments to reveal the interaction between the magnetic fields and the hydrodynamic processes. Two slit- based spectropolarimeters, the Sunrise UV Spectropolarimeter and Imager (SUSI) and the Sunrise Chromospheric Infrared spectro-Polarimeter (SCIP), focus on the near-ultraviolet and the near-infrared regions respectively, and the imaging spectropolarimeter Tunable Magnetograph (TuMag) simultaneously obtains maps of the full field-of-view of $46 \times 46$ Mm$^2$ in the photosphere and the chromosphere in the visible. The instruments are operated in an orchestrated mode, benefiting from a new Image Stabilization and Light Distribution unit (ISLiD), with the Correlating Wavefront Sensor (CWS) providing the autofocus control and an image stability with a root-mean-square value smaller than 0.005''. A new gondola was constructed to significantly improve the telescope pointing stability, required to achieve uninterrupted observations over many hours. Sunrise III was launched successfully on July 10, 2024, from the Esrange Space Center near Kiruna (Sweden). It reached the landing site between the Mackenzie River and the Great Bear Lake in Canada after a flight duration of 6.5 days. In this paper, we give an overview of the Sunrise III observatory and its instruments.
comment: 67 pages, 25 figures; to be published in Solar Physics Topical Collection "The Sunrise III Solar Observatory" (https://link.springer.com/collections/jegdciedig)
☆ Cryoscope: A Cryogenic Infrared Survey Telescope SP
We present Cryoscope -- a new 50 sq. deg field-of-view, 1.2 m aperture, K-dark survey telescope to be located at Dome C, Antarctica. Cryoscope has an innovative optical-thermal design wherein the entire telescope is cryogenically cooled. Cryoscope also explores new detector technology to cost-effectively tile the full focal plane. Leveraging the dark Antarctic sky and minimizing telescope thermal emission, Cryoscope achieves unprecedented deep, wide, fast and red observations, matching and exceeding volumetric survey speeds from the Ultraviolet Explorer, Vera Rubin Observatory, and Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. By providing coverage beyond wavelengths of 2 $\mu$m, we aim to create the most comprehensive dynamic movie of the most obscured reaches of the Universe. Cryoscope will be a dedicated discovery engine for electromagnetic emission from coalescing compact binaries, Earth-like exoplanets orbiting cold stars, and multiple facets of time-domain, stellar and solar system science. In this paper, we describe the scientific drivers and technical innovations for this new discovery engine operating in the K-dark passband, why we choose to deploy it in Antarctica, and the status of a fifth-scale prototype designed as a Pathfinder to retire technological risks prior to full-scale implementation.
comment: 36 pages, 20 figures, 4 tables; submitted to PASP on 2025-02-09
☆ A decade of sub-arcsecond imaging with the International LOFAR Telescope
The International LOFAR Telescope (ILT) is a pan-European radio interferometer with baselines up to 2,000 km. This provides sub-arcsecond resolution at frequencies of <200 MHz. Since starting science operations in 2012, the ILT has carried out observations for the state-of-the-art LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey, which has 6 arcsec resolution at 144 MHz. Wide-area surveys at low frequencies, while scientifically productive, have to compromise on resolution. Sub-arcsecond imaging with the ILT has become more accessible over the last decade, thanks to efforts to build a publicly available pipeline using LOFAR-specific tools, which has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of publications. The ILT's combination of resolution, field of view, and low observing frequency make it a unique instrument for a wide range of scientific applications, and it will remain unparalleled even in the era of the Square Kilometre Array Observatory. Here we provide an overview of the technical considerations and calibration methods sub-arcsecond imaging with the ILT. This is followed by a review of the unique capabilities unlocked by sub-arcsecond imaging with the ILT, using examples from the literature for demonstration. Finally we describe ongoing work including: surveying large areas of the sky at high resolution, going deeper in fields with excellent ancillary information, producing images of polarisation, and extending to lower frequencies (<100 MHz).
comment: Review paper, 37 pages, 13 Figures, Acceped for publication in Astrophysics and Space Science
☆ Piecemeal method revisited
Detecting the angles and orbits of remote targets precisely has been playing crucial roles in astrophysical research. Due to the resolution limitations imposed by the Airy disk in a single telescope, optical interferometric schemes with at least two telescopes have received considerable attention. We have extended the piecemeal method to reduce the required number of baselines for observation. Through the analysis of its performance under practical conditions, we demonstrate that both the original and extended piecemeal methods exhibit strong robustness against errors in baseline lengths and orientations. Under the same practical conditions, our approach achieves higher precision than other existing weak-light interference-based methods.
☆ Sunrise III: Overview of Observatory and Instruments
In July 2024, Sunrise completed its third successful science flight. The Sunrise III observatory had been upgraded significantly after the two previous successful flights in 2009 and 2013. Three completely new instruments focus on the small-scale physical processes and their complex interaction from the deepest observable layers in the photosphere up to chromospheric heights. Previously poorly explored spectral regions and lines are exploited to paint a three-dimensional picture of the solar atmosphere with unprecedented completeness and level of detail. The full polarimetric information is captured by all three instruments to reveal the interaction between the magnetic fields and the hydrodynamic processes. Two slit-based spectropolarimeters, the Sunrise UV Spectropolarimeter and Imager (SUSI) and the Sunrise Chromospheric Infrared spectro-Polarimeter (SCIP), focus on the near-ultraviolet and the near-infrared regions respectively, and the imaging spectropolarimeter Tunable Magnetograph (TuMag) simultaneously obtains maps of the full field-of-view of $46 \times 46$ Mm$^2$ in the photosphere and the chromosphere in the visible. The instruments are operated in an orchestrated mode, benefiting from a new Image Stabilization and Light Distribution unit (ISLiD), with the Correlating Wavefront Sensor (CWS) providing the autofocus control and an image stability with a root-mean-square value smaller than 0.005''. A new gondola was constructed to significantly improve the telescope pointing stability, required to achieve uninterrupted observations over many hours. Sunrise III was launched successfully on July 10, 2024, from the Esrange Space Center near Kiruna (Sweden). It reached the landing site between the Mackenzie River and the Great Bear Lake in Canada after a flight duration of 6.5 days. In this paper, we give an overview of the Sunrise III observatory and its instruments.
comment: 67 pages, 25 figures; to be published in Solar Physics Topical Collection "The Sunrise III Solar Observatory" (https://link.springer.com/collections/jegdciedig)
♻ ☆ Diverging evolution of light pollution indicators: can the Globe at Night and VIIRS-DNB measurements be reconciled?
The radiance of nighttime artificial lights measured by the VIIRS-DNB instrument on board the satellite Suomi-NPP increases at an average rate ~2.2 %/yr worldwide, whereas the artificial radiance of the night sky deduced from the Globe at Night (GAN) unaided-eye observations of the number of visible stars is reported to increase at an average rate ~9.6 %/yr. The difference between these two estimates is remarkable. This raises the question of whether the diverging temporal evolution of these indicators could be due to changes in the spectral composition of outdoor artificial light, consequence of the current process of replacement of lighting technologies. This paper presents a model for evaluating the temporal rate of change of different light pollution indicators and applies it to the VIIRS-DNB vs GAN issue, based on available data. The results show that the reported difference could be explained by spectral changes alone, if the visual GAN observations are made with scotopic or mesopic adaptation at definite times under some particular transition conditions. In case of photopic adapted observers, however, reconciling these two measurement sets requires the existence of GAN-specific light sources that affect the Globe at Night observations but do not show up in the VIIRS-DNB data. The lumen emissions of these GAN-specific sources for photopic observers should increase at a rate larger than 9%/yr worldwide.
comment: 24 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables. Author-formatted text of the accepted version of this article, whose version of record is published in Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer 335 (2025) 109378
♻ ☆ SPARCL: SPectra Analysis and Retrievable Catalog Lab
SPectra Analysis and Retrievable Catalog Lab (SPARCL) at NOIRLab's Astro Data Lab was created to efficiently serve large optical and infrared spectroscopic datasets. It consists of services, tools, example workflows and currently contains spectra for over 7.5 million stars, galaxies and quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) survey. We aim to eventually support the broad range of spectroscopic datasets that will be hosted at NOIRLab and beyond. Major elements of SPARCL include capabilities to discover and query for spectra based on parameters of interest, a fast web service that delivers desired spectra either individually or in bulk as well as documentation and example Jupyter Notebooks to empower users in their research. More information is available on the SPARCL website (https://astrosparcl.datalab.noirlab.edu).
comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, Conference Proceedings for ADASS 2023 (Astronomical Data Analysis Software & Systems XXXIII). Revised figure 1 (text is unchanged)
♻ ☆ Improving Undergraduate Astronomy Students' Skills with Research Literature via Accessible Summaries: An Exploratory Case Study with Astrobites-based Reading Assignments
Undergraduate physics and astronomy students are expected to engage with scientific literature as they begin their research careers, but reading comprehension skills are rarely explicitly taught in major courses. We seek to determine the efficacy of a reading assignment designed to improve undergraduate astronomy (or related) majors' perceived ability to engage with research literature by using accessible summaries of current research written by experts in the field. During the 2022-2023 academic year, faculty members from six institutions incorporated reading assignments using accessible summaries from Astrobites into their undergraduate astronomy major courses, surveyed their students before and after the activities, and participated in follow-up interviews with our research team. Quantitative and qualitative survey data from 52 students show that students' perceptions of their abilities with jargon and identifying main takeaways of a paper significantly improved with use of the tested assignment template. Additionally, students report increased confidence of their abilities within astronomy after exposure to these assignments, and instructors valued a ready-to-use resource to incorporate reading comprehension in their pedagogy. This exploratory case study with Astrobites-based assignments suggests that incorporating current research in the undergraduate classroom through accessible literature summaries may increase students' confidence and ability to engage with research literature, assisting in their preparation for participation in research careers.
comment: Accepted to PRPER
♻ ☆ Development of a bunching ionizer for TOF mass spectrometers with reduced resources
In some types of mass spectrometers, such as Time of Flight mass spectrometers (TOF-MSs), it is necessary to control pulsed beams of ions. This can be easily accomplished by applying a pulsed voltage to the pusher electrode while the ionizer is continuously flowing ions. This method is preferred for its simplicity, although the ion utilization efficiency is not optimized. Here we employed another pulse-control method with a higher ion utilization rate, which is to bunch ions and kick them out instead of letting them stream. The benefit of this method is that higher sensitivity can be achieved; since the start of new ions cannot be allowed during TOF separation, it is highly advantageous to bunch ions that would otherwise be unusable. In this study, we used analytical and numerical methods to design a new bunching ionizer with reduced resources, adopting the principle of electrostatic ion beam trap. The test model experimentally demonstrated the bunching performance with respect to sample gas density and ion bunching time using gas samples and electron impact ionization. We also conducted an experiment in connection with a miniature TOF-MS, and showed that the sensitivity was improved by more than one order of magnitude using the newly developed ionizer. Since the device is capable of bunching ions with lower voltage and lower power consumption (~100 V, ~0.8 W) compared with conventional RF ion trap bunchers (several kilovolts, ~10 W), it will be possible to find applications in portable mass spectrometer with reduced resources.
♻ ☆ Towards cosmological inference on unlabeled out-of-distribution HI observational data
We present an approach that can be utilized in order to account for the covariate shift between two datasets of the same observable with different distributions. This helps improve the generalizability of a neural network model trained on in-distribution samples (IDs) when inferring cosmology at the field level on out-of-distribution samples (OODs) of {\it unknown labels}. We make use of HI maps from the two simulation suites in CAMELS, IllustrisTNG and SIMBA. We consider two different techniques, namely adversarial approach and optimal transport, to adapt a target network whose initial weights are those of a source network pre-trained on a labeled dataset. Results show that after adaptation, salient features that are extracted by source and target encoders are well aligned in the embedding space. This indicates that the target encoder has learned the representations of the target domain via the adversarial training and optimal transport. Furthermore, in all scenarios considered in our analyses, the target encoder, which does not have access to any labels ($\Omega_{\rm m}$) during adaptation phase, is able to retrieve the underlying $\Omega_{\rm m}$ from out-of-distribution maps to a great accuracy of $R^{2}$ score $\ge$ 0.9, comparable to the performance of the source encoder trained in a supervised learning setup. We further test the viability of the techniques when only a few out-of-distribution instances are available for training and find that the target encoder still reasonably recovers the matter density. Our approach is critical in extracting information from upcoming large scale surveys.
comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, 4 tables
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 20
☆ Reconstructing the shape of the non-linear matter power spectrum using CMB lensing and cosmic shear
We reconstruct the non-linear matter power spectrum $P(k)$ using a joint analysis of gravitational lensing of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and lensing of galaxies. This reconstruction is motivated by the $S_8$ tension between early-universe CMB predictions and late-time observables. We use CMB lensing data from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope DR6 and cosmic shear data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) Y3 release to perform a gravity-only (i.e. no baryonic feedback) fit to $P(k)$ in bins of wave-number, within $\rm{\Lambda CDM}$. We find that with DES cosmic shear data alone, $P(k)$ departs from the early-universe CMB prediction on all scales. The joint fit with CMB lensing is consistent on large scales $k<0.2 \;{\rm Mpc}^{-1}$ but shows a $\sim 2 \sigma$ deviation from scale-independence when extending to $k = 10 \;h/\mathrm{Mpc}$. We compare our agnostic $P(k)$ reconstruction to baryonic feedback models and non-standard dark matter models: reasonable variations of both scenarios can recover the shape and amplitude of the suppression. We discuss the advances needed to disentangle these physical effects with a full mapping of $P(k,z)$.
☆ Mapping luminous and dark matter in the Universe
Our standard model of the Universe predicts the distribution of dark matter to $1\%$ at the scales needed for upcoming experiments, yet our predictions for how the luminous matter -which has interactions besides gravity- is distributed remain highly uncertain. Understanding how much gas and stars there are in the Universe and where they preferentially live is challenging, and the uncertainty affects how well we can understand the cosmological model itself. For example, it compromises our ability to tell apart different models for dark energy, the mysterious force driving the accelerated expansion of the Universe. In this Essay, I will touch upon many recent developments that suggest we will be able to overcome this limitation before data from new experiments become available. More excitingly, I will describe how our efforts to model luminous and dark matter jointly will create new possibilities for constraining the physics of supermassive black holes, galaxies, and gas over time.
comment: 6 pages, part of a series of Essays in Physical Review Letters which concisely present author visions for the future of their field
☆ ADF22-WEB: Detection of a molecular gas reservoir in a massive quiescent galaxy located in a $z\approx3$ proto-cluster core
We present a study of the molecular gas reservoirs and dust contents in three quiescent galaxies (QGs) located in the core of the $z=3.09$ SSA22 proto-cluster. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), we detect CO(3--2) emission in one galaxy, ADF22-QG1, marking the first direct detection of molecular gas in a quiescent galaxy from the early universe. The detected galaxy, ADF22-QG1, has a molecular gas mass of log$M_{\rm H_2}$/M$_\odot = 10.26 \pm 0.07$ assuming a CO-to-H$2$ conversion factor $\alpha_{\rm CO} = 4.4$ (log$M_{\rm H_2}$/M$_\odot = 9.52 \pm 0.07$ for $\alpha_{\rm CO} = 0.8$), corresponding to a gas mass fraction of $f_{\rm gas} \approx 14\%$ (2.5\%). The gas-to-dust ratio $\delta _{\rm gdr}\gtrsim170$ ($\delta_{\rm gdr}\gtrsim30$) for $\alpha_{\rm CO} = 4.4$ ($\alpha_{\rm CO} =0.8$) is also derived for the first time for a QG at the epoch. For the other two galaxies, ADF22-QG2 and ADF22-QG3, non detections of CO(3--2) emission provide upper limits, $f_{\rm gas} \approx 17\%$ (3.1\%) and $f_{\rm gas} \approx 13\%$ (2.4\%), respectively. The inferred gas-consumption history of ADF22-QG1, based on its star-formation history, suggests that (i) dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) at $z = 4$--$6$ are plausible progenitors, and (ii) the cessation of gas accretion from cosmic web filaments plays an important role in their evolution to quenched systems. Furthermore, the presence of a detectable molecular gas reservoir in ADF22-QG1 indicates that additional mechanisms, such as morphological quenching, may be required to fully explain its quiescent nature.
comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, submitted
☆ Galaxies in the simulated cosmic web: I. Filament identification and their properties
As the environment harbouring the majority of galaxies, filaments are thought to play a key role in the co-evolution of galaxies and the cosmic web. In this first part of a series to understand the link between galaxies and filaments through cosmological simulations, we address two major current obstacles on this path: the difficulty of meaningful filament identification, and their poorly constrained properties and internal structure. We use the public EAGLE and TNG100 simulations to build physically motivated filament catalogues with the DisPerSE algorithm, based on the dark matter (DM) field at redshift z = 0 and z = 2, explicitly accounting for the multi-scale nature of filaments and with careful validation of results. Filament widths, lengths, and densities vary by factors ~5-100 in both simulations, highlighting the heterogeneous nature of filaments as a cosmic environment. All filaments are relatively thin, with overdensity profiles of galaxies, DM, and gas dropping to the cosmic mean within <3 Mpc from their spines. Contrary to groups and clusters, filament cores are highly substructure dominated, by as much as ~80 per cent. Filament gas maps reveal rich temperature and density structures that limit the applicability of simple cylindrically symmetric models. EAGLE and TNG100 agree that z = 2 filament spines are traced by overdense cool gas in pressure equilibrium with a >10x hotter envelope. However, significant differences in detail between their predicted gas property maps imply that individual simulations cannot yet describe the baryon structure of filaments with certainty. Finally, we compare our fiducial filament network to one constructed from galaxies. The two differ in many aspects, but the distance of a galaxy to its nearest galaxy-based filament still serves as a statistical proxy for its true environment.
comment: 29 pages, 24 figures (main part 26 pages, 21 figures); submitted to A&A. Comments welcome! A PDF with full-resolution figures is available at https://ymbahe.github.io/FilamentsI_FullSize.pdf
☆ A scaling invariance of the perturbations in $k$-inflation models
We study the background and perturbations in two classes of $k$-inflation models with the potential characterized by an inflection point. We demonstrate that these models enjoy scaling properties which could be used to redefine input parameters so that the perturbations spectra satisfy correct normalization at the CMB pivot scale. The background and perturbation equations are integrated numerically for two specific models.
comment: 17 pages, 1 figure, 1 table
☆ Consistency Problems of Conformal Killing Gravity
We show that gravity field equations based on a tensor with rank greater than 2 have consistency problems in the sense that integration constants in the solutions, such as the parameter $m$ in the Schwarzschild metric, do not allow for an interpretation in terms of conserved quantities in the theory. The recently introduced Conformal Killing Gravity, an interesting extension of General Relativity that inherits all the solutions of the latter, and defined with a rank-3 tensor field equation that does not arise from a diffeomorphism-invariant action, is plagued with this problem. In this theory, it is not clear at all how one can define the energy and angular momentum for black hole solutions, or define the analogues of the formulas, such as the quadrupole formula, in the weak field limit for gravitational waves emitted by compact sources.
comment: 11 pages
☆ Exploring the link between galaxy assembly and dark matter halo assembly in IllustrisTNG: Insights from the Mutual Information
We employed Mutual Information (MI) analysis to investigate the relationship between galaxy properties and the assembly history of their host dark matter (DM) haloes from the IllustrisTNG simulations. Focusing on central and satellite galaxies with stellar masses between $10^{9} \, - \, 10^{11.5}\, h^{-1} M_\odot$, we examined the correlation between halo assembly time and galaxy assembly time, specific star formation rate (sSFR), color $(g-i)$, and galaxy formation efficiency $F_\star$. Our results indicate a strong correlation between $F_\star$ and the halo assembly time for low-mass central galaxies, suggesting a co-evolutionary relationship. In contrast, sSFR and color $(g-i)$ exhibit weaker correlations with halo assembly time, indicating that additional factors should influence these galaxy properties. Satellite galaxies show negligible correlation between their properties and halo assembly time, highlighting the impact of environmental processes on their evolution. We further extended our analysis to cluster observables, including the magnitude gap, the satellite richness, and the distances to the satellites. Although these cluster properties display weak overall correlations with halo assembly time, the richness consistently increases with stellar mass. This trend suggests that richness is more closely linked to formation history in more massive haloes, where satellite accretion dominates the growth of their host DM haloes. These findings establish $F_\star$ as a more sensitive indicator of halo assembly history than colour $(g-i)$, sSFR, or cluster observables, offering new insights into the complex interplay between galaxy evolution and the hierarchical growth of their host dark matter haloes.
comment: 16 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ Three-Field String Inflation with Perturbative Corrections: Dynamics and Implications
In this work, we construct an explicit string motivated example of three-field inflation in a related, yet distinct from, the recently discovered perturbative large volume scenario (pLVS). Contrary to the usual constructions, in this set up, large volume is ensured by the interplay between the effects of $\alpha^{\prime 3}$, logarithmic loop and higher derivative $F^4$ corrections. After addressing a full moduli stabilization scenario, we move on to a detailed analysis of three-field model of inflation in a canonical basis. We conduct multiple consistency checks to establish a solid foundation for our model within the framework of the underlying 4D effective field theory (EFT). Our model differs from previous setups in three key aspects: first, the interaction between subleading corrections that drive full moduli stabilization follows a different pattern, second, the volume form of the underlying Calabi-Yau is different, and third, in our three-field inflation scenario, the second slow-roll parameter consistently dominates over the first by several orders of magnitude. The latter signals the possible presence of primordial features which can be verified by forthcoming ground and space based experiments. We can roughly distinguish two stages of inflation: the first stage mostly occurs in the steepest direction during horizon crossing giving us almost $55$ efolds of inflation-- once one of the inflatons falls off the ridge and then to its true minimum, the other two fields become active, giving us a truly multi-field behavior in the second stage -- adding few more efodls of inflation. We also confirm our claim by introducing the non-planar torsion in the inflationary trajectory -- this quantity becomes non-trivial in the second stage of inflation. Finally, we calculate the cosmological observables, which align with Planck data, and discuss potential directions for future research.
comment: 32 pages, 9 figures, 4 tables
☆ Hydrodynamic methods and sub-resolution models for cosmological simulations
Cosmological simulations are powerful tools in the context of structure formation. They allow us to explore the assembly and clustering of dark matter halos, to validate or reject possible scenarios of structure formation, and to investigate the physical properties of evolving galaxies across time. Cosmological hydrodynamical simulations are especially key to study how the complex interstellar medium of forming galaxies responds to the most energetic processes during galaxy evolution, such as stellar feedback ensuing supernova explosions and feedback from AGN. Given the huge dynamical range of physical scales spanned by the astrophysical processes involved in cosmic structure formation and evolution, cosmological simulations resort to sub-resolution models to capture processes occurring below their resolution limit. The impact of different sub-grid prescriptions accounting for the same process is striking, though often overlooked. Some among the main aforementioned processes include: hot gas cooling, star formation and stellar feedback, stellar evolution and chemical enrichment, black hole growth and feedback. Producing simulations of cosmic structure formation and galaxy evolution in large computational volumes is key to shed light on what drives the formation of the first structures in the Universe, and their subsequent evolution. Not only are predictions from simulations crucial to compare with data from ongoing observational instruments, but they can also guide future observational campaigns. Besides, since we have entered the era of high-performance computing, it is fundamental to have numerical codes which are very efficient from the computational point of view. In this chapter, we review the main hydrodynamic methods used in cosmological simulations and the most common techniques adopted to include the astrophysical processes which drive galaxy formation and evolution (abridged).
comment: 61 pages, 14 figures; This is a preprint version of a chapter to be published in Numerical Simulations in Cosmology, edited by K. Nagamine, in the Encyclopedia of Cosmology (Set 1, Volume 2, edition 2), editor-in-chief G. G. Fazio, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., Singapore, ISBN #9789813231955 https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/9496#t=aboutBook
☆ Evolving dark energy models: Current and forecast constraints
Recent results from Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) and baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO), in combination with cosmic microwave background (CMB) measurements, have focused renewed attention on dark energy models with a time-varying equation-of-state parameter, $w(z)$. In this paper, we describe the simplest, physically motivated models of evolving dark energy that are consistent with the recent data, a broad subclass of the so-called thawing scalar field models. We provide a quasi-universal, quasi-one-parameter functional fit to the scalar-field $w_\phi(z)$ that captures the behavior of these models more informatively than the standard $w_0w_a$ phenomenological parametrization; their behavior is completely described by the current value of the equation-of-state parameter, $w_0=w(z=0)$. Combining current data from SNe Ia (DES-SN5YR), BAO (SDSS + DESI Year 1), the CMB (Planck and ACT), large-scale structure (DES Year-3 $3\times2$pt), and strong lensing (TDCOSMO + SLACS), we obtain $w_0=-0.908\pm0.035$, 2.6$\sigma$ discrepant from the $\Lambda$ cold dark matter ($\Lambda$CDM) model. The Bayesian evidence ratio substantially favors this $w_\phi$CDM model over $\Lambda$CDM. The data combination that yields the strongest discrepancy with $\Lambda$CDM is SNe Ia+BAO, for which $w_0=-0.840^{+0.048}_{-0.050}$, $3.2\sigma$ discrepant from $\Lambda$CDM and with a Bayesian evidence ratio strongly in favor. We find that the so-called $S_8$ tension between the CMB and large-scale structure is slightly reduced in these models, while the Hubble tension is slightly increased. We forecast constraints on these models from near-future surveys (DESI-extension and the Vera Rubin Observatory LSST), showing that the current best-fit $w_\phi$CDM model will be distinguishable from $\Lambda$CDM at over 9$\sigma$.
comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables. Submitted to PRD
☆ Searching for Inflationary Physics with the CMB Trispectrum: 3. Constraints from Planck
Is there new physics hidden in the four-point function of the cosmic microwave background (CMB)? We conduct a detailed analysis of the Planck PR4 temperature and polarization trispectrum for $\ell\in[2,2048]$. Using the theoretical and computational tools developed in Paper 1 and Paper 2, we search for 33 template amplitudes, encoding a variety of effects from inflationary self-interactions to particle exchange. We find no evidence for primordial non-Gaussianity and set stringent constraints on both phenomenological amplitudes and couplings in the inflationary Lagrangian. Due to the use of optimal estimators and polarization data, our constraints are highly competitive. For example, we find $\sigma(g_{\rm NL}^{\rm loc})=4.8\times 10^4$ and $\tau_{\rm NL}^{\rm loc} <1500$ (95\% CL), a factor of two improvement on Effective Field Theory amplitudes, and a $43\sigma$ detection of gravitational lensing. Many templates are analyzed for the first time, such as direction-dependent trispectra and the collapsed limit of the `cosmological collider', across a range of masses and spins. We perform a variety of validation tests; whilst our results are stable, the most relevant systematics are found to be lensing bias, residual foregrounds, and mismatch between simulations and data. The techniques discussed in this series can be extended to future datasets, allowing the primordial Universe to be probed at even higher sensitivity.
comment: 49 pages, 17 figures, 5 tables, 0 detections. Submitted to Phys. Rev. D
☆ Assessing subhalo finders in cosmological hydrodynamical simulations
Cosmological simulations are essential for inferring cosmological and galaxy population properties based on forward-modelling, but this typically requires finding the population of (sub)haloes and galaxies that they contain. The properties of said populations vary depending on the algorithm used to find them, which is concerning as it may bias key statistics. We compare how the predicted (sub)halo mass functions, satellite radial distributions and correlation functions vary across algorithms in the dark-matter-only and hydrodynamical versions of the FLAMINGO simulations. We test three representative approaches to finding subhaloes: grouping particles in configuration- (Subfind), phase- (ROCKSTAR and VELOCIraptor) and history-space (HBT-HERONS). We also present HBT-HERONS, a new version of the HBT+ subhalo finder that improves the tracking of subhaloes. We find 10%-level differences in the $M_{\mathrm{200c}}$ mass function, reflecting different field halo definitions and occasional miscentering. The bound mass functions can differ by 75% at the high mass end, even when using the maximum circular velocity as a mass proxy. The number of well-resolved subhaloes differs by up to 20% near $R_{\mathrm{200c}}$, reflecting differences in the assignment of mass to subhaloes and their identification. The predictions of different subhalo finders increasingly diverge towards the centres of the host haloes. The performance of most subhalo finders does not improve with the resolution of the simulation and is worse for hydrodynamical than for dark-matter-only simulations. We conclude that HBT-HERONS is the preferred choice of subhalo finder due to its low computational cost, self-consistently made and robust merger trees, and robust subhalo identification capabilities.
comment: Submitted to MNRAS. 32 pages total: 23 pages of main text and 9 of appendices
☆ Collective flavor conversions are interactions of neutrinos with quantized flavor waves
Collective oscillations in dense neutrino gases (flavor waves) are notable for their instabilities that cause fast flavor conversion. We develop a quantum theory of interacting neutrinos and flavor wave quanta, which are analogous to plasmons, but also carry flavor. The emission or absorption of such flavor plasmons $\psi$, or flavomons, changes the neutrino flavor. When an angular crossing occurs, the process $\nu_\mu\to\nu_e+\psi$ is more rapid than its inverse along the direction of the crossing, triggering stimulated $\psi$ emission and fast instability. Calculating the rate via Feynman diagrams matches the fast instability growth rate. Our novel $\nu$ and $\psi$ kinetic equations, corresponding to quasi-linear theory, describe instability evolution without resolving the small scales of the flavomon wavelength, potentially overcoming the main challenge of fast flavor evolution.
comment: 5 pages, 1 figures, plus Supplemental Material
♻ ☆ Galaxy cluster matter profiles: I. Self-similarity, mass calibration, and observable-mass relation validation employing cluster mass posteriors
We present a study of the weak lensing inferred matter profiles $\Delta\Sigma(R)$ of 698 South Pole Telescope thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect selected and MCMF optically confirmed galaxy clusters in the redshift range $0.25
comment: 24 pages, 17 figures, Accepted for publication in A&A
♻ ☆ Multi-axion like description of the dark sector in light of the Hubble and $σ_8$ tensions
Local methods of direct determination of the Hubble constant and $\sigma_8$ seem to conflict with the predictions made from the cosmic microwave background and $\Lambda$CDM. We propose a proof-of-concept model that models portions of the dark sector as several coupled axion-like fields, resulting in both early and late time departures from $\Lambda$CDM. We determine that the model successfully eliminates both the Hubble and $\sigma_8$ tensions, while remaining consistent with both the DESI survey and the BAO sound horizon.
♻ ☆ Diversity and universality: evolution of dwarf galaxies with self-interacting dark matter
Dark matter halos with self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) experience a unique evolutionary phenomenon, in that their central regions eventually collapse to high density through the runaway gravothermal process after initially forming a large and low-density core. When coupled with orbital evolution, this is expected to naturally produce a large diversity in dark-matter halos' inner mass distribution, potentially explaining the diversity problem of dwarf galaxies. However, it remains unknown how the diversity in SIDM dark-matter halos propagates to the more easily observed luminous matter at the center of the halo, especially the stellar component. In this work, we use idealized N-body simulations with two species of particles (dark matter and stars) to study the response of the stellar properties of field and satellite dwarf galaxies to SIDM evolution and orbital effects on their halos. Galaxies' stellar components, including galaxy size, mass-to-light ratio, and stellar velocity dispersion, display a much larger scatter in SIDM than the standard cold dark matter (CDM) model. Importantly, we find signs of universality in the evolution pathways, or "tidal tracks", of SIDM dwarf satellites, which are physically interpretable and potentially parameterizable. This type of tidal-track model can be layered onto larger-scale, cosmological simulations to reconstruct the evolution of populations of SIDM dwarfs in cases where high-resolution simulations of galaxies are otherwise prohibitively expensive.
comment: 35 pages, 21 figures, key figures are Fig. 8 and Fig. 12
♻ ☆ Imprints of Early Universe Cosmology on Gravitational Waves
We explore the potential of gravitational waves (GWs) to probe the pre-BBN era of the early universe, focusing on the effects of energy injection. Specifically, we examine a hidden sector alongside the Standard Model that undergoes a strong first-order phase transition (FOPT), producing a GW signal. Once the phase transition has completed, energy injection initiates reheating in the hidden sector, which positions the hidden sector field so that additional phase transitions can occur. This can result in a total of three distinct phase transitions with a unique three-peak GW spectrum. Among these transitions, the first and third are of the standard type, while the intermediate second transition is inverted, moving from a broken to an unbroken phase. Using polynomial potentials as a framework, we derive analytical relations among the phase transition parameters and the resulting GW spectrum. Our results indicate that the second and third transitions generate GWs with higher amplitudes than the first, with a peak frequency ratio differing by up to an order of magnitude. This three-peak GW spectrum is detectable by upcoming facilities such as LISA, BBO, and UDECIGO. Notably, the phenomenon is robust across various potentials and model parameters, suggesting that hidden sector GWs provide a powerful tool for exploring new physics scenarios in the pre-BBN era.
♻ ☆ Two-Field Quintessential Higgs model and the Swampland
We study a two-field model where a quintessence field with an exponential potential $e^{-\beta\phi/M_P}$ is coupled to the Higgs field. It is claimed that this model is consistent with the proposed Swampland conjecture. We check this claim by calculating its inflationary observables. Although, these observables are in good agreement with the latest CMB data, but we find an upper bound $\beta \lesssim 8\times 10^{-3}$ that strongly disfavors the Swampland conjecture.
comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, Received: 9 November 2024 / Accepted: 6 January 2025
♻ ☆ Dimensionality Reduction Techniques for Statistical Inference in Cosmology
We explore linear and non-linear dimensionality reduction techniques for statistical inference of parameters in cosmology. Given the importance of compressing the increasingly complex data vectors used in cosmology, we address questions that impact the constraining power achieved, such as: Are currently used methods effectively lossless? Under what conditions do nonlinear methods, typically based on neural nets, outperform linear methods? Through theoretical analysis and experiments with simulated weak lensing data vectors we compare three standard linear methods and neural network based methods. We propose two linear methods that outperform all others while using less computational resources: a variation of the MOPED algorithm we call e-MOPED and an adaptation of Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA), which is a method new to cosmology but well known in statistics. Both e-MOPED and CCA utilize simulations spanning the full parameter space, and rely on the sensitivity of the data vector to the parameters of interest. The gains we obtain are significant compared to compression methods used in the literature: up to 30% in the Figure of Merit for $\Omega_m$ and $S_8$ in a realistic Simulation Based Inference analysis that includes statistical and systematic errors. We also recommend two modifications that improve the performance of all methods: First, include components in the compressed data vector that may not target the key parameters but still enhance the constraints on due to their correlations. The gain is significant, above 20% in the Figure of Merit. Second, compress Gaussian and non-Gaussian statistics separately -- we include two summary statistics of each type in our analysis.
comment: 25 pages, 11 figures. Implementation examples in https://github.com/98minsu/CosmoCompression/ v3: edits with a new toy model to help understand the results
♻ ☆ Towards cosmological inference on unlabeled out-of-distribution HI observational data
We present an approach that can be utilized in order to account for the covariate shift between two datasets of the same observable with different distributions. This helps improve the generalizability of a neural network model trained on in-distribution samples (IDs) when inferring cosmology at the field level on out-of-distribution samples (OODs) of {\it unknown labels}. We make use of HI maps from the two simulation suites in CAMELS, IllustrisTNG and SIMBA. We consider two different techniques, namely adversarial approach and optimal transport, to adapt a target network whose initial weights are those of a source network pre-trained on a labeled dataset. Results show that after adaptation, salient features that are extracted by source and target encoders are well aligned in the embedding space. This indicates that the target encoder has learned the representations of the target domain via the adversarial training and optimal transport. Furthermore, in all scenarios considered in our analyses, the target encoder, which does not have access to any labels ($\Omega_{\rm m}$) during adaptation phase, is able to retrieve the underlying $\Omega_{\rm m}$ from out-of-distribution maps to a great accuracy of $R^{2}$ score $\ge$ 0.9, comparable to the performance of the source encoder trained in a supervised learning setup. We further test the viability of the techniques when only a few out-of-distribution instances are available for training and find that the target encoder still reasonably recovers the matter density. Our approach is critical in extracting information from upcoming large scale surveys.
comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, 4 tables
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 10
☆ Radial velocity homogeneous analysis of M dwarfs observed with HARPS. II. Detection limits and planetary occurrence statistics
We re-determine planetary occurrences around M dwarfs using 20 years of observations from HARPS on 197 targets. The first aim of this study is to propose more precise occurrence rates using the large volume of the sample but also variations to previous calculations, particularly by considering multiplicity, which is now an integral part of planetary occurrence calculations. The second aim is to exploit the extreme longevity of HARPS to determine occurrence rates in the unexplored domain of very long periods. This work relies entirely on the 197 radial velocity time series obtained and analysed in our previous study. By considering they are cleaned of any detectable signal, we convert them into detection limits. We use these 197 limits to produce a detectability map and combine it with confirmed planet detections to establish our occurrence rates. Finally, we also convert the detection limits from orbital period to insolation in order to construct an occurrence statistics for the temperate zone. We find a strong prevalence of low-mass planets around M dwarfs, with an occurrence rate of 120% for planets with a mass between 0.75 and 3 Me. In addition, we compute an occurrence rate of 45.3% +20-16% for temperate zone planets around M dwarfs. We obtain an occurrence rate of a few percent for giant planets with wide separations. In our sample these giant planets with wide separations are only detected around the most massive M dwarfs.
☆ Radial velocity homogeneous analysis of M dwarfs observed with HARPS I. Exoplanet detection and candidates
The census of planets around M dwarfs in the solar neighbourhood meets two challenges: detecting the best targets for the future characterisation of planets with ELTs, and studying the statistics of planet occurrence that are crucial to formation scenarios. The radial velocity (RV) method remains the most appropriate for such a census as it is sensitive to the widest ranges of masses and periods. HARPS, mounted on the 3.6 m telescope at La Silla Observatory (ESO, Chile), has been obtaining velocity measurements since 2003, and can therefore be used to analyse a very large and homogeneous dataset. We performed a homogeneous analysis of the RV time series of 200 M dwarfs observed with HARPS from 2003 to 2019 (gathering more than 15000 spectra), with the aim of understanding detectable signals such as stellar and planetary companions and activity signals. The RVs were computed with a template matching method before carrying out the time series analysis. First, we focused on the systematic analysis of the presence of a dominant long-term pattern in the RV time series (linear or quadratic trend and sine function). Then, we analysed higher-frequency perdiodic signals using periodograms of the residual time series and Keplerian function fitting. We found long-term variability in 57 RV time series (28.5%). This led to the revision of the parameters of the massive planet (GJ9482 b), as well as the detection of four substellar and stellar companions (around GJ3307, GJ4001, GJ4254, andGJ9588), for which we characterised inclinations and masses by combining RV and astrometry. The periodic analysis allowed us to recover 97% of the planetary systems already published in this sample, but also to propose three new planetary candidates orbiting GJ300 (7.3Me), GJ654(5Me), and GJ739 (39Me), which require additional measurements before they can be confirmed.
☆ The SPIRou Legacy Survey: near-infrared and optical radial velocity analysis of Gl 480 and Gl 382 using SPIRou, HARPS and CARMENES spectrographs
Context: Advancements in the field of exoplanetary research have extended radial velocity (RV) observations from the optical to the near-infrared (nIR) domain. M dwarf stars, characterized by their lower masses and higher prevalence of rocky planets, have become a focal point of investigation. This study uses data from the near-infrared spectropolarimeter SPIRou and data available in the literature from the HARPS and CARMENES spectrographs operating in the optical to analyze RVs of two nearby M dwarfs, Gl 480 and Gl 382. Aims: This work aims to detect and characterize exoplanetary companions around Gl 480 and Gl 382 by mitigating stellar activity effects through advanced data analysis techniques. The study seeks to improve the reliability of RV signals by integrating multi-wavelength observations and stellar activity diagnostics. Methods: The study employs a comprehensive approach that combines the line-by-line (LBL) framework with the Wapiti (Weighted principAl comPonent analysIs reconsTructIon) method to correct for systematics in SPIRou data. Through an extensive analysis of available stellar activity indicators and by combining optical data from the HARPS and CARMENES instruments, we perform a joint analysis of RV measurements in both the nIR and optical domains. Results: Our analysis confirms the detection of a planet orbiting Gl 480 with a period of $9.5537 \pm 0.0005$ d and a minimum mass of $8.8 \pm 0.7$ M$_\oplus$. Additionally, we detect a tentative signal at 6.4 d, whose significance depends strongly on the choice of Gaussian Process priors constrained by stellar activity indicators and would require further observations for confirmation. In contrast, no planetary signals are detected for Gl 382, where RV variations are dominated by stellar activity.
☆ TOI-2015b: a sub-Neptune in strong gravitational interaction with an outer non-transiting planet
TOI-2015 is a known exoplanetary system around an M4 dwarf star, consisting of a transiting sub-Neptune planet in a 3.35-day orbital period, TOI-2015b, accompanied by a non-transiting companion, TOI-2015c. High-precision RV measurements were taken with the MAROON-X spectrograph, and high-precision photometric data were collected several networks. We re-characterize the target star by combining optical spectr, Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA) and Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) analysis. The TOI-2015 host star is a K=10.3mag M4-type dwarf with a sub-solar metallicity of [Fe/H]=-0.31+/-0.16, and a Teff=3200K. Our photodynamical analysis of the system strongly favors the 5:3 mean motion resonance and in this scenario the planet b has an orbital period of 3.34days, a mass of Mp=9.02+/-0.34Me, a radius of Rp=3.309+/-0.012Re, resulting in a density of rhop= 1.40+/-0.06g/cm3, indicative of a Neptune like composition. Its transits exhibit large (>1hr) timing variations indicative of an outer perturber in the system. We performed a global analysis of the high-resolution RV measurements, the photometric data, and the TTVs, and inferred that TOI-2015 hosts a second planet, TOI-2015c, in a non-transiting configuration. TOI-2015c has an orbital period of Pc=5.583days and a mass of Mp=8.91+0.38-0.40Me. The dynamical configuration of TOI-2015b and TOI-2015c can be used to constrain the system's planetary formation and migration history. Based on the mass-radius composition models, TOI-2015b is a water-rich or rocky planet with a hydrogen-helium envelope. Moreover, TOI-2015b has a high transmission spectroscopic metric (TSM=149), making it a favorable target for future transmission spectroscopic observations with JWST to constrain the atmospheric composition of the planet. Such observations would also help to break the degeneracies in theoretical models of the planet's interior structure.
comment: The paper has been accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics
☆ GEMS JWST: Transmission spectroscopy of TOI-5205b reveals significant stellar contamination and a metal-poor atmosphere
Recent discoveries of transiting giant exoplanets around M dwarfs (GEMS) present an opportunity to investigate their atmospheric compositions and explore how such massive planets can form around low-mass stars contrary to canonical formation models. Here, we present the first transmission spectra of TOI-5205b, a short-period ($P=1.63~\mathrm{days}$) Jupiter-like planet ($M_p=1.08~\mathrm{M_J}$ and $R_p=0.94~\mathrm{R_J}$) orbiting an M4 dwarf. We obtained three transits using the PRISM mode of the JWST Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) spanning $0.6-5.3$ um. Our data reveal significant stellar contamination that is evident in the light curves as spot-crossing events and in the transmission spectra as a larger transit depth at bluer wavelengths. Atmospheric retrievals demonstrate that stellar contamination from unocculted star spots is the dominant component of the transmission spectrum at wavelengths $\lambda\lesssim3.0$ um, which reduced the sensitivity to the presence of clouds or hazes in our models. The degree of stellar contamination also prevented the definitive detection of any $\mathrm{H_2O}$, which has primary absorption features at these shorter wavelengths. The broad wavelength coverage of NIRSpec PRISM enabled a robust detection of $\mathrm{CH_4}$ and $\mathrm{H_2S}$, which have detectable molecular features between $3.0-5.0$ um. Our gridded and Bayesian retrievals consistently favored an atmosphere with both sub-solar metallicity ($\log\mathrm{[M/H]}\sim-2$ for a clear atmosphere) and super-solar C/O ratio ($\log\mathrm{[C/O]}\sim3$ for a clear or cloudy atmosphere). This contrasts with estimates from planetary interior models that predict a bulk metallicity of 10--20%, which is $\sim100\times$ the atmospheric metallicity, and suggests that the planetary interior for TOI-5205b is decoupled from its atmosphere and not well mixed.
comment: 27 pages + appendix, includes figure sets that will appear in journal, submitted to AAS. Comments welcome
☆ Cryoscope: A Cryogenic Infrared Survey Telescope SP
We present Cryoscope -- a new 50 sq. deg field-of-view, 1.2 m aperture, K-dark survey telescope to be located at Dome C, Antarctica. Cryoscope has an innovative optical-thermal design wherein the entire telescope is cryogenically cooled. Cryoscope also explores new detector technology to cost-effectively tile the full focal plane. Leveraging the dark Antarctic sky and minimizing telescope thermal emission, Cryoscope achieves unprecedented deep, wide, fast and red observations, matching and exceeding volumetric survey speeds from the Ultraviolet Explorer, Vera Rubin Observatory, and Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. By providing coverage beyond wavelengths of 2 $\mu$m, we aim to create the most comprehensive dynamic movie of the most obscured reaches of the Universe. Cryoscope will be a dedicated discovery engine for electromagnetic emission from coalescing compact binaries, Earth-like exoplanets orbiting cold stars, and multiple facets of time-domain, stellar and solar system science. In this paper, we describe the scientific drivers and technical innovations for this new discovery engine operating in the K-dark passband, why we choose to deploy it in Antarctica, and the status of a fifth-scale prototype designed as a Pathfinder to retire technological risks prior to full-scale implementation.
comment: 36 pages, 20 figures, 4 tables; submitted to PASP on 2025-02-09
☆ GEMS JWST: Transmission spectroscopy of TOI-5205b reveals significant stellar contamination and a metal-poor atmosphere
Recent discoveries of transiting giant exoplanets around M dwarfs (GEMS) present an opportunity to investigate their atmospheric compositions and explore how such massive planets can form around low-mass stars contrary to canonical formation models. Here, we present the first transmission spectra of TOI-5205b, a short-period ($P=1.63~\mathrm{days}$) Jupiter-like planet ($M_p=1.08~\mathrm{M_J}$ and $R_p=0.94~\mathrm{R_J}$) orbiting an M4 dwarf. We obtained three transits using the PRISM mode of the JWST Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) spanning $0.6-5.3$ um. Our data reveal significant stellar contamination that is evident in the light curves as spot-crossing events and in the transmission spectra as a larger transit depth at bluer wavelengths. Atmospheric retrievals demonstrate that stellar contamination from unocculted star spots is the dominant component of the transmission spectrum at wavelengths $\lambda\lesssim3.0$ um, which reduced the sensitivity to the presence of clouds or hazes in our models. The degree of stellar contamination also prevented the definitive detection of any $\mathrm{H_2O}$, which has primary absorption features at these shorter wavelengths. The broad wavelength coverage of NIRSpec PRISM enabled a robust detection of $\mathrm{CH_4}$ and $\mathrm{H_2S}$, which have detectable molecular features between $3.0-5.0$ um. Our gridded and Bayesian retrievals consistently favored an atmosphere with both sub-solar metallicity ($\log\mathrm{[M/H]}\sim-2$ for a clear atmosphere) and super-solar C/O ratio ($\log\mathrm{[C/O]}\sim3$ for a clear or cloudy atmosphere). This contrasts with estimates from planetary interior models that predict a bulk metallicity of 10--20%, which is $\sim100\times$ the atmospheric metallicity, and suggests that the planetary interior for TOI-5205b is decoupled from its atmosphere and not well mixed.
comment: 27 pages + appendix, includes figure sets that will appear in journal, submitted to AAS. Comments welcome
♻ ☆ A possible trail of dust from a young, highly-extincted brown dwarf in the outskirts of the Trapezium Cluster
We present the JWST discovery of a highly-extincted ($A_V\sim52$) candidate brown dwarf ($\sim0.018$M$_\odot$) in the outskirts of the Trapezium Cluster that appears to be coincident with the end of a $\sim 1700\,$au long, remarkably uniformly wide, dark trail that broadens only slightly at the end opposite the point source. We examine whether a dusty trail associated with a highly-extincted brown dwarf could plausibly be detected with JWST and explore possible origins. We show that a dusty trail associated with the brown dwarf could be observable if dust within it is larger than that in the ambient molecular cloud. For example, if the ambient cloud has a standard $\sim0.25$$\mu$m maximum grain size and the trail contains micron-sized grains, then the trail will have a scattering opacity over an order of magnitude larger compared to the surroundings in NIRCam short-wavelength filters. We use a simple model to show that a change in maximum grain size can reproduce the high $A_V$ and the multi-filter NIRCam contrast seen between the trail and its surroundings. We propose and explore two possible mechanisms that could be responsible for the trail: i) a weak FUV radiation-driven wind from the circum-brown dwarf disc due to the O stars in the region and ii) a Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton accretion wake. The former would be the most distant known case of the Trapezium stars' radiation driving winds from a disc, and the latter would be the first known example of ``late'' infall from the interstellar medium onto a low mass object in a high-mass star-forming region.
comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS
♻ ☆ KOBE-1: The first planetary system from the KOBE survey. Two planets likely residing in the sub-Neptune mass regime around a late K-dwarf
K-dwarf stars are promising targets in the exploration of potentially habitable planets. Their properties, falling between G and M dwarfs, provide an optimal trade-off between the prospect of habitability and ease of detection. The KOBE experiment is a blind-search survey exploiting this niche, monitoring the radial velocity of 50 late-type K-dwarf stars. It employs the CARMENES spectrograph, with an observational strategy designed to detect planets in the habitable zone of their system. In this work, we exploit the KOBE data set to characterize planetary signals in the K7V star HIP 5957 (KOBE-1) and to constrain the planetary population within its habitable zone. We used 82 CARMENES spectra over a time span of three years. We employed a GLS periodogram to search for significant periodic signals that would be compatible with Keplerian motion on KOBE-1. We carried out a model comparison within a Bayesian framework to ensure the significance of the planetary model over alternative configurations of lower complexity. We also inspected two available TESS sectors in search of planetary signals. We identified two signals: at 8.5d and 29.7d. We confirmed their planetary nature through ruling out other non-planetary configurations. Their minimum masses are 8.80+/-0.76ME and 12.4+/-1.1ME, corresponding to absolute masses within the planetary regime at a high certainty (>99.7%). By analyzing the sensitivity of the CARMENES time series to additional signals, we discarded planets above 8.5ME within the habitable zone. We identified a single transit-like feature in TESS, whose origin is still uncertain, but still compatible within 1sigma with a transit from planet c. We have explored future prospects for characterizing this system, concluding that nulling interferometry with the LIFE mission could be capable of directly imaging both planets and characterizing their atmospheres in future studies.
comment: 29 pages, 21 figures, 10 tables, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics
♻ ☆ Mechanical softening and enhanced elasticity of lunar olivine probed via nanoindentation and high-pressure X-ray diffraction measurements
The mechanical properties of minerals in planetary materials are not only interesting from a fundamental point of view but also critical to the development of future space missions. Here we present nanoindentation experiments to evaluate the hardness and reduced elastic modulus of olivine, (Mg, Fe)2SiO4, in meteorite NWA 12008, a lunar basalt. Our experiments suggest that the olivine grains in this lunaite are softer and more elastic than their terrestrial counterparts. Also, we have performed synchrotron-based high-pressure X-ray diffraction (HP-XRD) measurements to probe the compressibility properties of this meteorite and, for comparison purposes, of three ordinary chondrites. The HP-XRD results suggest that the axial compressibility of the orthorhombic $b$ lattice parameter of olivine relative to terrestrial olivine is higher in NWA 12008 and also in the highly-shocked Chelyabinsk meteorite. The origin of the observed differences is discussed. A simple model combining the results of both our nanoindentation and HP-XRD measurements allows us to describe the contribution of macroscopic and chemical-bond related effects, both of which are necessary to reproduce the observed elastic modulus softening. Such joint analysis of the mechanical and elastic properties of meteorites and returned samples opens up a new avenue for characterizing these highly interesting materials.
comment: 22 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables
Astrophysics of Galaxies 38
☆ ALMACAL XIII. Evolution of the CO luminosity function and the molecular gas mass density out to $z$ ~ 6
Cold molecular gas, largely traced by CO emission, is the primary fuel for star formation, making it essential for understanding galaxy evolution. ALMA has made significant progress in the study of the cosmic evolution of cold molecular gas. Here, we exploit the ALMACAL survey to address issues relating to small sample sizes and cosmic variance, utilising calibration data from ALMA to compile a statistically significant and essentially unbiased sample of CO-selected galaxies. By employing a novel statistical approach to emission-line classification using semi-analytical models, we place strong constraints on the CO luminosity function and the cosmic evolution of molecular gas mass density ($\rho_{H_2}$) back to $z \sim 6$. The cosmic molecular gas mass density increases with redshift, peaking around $z \sim 1.5$, then slowly declines towards higher redshifts by $\sim 1$ dex. Our findings confirm the key role of molecular gas in fuelling star formation. The new $\rho_{H_2}$ estimates allow us to revisit the cosmic baryon cycle, showing that the ratio of molecular gas-to-stellar mass density is consistent with the so-called 'bathtub model' of baryons, which implies a continuous replenishment of gas. The cosmic gas depletion timescale, estimated on a global scale, is shown to be fairly constant at all redshifts. We emphasise the importance of surveys using multiple small fields rather than a single contiguous area to mitigate the effects of cosmic variance.
comment: Main text 18 pages, 7 figures. Appendix 7 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics
☆ Evolution and final fates of massive stars
Massive stars are able to pursue their evolution through the whole sequence of burning phases. They are born hot and luminous, and live a short life before exploding as a supernova or collapsing directly into a black hole. They have a strong impact on their surrounding, injecting mechanical energy, ionising radiation, and nucleosynthetic products in the interstellar medium. They are the driver of galaxy evolution and trigger star formation. Their high luminosity makes them visible in distant galaxies, and some of them are standard candles we use to root the distance ladder of the Universe. This chapter describes the status of our knowledge about massive stars and the nucleosynthetic path they go through the different phases of their evolution.
comment: 13 pages, 4 figures. This is a pre-print of a chapter for the Encyclopedia of Astrophysics (edited by I. Mandel, section editor F.R.N. Schneider) to be published by Elsevier as a Reference Module
☆ The JWST View of Cygnus A: Jet-Driven Coronal Outflow with a Twist
We present first results from James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), and Keck Cosmic Webb Imager (KCWI) integral field spectroscopy of the powerful but highly obscured host-galaxy of the jetted radio source Cygnus A. We detect 169 infrared emission lines at 1.7--27 micron and explore the kinematics and physical properties of the extended narrow-line region (NLR) in unprecedented detail. The density-stratified NLR appears to be shaped by the initial blow-out and ongoing interaction of the radio jet with the interstellar medium, creating a multi-phase bicone with a layered structure composed of molecular and ionized gas. The NLR spectrum, with strong coronal emission at kpc-scale, is well-modeled by AGN photoionization. We find evidence that the NLR is rotating around the radio axis, perhaps mediated by magnetic fields and driven by angular momentum transfer from the radio jet. The overall velocity field of the NLR is well described by 250 km/s outflow along biconical spiral flow lines, combining both rotation and outflow signatures. There is particularly bright [Fe II] 1.644 micron emission from a dense, high-velocity dispersion, photoionized clump of clouds found near the projected radio axis. Outflows of 600--2000 km/s are found in bullets and streamers of ionized gas that may be ablated by the radio jet from these clouds, driving a local outflow rate of 40 Msun/yr.
comment: Submitted to Astrophysical Journal
☆ ADF22-WEB: Detection of a molecular gas reservoir in a massive quiescent galaxy located in a $z\approx3$ proto-cluster core
We present a study of the molecular gas reservoirs and dust contents in three quiescent galaxies (QGs) located in the core of the $z=3.09$ SSA22 proto-cluster. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), we detect CO(3--2) emission in one galaxy, ADF22-QG1, marking the first direct detection of molecular gas in a quiescent galaxy from the early universe. The detected galaxy, ADF22-QG1, has a molecular gas mass of log$M_{\rm H_2}$/M$_\odot = 10.26 \pm 0.07$ assuming a CO-to-H$2$ conversion factor $\alpha_{\rm CO} = 4.4$ (log$M_{\rm H_2}$/M$_\odot = 9.52 \pm 0.07$ for $\alpha_{\rm CO} = 0.8$), corresponding to a gas mass fraction of $f_{\rm gas} \approx 14\%$ (2.5\%). The gas-to-dust ratio $\delta _{\rm gdr}\gtrsim170$ ($\delta_{\rm gdr}\gtrsim30$) for $\alpha_{\rm CO} = 4.4$ ($\alpha_{\rm CO} =0.8$) is also derived for the first time for a QG at the epoch. For the other two galaxies, ADF22-QG2 and ADF22-QG3, non detections of CO(3--2) emission provide upper limits, $f_{\rm gas} \approx 17\%$ (3.1\%) and $f_{\rm gas} \approx 13\%$ (2.4\%), respectively. The inferred gas-consumption history of ADF22-QG1, based on its star-formation history, suggests that (i) dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) at $z = 4$--$6$ are plausible progenitors, and (ii) the cessation of gas accretion from cosmic web filaments plays an important role in their evolution to quenched systems. Furthermore, the presence of a detectable molecular gas reservoir in ADF22-QG1 indicates that additional mechanisms, such as morphological quenching, may be required to fully explain its quiescent nature.
comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, submitted
☆ Photometric metallicities of 0.8 million KiDS stars
Accurate determinations of metallicity for large, complete stellar samples are essential for advancing various studies of the Milky Way. In this paper, we present a data-driven algorithm that leverages photometric data from the KiDS and the VIKING surveys to estimate stellar absolute magnitude, effective temperature and metallicities. The algorithm is trained and validated using spectroscopic data from LAMOST, SEGUE, APOGEE, and GALAH, as well as a catalog of very metal-poor stars from the literature, and Gaia EDR3 data. This approach enables us to estimate metallicities, effective temperatures, and g-band absolute magnitudes for approximately 0.8 million stars in the KiDS dataset. The photometric metallicity estimates exhibit an uncertainty of around 0.28 dex when compared to spectroscopic studies, within the metallicity range of -2 dex to 0.5 dex. The photometric effective temperature estimates have an uncertainty of around 149 K, while the uncertainty in the absolute magnitude is approximately 0.36 mag. The metallicity estimates are reliable for values down to about -2 dex. This catalog represents a valuable resource for studying the structure and chemical properties of the Milky Way, offering an extensive dataset for future investigations into Galactic formation and evolution.
☆ Euclid: A complete Einstein ring in NGC 6505
We report the discovery of a complete Einstein ring around the elliptical galaxy NGC 6505, at $z=0.042$. This is the first strong gravitational lens discovered in Euclid and the first in an NGC object from any survey. The combination of the low redshift of the lens galaxy, the brightness of the source galaxy ($I_\mathrm{E}=18.1$ lensed, $I_\mathrm{E}=21.3$ unlensed), and the completeness of the ring make this an exceptionally rare strong lens, unidentified until its observation by Euclid. We present deep imaging data of the lens from the Euclid Visible Camera (VIS) and Near-Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer (NISP) instruments, as well as resolved spectroscopy from the Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI). The Euclid imaging in particular presents one of the highest signal-to-noise ratio optical/near-infrared observations of a strong gravitational lens to date. From the KCWI data we measure a source redshift of $z=0.406$. Using data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) we measure a velocity dispersion for the lens galaxy of $\sigma_\star=303\pm15\,\mathrm{kms}^{-1}$. We model the lens galaxy light in detail, revealing angular structure that varies inside the Einstein ring. After subtracting this light model from the VIS observation, we model the strongly lensed images, finding an Einstein radius of 2.5 arcsec, corresponding to $2.1\,\mathrm{kpc}$ at the redshift of the lens. This is small compared to the effective radius of the galaxy, $R_\mathrm{eff}\sim 12.3\,\mathrm{arcsec}$. Combining the strong lensing measurements with analysis of the spectroscopic data we estimate a dark matter fraction inside the Einstein radius of $f_\mathrm{DM} = (11.1_{-3.5}^{+5.4})\%$ and a stellar initial mass-function (IMF) mismatch parameter of $\alpha_\mathrm{IMF} = 1.26_{-0.08}^{+0.05}$, indicating a heavier-than-Chabrier IMF in the centre of the galaxy.
comment: Accepted in A&A. Press release: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Euclid/Euclid_discovers_a_stunning_Einstein_ring
☆ Variable stars in the VVV globular clusters III. RR Lyrae stars in the inner Galactic globular clusters
High reddening near the Galactic plane hampers observations and proper characterization of the globular clusters (GCs) located toward the inner regions of the Milky Way. The VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) survey observed the Galactic bulge and adjacent disk for several years, providing multi-epoch, near-infrared images for 41 Galactic GCs. Detecting RRLyrae variables belonging to these GCs will aid in their accurate parameterization. By fully leveraging the astrometric, photometric, and variability VVV catalogs, we searched for RRLyrae stars associated with GCs. Our selection criteria, based on proper motions, proximity to the cluster centers, and distances inferred from their period-luminosity-metallicity relations, enable us to accurately identify the RRLyrae population in these GCs and determine color excesses and distances in a homogeneous manner. Since the VVV catalogs cover from the innermost regions of the GCs to their outskirts, we can provide a comprehensive picture of the entire RRLyrae population in these GCs. We have discovered significant RRLyrae populations in two highly reddened Galactic GCs: UKS1 and VVV-CL160, previously unknown to host RRLyrae stars. Additionally, we have detected one RRLyrae candidate in each of Terzan4 and Terzan9, also new to RRLyrae detection. We further confirm and increase the number of RRLyrae stars detected in 22 other low-latitude Galactic GCs. The RRLyrae distances place most of these GCs within the Galactic bulge, aligning well with the few GCs in our sample with reliable Gaia or Hubble Space Telescope measurements. However, most of the VVV GCs lack accurate Gaia distances, and literature distances are generally significantly smaller than those derived in this work. As a byproduct of our analysis, we have obtained the proper motions for all the VVV GCs, independently confirming Gaia results, except for UKS1 and 2MASS-GC02.
comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, 21 pages, 5 Figures, 5 Tables
☆ Galaxies in the simulated cosmic web: I. Filament identification and their properties
As the environment harbouring the majority of galaxies, filaments are thought to play a key role in the co-evolution of galaxies and the cosmic web. In this first part of a series to understand the link between galaxies and filaments through cosmological simulations, we address two major current obstacles on this path: the difficulty of meaningful filament identification, and their poorly constrained properties and internal structure. We use the public EAGLE and TNG100 simulations to build physically motivated filament catalogues with the DisPerSE algorithm, based on the dark matter (DM) field at redshift z = 0 and z = 2, explicitly accounting for the multi-scale nature of filaments and with careful validation of results. Filament widths, lengths, and densities vary by factors ~5-100 in both simulations, highlighting the heterogeneous nature of filaments as a cosmic environment. All filaments are relatively thin, with overdensity profiles of galaxies, DM, and gas dropping to the cosmic mean within <3 Mpc from their spines. Contrary to groups and clusters, filament cores are highly substructure dominated, by as much as ~80 per cent. Filament gas maps reveal rich temperature and density structures that limit the applicability of simple cylindrically symmetric models. EAGLE and TNG100 agree that z = 2 filament spines are traced by overdense cool gas in pressure equilibrium with a >10x hotter envelope. However, significant differences in detail between their predicted gas property maps imply that individual simulations cannot yet describe the baryon structure of filaments with certainty. Finally, we compare our fiducial filament network to one constructed from galaxies. The two differ in many aspects, but the distance of a galaxy to its nearest galaxy-based filament still serves as a statistical proxy for its true environment.
comment: 29 pages, 24 figures (main part 26 pages, 21 figures); submitted to A&A. Comments welcome! A PDF with full-resolution figures is available at https://ymbahe.github.io/FilamentsI_FullSize.pdf
☆ The Coronal Line Region of Active Galactic Nuclei
Forbidden coronal lines has traditionally called the attention due to the high-energy photons required for their production (IP $>$100~eV, where IP is the ionisation potential of the transitions that originate the line). As such, they are regarded as the most highly ionised component of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). For decades, it was thought that they were only formed in the inner portions of the narrow line region (NLR). Nowadays, due to the larger sensitivity of the detectors and the availability of integral field unit (IFU) spectrographs, that emission in addition to the nuclear component is found to be extended up to a few kiloparsecs away from the active centre. In this review, we highlight the most important aspects of the coronal emission and discuss the recent developments in the field. In particular, we emphasize the discovery that they can be used to determine the mass of the central supermassive black hole, to reconstruct the SED, as well as to trace the most energetic feedback component of the ionised gas in AGN.
comment: 10 pages. Mini review, Accepted in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences, section Extragalactic Astronomy
☆ Recent Developments on the HI Gas of Low-Redshift Galaxies Seen by the 21cm Emission Lines FAST
As a major interstellar medium, the atomic neutral hydrogen (HI) plays an important role in the galaxy evolution. It provides the ingredient for star formation, and sensitively traces the internal processes and external perturbations influencing the galaxy. With the beginning of many new radio telescopes and surveys, HI may make a more significant contribution to the understanding of galaxies in the near future. This review discusses the major development of the $21\,\text{cm}$ emission-line HI observations and studies in the past few years, including its scaling relations with other galaxy properties, its kinematics and structures, its role in environmental studies, and its constraints on hydrodynamical simulations. The local-Universe HI scaling relations of stellar-mass--selected samples extend smoothly to $10^9\,\text{M}_\odot$ stellar mass, with a tentative evolution to the redshift of ${\sim}0.1$. The development of measurement techniques enables better estimations of HI non-circular motion, dispersion, and thickness, and new observations revealed extended or extra-planar HI structures, both helpfully constraining the gas accretion, stellar feedback, and star formation processes of galaxy evolution models. HI is very useful for tracing the on-going satellite evolution in dense environments, the studies of which would benefit from ongoing blind HI surveys. Though simulations still cannot fully reproduce HI gas properties, they help to understand the role of possible factors in regulating HI properties. We also discuss possible future progress with new observations at FAST.
comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, invited review for the FAST special issue of CPL
☆ The EDIBLES survey. X. The 6196 Å diffuse interstellar band: Identification of side DIBs as indication for a small carrier molecule
Context: Numerous studies of diffuse interstellar band (DIB) profiles have detected substructures, implying large molecules as their carriers. However, some of the narrowest DIBs generally do not show such substructure, suggesting the possibility of very small carriers. Aims: Based on the previously found tight correlation of the three narrow DIBs at 6196, 6440 and 6623 A and the present detection of weaker side DIBs to each of them in the extensive data set from the ESO Diffuse Interstellar Bands Large Exploration Survey, we investigate whether they may stem from small linear carrier molecules. This approach can lead to concrete DIB carrier suggestions, which can be tested in laboratory measurements in future studies. Methods: We suggest that the DIBs we study here represent individual rotational transitions of a small molecule. We determined the molecular constants from observation and compared them with data from a large set of quantum-chemical calculations to confine possible carrier candidates. Furthermore, we determined rotational temperatures by fitting line ratios using the fitted molecular models. Results: We determined molecular constants for three DIB systems and the corresponding transition types. The fitted rotational temperatures lie within the range of known interstellar diatomic molecules. We identified several DIB carrier candidates, almost all of them molecular ions. Some of them are metastable species, indicating the possibility of collision complexes as DIB carriers. Conclusions: If our hypothesis holds, this would be a major step toward the identification of a carrier molecule of the 6196 A DIB, the strongest among the narrow DIBs.
comment: 16 pages, 12 figures, Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics
☆ Gravitational Lensing by a Dark Compact Object in Modified Gravity and Observational Constraints from Einstein Rings
In this manuscript, we provide a comprehensive study of gravitational lensing by dark compact objects predicted by a Modified Gravity (MOG) based on the Scalar-Vector-Tensor action, and the aim is to analyze new insights into the nature of gravitational interactions. We compute weak and strong deflection angles for the specified static, spherically symmetric MOG spacetime. Additionally, we dedicate a section to explore observational implications in the weak field limit. By employing a supermassive galactic black hole as a gravitational lens, we compare various parameters in MOG with those of the Schwarzschild black hole as lens in strong-field scenarios. Specifically, we model the black holes M87${^*}$ and Sgr A${^*}$ as lenses within the MOG framework, calculating the corresponding lensing coefficients and distortion parameters in the weak field regime.
comment: 28 pages, 10 figures, 4 tables. To appear in the European Physical Journal C
☆ Classifying merger stages with adaptive deep learning and cosmological hydrodynamical simulations
Hierarchical merging of galaxies plays an important role in galaxy formation and evolution. Mergers could trigger key evolutionary phases such as starburst activities and active accretion periods onto supermassive black holes at the centres of galaxies. We aim to detect mergers and merger stages (pre- and post-mergers) across cosmic history and test whether it is better to detect mergers and their merger stages simultaneously or hierarchically. In addition, we want to test the impact of merger time relative to the coalescence of merging galaxies. First, we generated realistic mock JWST images of simulated galaxies selected from the IllustrisTNG cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. Then we trained deep learning (DL) models in the Zoobot Python package to classify galaxies into merging/non-merging galaxies and their merger stages. We used two different set-ups: (i) two-stage, in which we classify galaxies into mergers and non-mergers and then classify the mergers into pre-mergers and post-mergers, and (ii) one-stage, in which merger/non-merger and merger stages are classified simultaneously. We found that the one-stage classification set-up moderately outperforms the two-stage set-up, offering better overall accuracy and precision, particularly for the non-merger class. Pre-mergers can be classified with the highest precision in both set-ups, possibly due to the more recognisable merging features and the presence of merging companions. The image signal-to-noise ratio affects the performance of the DL classifiers, but not much after a certain threshold is crossed. Both precision and recall of the classifiers depend strongly on merger time, finding it more difficult to identify true mergers observed at stages that are more distant to coalescence. For pre-mergers, we recommend selecting mergers which will merge in the next 0.4 Gyrs, to achieve a good balance between precision and recall.
☆ PAH carbon accretion and return to the diffuse interstellar medium
Two key questions of the chemistry of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the interstellar medium (ISM) are addressed: i) the way carbon is returned from PAHs to the interstellar gas after the very efficient accretion of C+ ions onto PAHs; ii) the PAH contribution to the high abundance of small carbon molecules observed in UV-irradiated regions. They are addressed based on the structure and stability of the various isomers of the complexes formed by PAHs and their cations with atomic carbon. Carbon complexes with coronene are studied by B3LYP/6-311+ZPVE(B3LYP/6-31G*) calculations, in order to figure out the behaviour of C+ and C complexes with larger pericondensed interstellar PAHs, which are thought to be dominant in the ISM. The most stable forms of [C-coronene]+ cation include 7C and 4C rings, C+ insertion into a CH bond, and a 5C ring with a short exocyclic cumulene chain, and similarly for neutral [C-coronene]. The subsequent evolution of similar complexes with pericondensed PAHs, in diffuse clouds, is discussed under the action of interstellar UV photons and H atoms, as function of the PAH size. Despite the complexity of such a processing, it seems probable that, for small PAHs, these complexes efficiently lose a C2H2 molecule from repeated photodissociations. However, this conclusion needs to be confirmed by the identification of reaction paths and the computation of activation energies. The case of the evolution of larger [C-PAH] complexes is less clear. Such a processing may explain the observed balance between C+ and PAHs, at least in the diffuse ISM. Such a formation of C2H2 from PAH catalysis is a key input for the chemistry of small carbon molecules in diffuse clouds. C+ accretion might frequently form stable PAHs that contain a peripheral pentagonal ring and form a significant fraction of interstellar PAHs.
☆ Different physical and numerical sources of scatter in the $M_{\star}$-$M_{\mathrm{BH}}$ relation and their connection to galaxy evolution
Observations have established that the masses of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) correlate tightly with the stellar masses of their host galaxies, albeit with substantial scatter. The size of this scatter as a function of galaxy mass and redshift contains valuable information about the origin of SMBHs and the physical nature of their co-evolution with galaxies. In this work, we highlight this connection by studying the scatter in the $M_{\mathrm{BH}} - M_{\star}$ relation for massive galaxies in the Illustris, IllustrisTNG (TNG), and EAGLE cosmological simulations. We find that the scatter in TNG is significantly lower than in Illustris and EAGLE, reflecting their different BH feedback models. By performing various numerical experiments, we quantify different contributions to the scatter in the simulations, and also identify a suitably defined intrinsic scatter. The intrinsic scatter in Illustris and EAGLE is $\sim0.3$ dex at $z=0$, and is dominated by variations from BH accretion, whereas the smaller scatter of TNG is rather dominated by hierarchical merging, suggesting that the massive galaxies in TNG are more tightly quenched. Variations in the BH seed mass can contribute to the scatter of the $M_{\rm BH}-M_{\star}$ relation as well, but whether this still plays a role at $z=0$ depends on the feedback model. Simulations with disabled AGN feedback produce much higher scatter for low-mass galaxies than seen in our cosmological simulations, demonstrating the crucial influence of feedback for determining the co-evolution of SMBHs and their host galaxies in this regime. In contrast, an important factor in reducing the scatter for massive galaxies is hierarchical merging of mostly quenched systems. Based on our results, we expect that the scatter in the $M_{\mathrm{BH}} - M_{\star}$ relation at high redshift could be particularly powerful in providing clues to the origin of SMBHs.
comment: 16 pages, 13 figures, submit to MNRAS, comments welcome
☆ Galactic structure dependence of cloud-cloud collisions driven star formation in the barred galaxy NGC 3627
While cloud-cloud collisions (CCCs) have been proposed as a mechanism for triggering massive star formation, it is suggested that higher collision velocities ($v_{\rm col}$) and lower GMC mass ($M_{\rm GMC}$) or/and density ($\Sigma_{\rm GMC}$) tend to suppress star formation. In this study, we choose the nearby barred galaxy NGC 3627 to examine the SFR and SFE of a colliding GMC ($m^\star_{\rm CCC}$ and $\epsilon_{\rm CCC}$) and explore the connections between $m^\star_{\rm CCC}$ and $\epsilon_{\rm CCC}$, $M_{\rm GMC}$($\Sigma_{\rm GMC}$) and $v_{\rm col}$, and galactic structures (disk, bar, and bar-end). Using ALMA CO(2--1) data (60~pc resolution), we estimated $v_{\rm col}$ within 500~pc apertures, based on line-of-sight GMC velocities, assuming random motion in a two-dimensional plane. We extracted apertures where at least 0.1 collisions occur per 1 Myr, identifying them as regions dominated by CCC-driven star formation, and then calculated $m^\star_{\rm CCC}$ and $\epsilon_{\rm CCC}$ using attenuation-corrected H$\alpha$ data from VLT MUSE. We found that both $m^\star_{\rm CCC}$ and $\epsilon_{\rm CCC}$ are lower in the bar (median values: $10^{3.84}~M_\odot$ and $0.18~\%$), and higher in the bar-end ($10^{4.89}~M_\odot$ and $1.10~\%$) compared to the disk ($10^{4.28}~M_\odot$ and $0.75~\%$). Furthermore, we found that structural differences within the parameter space of $v_{\rm col}$ and $M_{\rm GMC}$($\Sigma_{\rm GMC}$), with higher $M_{\rm GMC}$($\Sigma_{\rm GMC}$) in the bar-end and higher $v_{\rm col}$ in the bar compared to the disk, lead to higher star formation activity in the bar-end and lower activity in the bar. Our results support the scenario that variations in CCC properties across different galactic structures can explain the observed differences in SFE on a kpc scale within a disk galaxy.
comment: 20 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
☆ Exploring the link between galaxy assembly and dark matter halo assembly in IllustrisTNG: Insights from the Mutual Information
We employed Mutual Information (MI) analysis to investigate the relationship between galaxy properties and the assembly history of their host dark matter (DM) haloes from the IllustrisTNG simulations. Focusing on central and satellite galaxies with stellar masses between $10^{9} \, - \, 10^{11.5}\, h^{-1} M_\odot$, we examined the correlation between halo assembly time and galaxy assembly time, specific star formation rate (sSFR), color $(g-i)$, and galaxy formation efficiency $F_\star$. Our results indicate a strong correlation between $F_\star$ and the halo assembly time for low-mass central galaxies, suggesting a co-evolutionary relationship. In contrast, sSFR and color $(g-i)$ exhibit weaker correlations with halo assembly time, indicating that additional factors should influence these galaxy properties. Satellite galaxies show negligible correlation between their properties and halo assembly time, highlighting the impact of environmental processes on their evolution. We further extended our analysis to cluster observables, including the magnitude gap, the satellite richness, and the distances to the satellites. Although these cluster properties display weak overall correlations with halo assembly time, the richness consistently increases with stellar mass. This trend suggests that richness is more closely linked to formation history in more massive haloes, where satellite accretion dominates the growth of their host DM haloes. These findings establish $F_\star$ as a more sensitive indicator of halo assembly history than colour $(g-i)$, sSFR, or cluster observables, offering new insights into the complex interplay between galaxy evolution and the hierarchical growth of their host dark matter haloes.
comment: 16 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ Observations and Radiative Transfer Simulations of the Carbon-rich AGB star V Oph with VLTI/MATISSE
Carbon-rich Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars are among the most important contributors of enriched materials to the interstellar medium due to their strong stellar winds. To fully characterize mass loss on the AGB, it is necessary to determine the distributions of dust and gas around the stars, where the dust begins to condense from the gas, and how this extended atmospheric structure evolves over the pulsational period of the star. We present an analysis of L-band (2.8-4.2 $\mu$m) interferometric observations of the carbon-rich AGB star V Oph made with the MATISSE instrument at the VLTI at the maximum and minimum of the star's visual light curve. Using the radiative transfer software RADMC-3D, we model the circumstellar dust shell, and find stellar radii of 395 and 495 $R_{\odot}$ at the two phases, and dust radii of 790 and 742.5 $R_{\odot}$ at the two epochs, respectively. By adding C$_2$H$_2$ and HCN gas to the RADMC-3D models, we are able to fit the visibility spectra well, with some deviations at the 3.11 $\mu$m feature. Reasons for this deviation and interpretation of the best fitting models are discussed in the text, and we discuss motivations for follow-up imaging observations of V Oph.
comment: 20 pages, 16 Figures
☆ WilloWISPs: A New Dark Growth Channel for Black Holes Suggests a Full-Spectrum Hierarchical MACHO Mass Function for Dark Matter
Evidence of neutron stars with deconfined quark-matter cores suggest a new pathway for the evolution of black holes. New theories about the cores of neutron stars support the idea that quarkonium is likely to grow there as the neutron star ages. Surveys of stellar remnants have shown that there is no major mass gap between neutron stars and black holes. Black holes, specifically primordial ones (PBHs), have been suggested as an explanation for dark matter before. However, the way that very large black holes can form in the lifetime of the visible universe has only recently been explained with the solution to The Final Parsec Problem. If neutron stars can become exotic stars or black holes, then they may persist long enough to quiescently provide enough mass in dense matter regions to allow Intermediate-Mass Black Holes (IMBH) and Supermassive Black Holes (SMBH) to form quickly via coalescence. We find that a hierarchical clustering of Massive and Compact Halo Objects (MACHOs) with axion-dominated mini-halos can help to explain all of the missing dark matter. The model presented here suggests that this type of MACHO is likely equivalent to black holes above an unknown critical mass, which is less than ~5 $M_{\odot}$, and that they ought to form quark stars below this mass. If quark stars are a metastable transition between neutron stars and black holes, then black holes ought to be equivalent to boson stars with event horizons, after all the residual quark material has formed a Bose-Einstein condensate of mesons.
☆ Hydrodynamic methods and sub-resolution models for cosmological simulations
Cosmological simulations are powerful tools in the context of structure formation. They allow us to explore the assembly and clustering of dark matter halos, to validate or reject possible scenarios of structure formation, and to investigate the physical properties of evolving galaxies across time. Cosmological hydrodynamical simulations are especially key to study how the complex interstellar medium of forming galaxies responds to the most energetic processes during galaxy evolution, such as stellar feedback ensuing supernova explosions and feedback from AGN. Given the huge dynamical range of physical scales spanned by the astrophysical processes involved in cosmic structure formation and evolution, cosmological simulations resort to sub-resolution models to capture processes occurring below their resolution limit. The impact of different sub-grid prescriptions accounting for the same process is striking, though often overlooked. Some among the main aforementioned processes include: hot gas cooling, star formation and stellar feedback, stellar evolution and chemical enrichment, black hole growth and feedback. Producing simulations of cosmic structure formation and galaxy evolution in large computational volumes is key to shed light on what drives the formation of the first structures in the Universe, and their subsequent evolution. Not only are predictions from simulations crucial to compare with data from ongoing observational instruments, but they can also guide future observational campaigns. Besides, since we have entered the era of high-performance computing, it is fundamental to have numerical codes which are very efficient from the computational point of view. In this chapter, we review the main hydrodynamic methods used in cosmological simulations and the most common techniques adopted to include the astrophysical processes which drive galaxy formation and evolution (abridged).
comment: 61 pages, 14 figures; This is a preprint version of a chapter to be published in Numerical Simulations in Cosmology, edited by K. Nagamine, in the Encyclopedia of Cosmology (Set 1, Volume 2, edition 2), editor-in-chief G. G. Fazio, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., Singapore, ISBN #9789813231955 https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/9496#t=aboutBook
☆ The satellite galaxies of the Milky Way and Andromeda
The satellite galaxies of the Local Group provide us with an important probe of galaxy formation, evolution, and cosmology. The two large spirals that dominate this group -- the Milky Way and Andromeda -- are each host to tens of satellites, ranging in stellar mass from $M_*=3\times10^9\,{\rm M_\odot}$ down to as little as $M_*\sim1000\,{\rm M_\odot}$. In this review, we (1) provide an overview of the known satellite population of the Milky Way and Andromeda, including how they are discovered and their observed properties; (2) discuss their importance in understanding the nature of dark matter, star formation in the early Universe, the assembly histories of their massive hosts, and the impact of reionisation on the lowest mass galaxies; and (3) highlight the coming revolution and challenges of this field as new observatories and facilities come online. In the coming decades, the study of Local Group satellites should allow us to place competitive constraints on both dark matter and galaxy evolution.
comment: This is a pre-print of a chapter for the Encyclopedia of Astrophysics (edited by I. Mandel, section editor S. McGee) to be published by Elsevier as a Reference Module
☆ A decade of sub-arcsecond imaging with the International LOFAR Telescope
The International LOFAR Telescope (ILT) is a pan-European radio interferometer with baselines up to 2,000 km. This provides sub-arcsecond resolution at frequencies of <200 MHz. Since starting science operations in 2012, the ILT has carried out observations for the state-of-the-art LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey, which has 6 arcsec resolution at 144 MHz. Wide-area surveys at low frequencies, while scientifically productive, have to compromise on resolution. Sub-arcsecond imaging with the ILT has become more accessible over the last decade, thanks to efforts to build a publicly available pipeline using LOFAR-specific tools, which has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of publications. The ILT's combination of resolution, field of view, and low observing frequency make it a unique instrument for a wide range of scientific applications, and it will remain unparalleled even in the era of the Square Kilometre Array Observatory. Here we provide an overview of the technical considerations and calibration methods sub-arcsecond imaging with the ILT. This is followed by a review of the unique capabilities unlocked by sub-arcsecond imaging with the ILT, using examples from the literature for demonstration. Finally we describe ongoing work including: surveying large areas of the sky at high resolution, going deeper in fields with excellent ancillary information, producing images of polarisation, and extending to lower frequencies (<100 MHz).
comment: Review paper, 37 pages, 13 Figures, Acceped for publication in Astrophysics and Space Science
☆ A comparison of abundance analyses of first generation stars in multiple populations in 47 Tuc and NGC 3201
The distinction of the stellar content in globular clusters (GCs) in multiple stellar populations characterized by different amounts of proton-capture elements has been well assessed since a long time. On the other hand, the existence of noticeable variations in metallicity among GC stars is still debated. In particular, recent spectroscopic analyses claimed the presence of a small variation in metallicity, ~0.1 dex, for the first generation (FG) stars in NGC 3201 and NGC 104. However, in both cases the claim is not robust because of the internal error of 0.1 dex associated to the [Fe/H] values. To verify the reality of a metallicity variation we compared the two analyses, performed by the same authors with identical methodology. We found trends of metallicity as a function of the spectroscopically derived effective temperatures. However they are in opposite directions; in NGC 3201 cooler (and brighter) stars have higher [Fe/H] values, whereas in 47 Tuc they show lower metallicities. The trend is not statistically significant in the former case, but it is in the latter. The dependence of metallicity on the luminosity along the red giant branch seems to indicate problems in the abundance analysis for 47 Tuc. Finally, effective temperature do not show a significant variation as a function of the color spread along the HST pseudo-colour map, which we should instead observe were the trends temperature-metallicity a real effects of intrinsic scatter in iron. According to this comparison, we conclude that with these analyses, and the associated spurious trends, the issue of metallicity variations in FG stars is hardly settled.
comment: 7 pages, 7 figures; accepted for publication on Astronomy and Astrophysics
☆ Shedding light on the star formation rate-halo accretion rate connection and halo quenching mechanism via DECODE, the Discrete statistical sEmi-empiriCal mODEl
Aims: The relative roles of the physical mechanisms involved in quenching galaxy star formation are still unclear. We tackle this fundamental problem with our cosmological semi-empirical model DECODE (Discrete statistical sEmi-empiriCal mODEl), designed to predict galaxy stellar mass assembly histories, from minimal input assumptions. Methods: Specifically, in this work the star formation history of each galaxy is calculated along its progenitor dark matter halo by assigning at each redshift a star formation rate extracted from a monotonic star formation rate-halo accretion rate (SFR-HAR) relation derived from abundance matching between the (observed) SFR function and the (numerically predicted) HAR function, a relation that is also predicted by the TNG100 simulation. SFRs are integrated across cosmic time to build up the mass of galaxies, which may halt their star formation following input physical quenching recipes. Results: In this work we test the popular halo quenching scenario and we find that: 1) the assumption of a monotonic relation between SFR and HAR allows to reproduce the number densities of the bulk of star-forming galaxies in the local Universe; 2) the halo quenching is sufficient to reproduce the statistics of the quenched galaxies and flat (steep) high-mass end of the SMHM relation (SMF); and 3) to align with the observed steep (flat) low-mass end of the SMHM (SMF) additional quenching processes in the least massive haloes are needed. Conclusions: DECODE is an invaluable tool and will pave the way to investigate the origin of newly observed high-redshift objects from the latest ongoing facilities such as JWST and Euclid.
comment: 15 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics
☆ The Gaia parallax discrepancy for the cluster Pismis 19, and separating $δ$ Scutis from Cepheids
Pre-Gaia distances for the open cluster Pismis 19 disagree with Gaia parallaxes. A 2MASS $JK_s$ red clump distance was therefore established for Pismis 19 ($2.90\pm0.15$ kpc), which reaffirms that zero-point corrections for Gaia are required (e.g., Lindegren et al.~2021). OGLE GD-CEP-1864 is confirmed as a member of Pismis 19 on the basis of DR3 proper motions, and its 2MASS+VVV color-magnitude position near the tip of the turnoff. That $0^{\rm d}.3$ variable star is likely a $\delta$ Scuti rather than a classical Cepheid. The case revealed a pertinent criterion to segregate those two populations in tandem with the break in the Wesenheit Leavitt Law ($\simeq 0^{\rm d}.5$). Just shortward of that period discontinuity are $\delta$ Scutis, whereas beyond the break lie first overtone classical Cepheids mostly observed beyond the first crossing of the instability strip.
comment: To appear in publication
☆ A fast and robust recipe for modeling non-ideal MHD effects in star-formation simulations
Non-ideal MHD effects are thought to be a crucial component of the star-formation process. Numerically, several complications render the study of non-ideal MHD effects in 3D simulations extremely challenging and hinder our efforts of exploring a large parameter space. We aim to overcome such challenges by proposing a novel, physically-motivated empirical approximation to model non-ideal MHD effects. We perform a number of 2D axisymmetric 3-fluid non-ideal MHD simulations of collapsing prestellar cores and clouds with non-equilibrium chemistry and leverage upon previously-published results. We utilize these simulations to develop a multivariate interpolating function to predict the ionization fraction in each region of the cloud depending on the local physical conditions. We subsequently use analytically-derived, simplified expressions to calculate the resistivities of the cloud in each grid cell. Therefore, in our new approach the resistivities are calculated without the use of a chemical network. We benchmark our method against additional 2D axisymmetric non-ideal MHD simulations with random initial conditions and a 3D non-ideal MHD simulation with non-equilibrium chemistry. We find excellent quantitative and qualitative agreement between our approach and the "full" non-ideal MHD simulations both in terms of the spatial structure of the simulated clouds and regarding their time evolution. We achieve a factor of 100-1000 increase in computational speed. Given that we ignore the contribution of grains, our approximation is valid up to number densities of 10^6 cm^(-3) and is therefore suitable for pc-scale simulations of molecular clouds. The tabulated data required for integrating our method in hydrodynamical codes, along with a fortran implementation of the interpolating function are publicly available at https://github.com/manosagian/Non-Ideal-MHD-Approximate-Code.
comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in A&A
☆ Observational Constraints on Cool Gas Clouds in M82's Starburst-Driven Outflow
Star formation feedback can drive large-scale, multi-phase galactic outflows. The dynamical and thermodynamical interaction between the hot and cooler phases is a prime focus of both observational and theoretical work. Here, we analyze H$\alpha$-emitting structures in the extraplanar wind of the nearby starburst M82. We use high-resolution, narrow-band, observations from the Hubble Legacy Archive (Mutchler et al. 2007). Our analysis constrains the morphology, number density, and column density of the structures. We highlight conspicuous arc-like structures that differ significantly from the linear cometary clouds that emerge from galactic wind simulations and discuss their possible origins, such as bow shocks or instabilities driven by cosmic rays. The most prominent structures range in size from $\sim24 -110$ pc. Using the H$\alpha$ brightness and assumptions about the depth of the emitting structures, we estimate number densities of $\sim1-23$ cm$^{-3}$, which are lower than previous constraints from spectroscopic nebular line studies. The derived column densities, $\sim10^{20}-10^{21}$ cm$^{-2}$, along the path of the outflow are above theoretical thresholds for cool cloud survival in a hot supersonic background, but small enough that the structures could be accelerated by the hot wind momentum. Using diffuse X-ray emission maps from $\textit{Chandra}$, we also find that even on small ($\sim100$ pc) scales, the H$\alpha$ "leads" the X-rays, a behavior long noted in the literature on kiloparsec scales, and one we observe in the brightness profiles of the structures we analyze. This behavior, along with previous observational studies of ionization in the wind, may signal that shock ionization is responsible for the H$\alpha$ emission we observe.
comment: 22 pages, 9 Figures; submitted to ApJ (10 February 2025)
♻ ☆ TRINITY VI: Connection between Galaxy Star Formation Rates and Supermassive Black Hole Accretion Rates from z=0-10
We infer supermassive black hole (SMBH) accretion rates and Eddington ratios as a function of SMBH/host galaxy mass and redshift with the empirical TRINITY model of dark matter halo--galaxy--SMBH connection. The galaxy--SMBH mass and growth rate connection from TRINITY matches galaxy observables from $06$: at these redshifts, dark matter halos grow with an $e$-folding time of $\sim 45$ Myrs, driving similar growth rates in both galaxies and SMBHs.
comment: 14 pages, 19 figures, accepted by MNRAS
♻ ☆ Modelling the density and mass of the Milky Way's proto-galaxy components with $APOGEE$-$Gaia$
Unravelling galaxy formation theory requires understanding galaxies both at high and low redshifts. A possible way to connect both realms is by studying the oldest stars in the Milky Way (i.e., the proto-Galaxy). We use the $APOGEE$-$Gaia$ surveys to perform a purely chemical dissection of Milky Way (MW) stellar populations, and identify samples of stars likely belonging to proto-Galactic fragments. The metallicity dependence of the distribution of old MW stars in the [Mg/Mn]-[Al/Fe] enables the distinction of at least two populations in terms of their star formation histories: a rapidly evolved population likely associated with the main progenitor system of the proto-MW; and populations characterised by less efficient, slower, star formation. In the Solar neighbourhood less efficient star forming populations are dominated by the $Gaia$-$Enceladus$/$Sausage$ accretion debris. In the inner Galaxy, they are largely associated with the $Heracles$ structure. We model the density of chemically defined proto-Galaxy populations, finding that they are well represented by a Plummer model with a scale radius of $a\sim3.5$ kpc, and an oblate ellipsoid with flattening parameters [$p\sim0.8$; $q\sim0.6$]; this finding indicates that the MW plausibly hosts a low-mass, metal-poor, bulge component. We integrate this density for $chemically$ $unevolved$ stars between $-2 < \mathrm{[Fe/H]} < -0.5$ to obtain a minimum stellar mass for the proto-Galaxy of $M_{*} (r<10~\mathrm{kpc}) = 9.1\pm0.2\times10^{8}$ M$_{\odot}$. Our results suggest the proto-Milky Way is at least comprised of two significant fragments: the main $in$ $situ$ progenitor and the $Heracles$ structure.
comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. We thank the referee for their review
♻ ☆ BASS XLVII: 22 GHz Radio Atlas of Swift-BAT Selected AGN
We present the third phase of the largest high-frequency, high-resolution imaging survey of 231 nearby, hard X-ray selected AGN, with a very high $98 \pm 1\%$ detection fraction. This survey presents VLA 22 GHz radio observations with 1" spatial resolution covering over $6$ orders of magnitude in radio luminosity in nearby AGN that span $\sim4$ orders of magnitude in black hole mass and X-ray luminosity. We identify three different radio morphologies: $44 \pm 3\%$ (102/231) are compact or unresolved, $46 \pm 3\%$ (106/231) show an extended structure (star formation, possible one-sided jets, etc.), and $8 \pm 2\%$ (19/231) have a biconical or two-sided jet-like morphology. The remaining $2 \pm 1\%$ (4/231) sources are non-detections. The radio-to-X-ray luminosity ratios of the Swift-BAT AGN ($\text{L}_R/\text{L}_{14-195 \text{keV}} \sim 10^{-5.5}$ and $\text{L}_R/\text{L}_{2-10 \text{keV}} \sim 10^{-5}$) with a scatter of $\sim0.5$ dex are similar to that of coronally active stars ($\text{L}_R/\text{L}_X \sim 10^{-5}$). For most targets, extended emission in radio-quiet objects is broadly consistent with the expectation for star formation from previous FIR observations, once the contribution from the radio core has been subtracted. Our sample represents nearby analogs of distant AGN at the peak of black hole growth, and thus the high detection fraction in our work has important implications for future high frequency AGN radio surveys with the next generation VLA (ngVLA) or Square Kilometre Array (SKA), both of which should detect large fractions of more distant AGN.
comment: 26 pages, 8 figures, 4tables. Accepted for publication in ApJ
♻ ☆ Euclid preparation: Extracting physical parameters from galaxies with machine learning
The Euclid mission is generating a vast amount of imaging data in four broadband filters at high angular resolution. This will allow the detailed study of mass, metallicity, and stellar populations across galaxies, which will constrain their formation and evolutionary pathways. Transforming the Euclid imaging for large samples of galaxies into maps of physical parameters in an efficient and reliable manner is an outstanding challenge. We investigate the power and reliability of machine learning techniques to extract the distribution of physical parameters within well-resolved galaxies. We focus on estimating stellar mass surface density, mass-averaged stellar metallicity and age. We generate noise-free, synthetic high-resolution imaging data in the Euclid photometric bands for a set of 1154 galaxies from the TNG50 cosmological simulation. The images are generated with the SKIRT radiative transfer code, taking into account the complex 3D distribution of stellar populations and interstellar dust attenuation. We use a machine learning framework to map the idealised mock observational data to the physical parameters on a pixel-by-pixel basis. We find that stellar mass surface density can be accurately recovered with a $\leq 0.130 {\rm \,dex}$ scatter. Conversely, stellar metallicity and age estimates are, as expected, less robust, but still contain significant information which originates from underlying correlations at a sub-kpc scale between stellar mass surface density and stellar population properties.
♻ ☆ Violations of energy conservation in Horava-Lifshitz gravity: a new ingredient in the dark matter puzzle
We investigate the interplay between Horava-Lifshitz (HL) gravity and more general theories where the local Hamiltonian constraint is lost, for example due to the time variability of the Lagrangian (e.g. via its parameters) where time is defined on a foliation according to a prescription mimicking Lambda and 4-volume time in unimodualr gravity. In one direction we subject the multitude of parameters in HL to this variability game, mimicking RG flow in a cosmological setting. In the opposite direction, we examine the evolution on the left-over Hamiltonian should the HL algebra of constraints be still applicable, rather than the algebra of General Relativity being restored. Within the projectable theory, the non-vanishing Hamiltonian can be reinterpreted as a pressureless fluid, resulting in essentially the same phenomenologies at macroscopic scales as in the standard cold dark matter paradigm. At high energies and short distances, however, unlike in theories with similar variability based on GR, violations of stress-energy tensor conservation persist, and these are computed here for the full class of projectable HL models. The phenomenological implications are examined: remarkably the driven solution resulting from these energy conservation violations is shown to be the attractor of the system during a free-fall collapse as far as the backreaction is negligible. When the backreaction is taken into account, the driven solution is expected to play an important role towards our understanding of microscopic caustic avoidance, which is one of the most significant issues in many alternatives to particle dark matter scenarios.
♻ ☆ RIOJA. Complex Dusty Starbursts in a Major Merger B14-65666 at z=7.15
We present JWST NIRCam imaging of B14-65666 ("Big Three Dragons"), a bright Lyman-break galaxy system ($M_\text{UV}=-22.5$ mag) at $z=7.15$. The high angular resolution of NIRCam reveals the complex morphology of two galaxy components: galaxy E has a compact core (E-core), surrounded by diffuse, extended, rest-frame optical emission, which is likely to be tidal tails; and galaxy W has a clumpy and elongated morphology with a blue UV slope ($\beta_\text{UV}=-2.2\pm0.1$). The flux excess, F356W$-$F444W, peaks at the E-core ($1.05^{+0.08}_{-0.09}$ mag), tracing the presence of strong [OIII] 4960,5008 \r{A} emission. ALMA archival data show that the bluer galaxy W is brighter in dust continua than the redder galaxy E, while the tails are bright in [OIII] 88 $\mathrm{\mu m}$. The UV/optical and sub-mm SED fitting confirms that B14-65666 is a major merger in a starburst phase as derived from the stellar mass ratio (3:1 to 2:1) and the star-formation rate, $\simeq1$ dex higher than the star-formation main sequence at the same redshift. The galaxy E is a dusty ($A_\text{V}=1.2\pm0.1$ mag) starburst with a possible high dust temperature ($\ge63$-$68$ K). The galaxy W would have a low dust temperature ($\le27$-$33$ K) or patchy stellar-and-dust geometry, as suggested from the infrared excess (IRX) and $\beta_\text{UV}$ diagram. The high optical-to-FIR [OIII] line ratio of the E-core shows its lower gas-phase metallicity ($\simeq0.2$-$0.4$ Z$_{\odot}$) than the galaxy W. These results agree with a scenario where major mergers disturb morphology and induce nuclear dusty starbursts triggered by less-enriched inflows. B14-65666 shows a picture of complex stellar buildup processes during major mergers in the epoch of reionization.
comment: 19 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables, + 2-page appendix. Accepted for publication in ApJ
♻ ☆ MAMMOTH-Subaru IV. Large Scale Structure and Clustering Analysis of Ly$α$ Emitters and Ly$α$ Blobs at $z=2.2-2.3$
We report the large scale structure and clustering analysis of Ly$\alpha$ emitters (LAEs) and Ly$\alpha$ blobs (LABs) at $z=2.2-2.3$. Using 3,341 LAEs, 117 LABs, and 58 bright (Ly$\alpha$ luminosity $L_{\rm Ly\alpha}>10^{43.4}$ erg s$^{-1}$) LABs at $z=2.2-2.3$ selected with Subaru/Hyper Suprime-Cam, we calculate the LAE overdensity to investigate the large scale structure at $z=2$. We show that $79\%$ LABs and $83\%$ bright LABs locate in overdense regions, which is consistent with the trend found by previous studies that LABs generally locate in overdense regions. We find that one of our 8 fields dubbed J1349 contains $39/117\approx33\%$ of our LABs and $22/58\approx38\%$ of our bright LABs. A unique and overdense $24'\times12'$ ($40\times20$ comoving Mpc$^2$) region (J1347 protocluster) has 12 LABs (8 bright LABs). By comparing to SSA22 that is one of the most overdense LAB regions found by previous studies, we show that the J1347 protocluster region has a higher bright LAB density than the SSA22 protocluster region with a $1\sigma$ significance. We calculate the angular correlation functions (ACFs) of LAEs and LABs in the unique J1349 field and fit the ACFs with a power-law function to measure the slopes. The bright LABs show a $5\sigma$ larger slope suggesting that bright LABs are more clustered than faint LAEs. Our LABs have a large galaxy bias of $\sim 5-7$, which suggests that LABs generally reside in more massive dark matter halos (halo masses $M \gtrsim 10^{13}$ M$_{\odot}$) than faint LAEs.
comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, and 1 table; accepted by ApJ
♻ ☆ ALMA-IMF XVIII: The assembly of a star cluster: Dense N$_2$H$^+$ (1-0) kinematics in the massive G351.77 protocluster
ALMA-IMF observed 15 massive protoclusters capturing multiple spectral lines and the continuum emission. We focus on the G351.77 protocluster ($\sim$ 2500 M$_{\odot}$, estimated from single-dish continuum observations) located at 2 kpc. We trace the dense gas emission and kinematics with N$_2$H$^+$ (1-0) at $\sim$ 4 kau resolution. We estimate an N$_2$H$^+$ relative abundance $\sim (1.7 \pm 0.5) \times 10^{-10}$. We decompose the N$_2$H$^+$ emission into up to two velocity components, highlighting the kinematic complexity in the dense gas. By examining the position-velocity (PV) diagrams on small scales, we observe clear inflow signatures (V-shapes) associated with dense cores. The most prominent V-shape has a mass inflow rate of $\sim 13.5 \times 10^{-4}$ M$_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$ and a short timescale of $\sim$ 11.4 kyr. We also observe V-shapes without associated cores. This suggests both that cores or centers of accretion exist below the 1.3 mm detection limit, and that the V-shapes may be viable tracers of very early accretion and star formation on $\sim$ 4 kau scales. The large-scale PV diagram shows that the protocluster is separated into 2 principal velocity structures. Combined with smaller scale DCN and H$_2$CO emission, we propose a scenario of larger scale slow contraction with rotation in the center based on simple toy models. This scenario leads the suggestion of outside-in evolution of the protocluster as it collapses. The gas depletion times implied by the V-shapes are short ($\sim$ 0.3 Myr), requiring either very fast cluster formation, and/or continuous mass feeding of the protocluster. The latter is possible via the Mother Filament G351.77 is forming out of. The similarities in the properties of G351.77 and the recently published work in G353.41 indicate that many of the physical conditions inferred via the ALMA-IMF N$_2$H$^+$ observations may be generic to protoclusters.
comment: Submitted in A&A, 29 pages, 31 figures, 4 interactive figures, 7 tables
♻ ☆ Diversity and universality: evolution of dwarf galaxies with self-interacting dark matter
Dark matter halos with self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) experience a unique evolutionary phenomenon, in that their central regions eventually collapse to high density through the runaway gravothermal process after initially forming a large and low-density core. When coupled with orbital evolution, this is expected to naturally produce a large diversity in dark-matter halos' inner mass distribution, potentially explaining the diversity problem of dwarf galaxies. However, it remains unknown how the diversity in SIDM dark-matter halos propagates to the more easily observed luminous matter at the center of the halo, especially the stellar component. In this work, we use idealized N-body simulations with two species of particles (dark matter and stars) to study the response of the stellar properties of field and satellite dwarf galaxies to SIDM evolution and orbital effects on their halos. Galaxies' stellar components, including galaxy size, mass-to-light ratio, and stellar velocity dispersion, display a much larger scatter in SIDM than the standard cold dark matter (CDM) model. Importantly, we find signs of universality in the evolution pathways, or "tidal tracks", of SIDM dwarf satellites, which are physically interpretable and potentially parameterizable. This type of tidal-track model can be layered onto larger-scale, cosmological simulations to reconstruct the evolution of populations of SIDM dwarfs in cases where high-resolution simulations of galaxies are otherwise prohibitively expensive.
comment: 35 pages, 21 figures, key figures are Fig. 8 and Fig. 12
♻ ☆ SPARCL: SPectra Analysis and Retrievable Catalog Lab
SPectra Analysis and Retrievable Catalog Lab (SPARCL) at NOIRLab's Astro Data Lab was created to efficiently serve large optical and infrared spectroscopic datasets. It consists of services, tools, example workflows and currently contains spectra for over 7.5 million stars, galaxies and quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) survey. We aim to eventually support the broad range of spectroscopic datasets that will be hosted at NOIRLab and beyond. Major elements of SPARCL include capabilities to discover and query for spectra based on parameters of interest, a fast web service that delivers desired spectra either individually or in bulk as well as documentation and example Jupyter Notebooks to empower users in their research. More information is available on the SPARCL website (https://astrosparcl.datalab.noirlab.edu).
comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, Conference Proceedings for ADASS 2023 (Astronomical Data Analysis Software & Systems XXXIII). Revised figure 1 (text is unchanged)
♻ ☆ VODKA-JWST: Synchronized growth of two SMBHs in a massive gas disk? A 3.8 kpc separation dual quasar at cosmic noon with NIRSpec IFU
The search for dual supermassive black holes (SMBHs) is of immense interest in modern astrophysics. Galaxy mergers may fuel and produce SMBH pairs. Actively accreting SMBH pairs are observed as a dual quasar, which are vital probes of SMBH growth. Dual quasars at cosmic noon are not well characterized. Gaia observations have enabled a novel technique to identify dual quasars at kpc scales, based on the small jitters of the light centroid as the two quasars vary stochastically. We present the first detailed study of a z=2.17, 0.46'', 3.8 kpc separation dual quasar, J0749+2255, using JWST/NIRSpec integral field unit spectroscopy. Identified by Gaia, J0749+2255 is one of the most distant, small separation dual quasars known. We detect the faint ionized gas of the host galaxy, traced by the narrow Ha emission. Line ratios indicate ionization from the two quasars and from intense star formation. Spectral analysis of the two quasars suggests that they have similar black hole properties, hinting at the possible synchronized accretion activity or lensed quasar images. Surprisingly, the ionized gas kinematics suggest a rotating disk rather than a disturbed system expected in a major gas-rich galaxy merger. Numerical simulations show that this is a plausible outcome of a major gas-rich galaxy merger several tens of Myr before coalescence. Whether J0749+2255 reflects an interesting phase of dual quasar evolution or is a lensed quasar remains unclear. Thus, this study underscores the challenges in definitively distinguishing between a dual and lensed quasars, with observations supporting either scenario.
comment: 23 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 24
☆ Evolution and final fates of massive stars
Massive stars are able to pursue their evolution through the whole sequence of burning phases. They are born hot and luminous, and live a short life before exploding as a supernova or collapsing directly into a black hole. They have a strong impact on their surrounding, injecting mechanical energy, ionising radiation, and nucleosynthetic products in the interstellar medium. They are the driver of galaxy evolution and trigger star formation. Their high luminosity makes them visible in distant galaxies, and some of them are standard candles we use to root the distance ladder of the Universe. This chapter describes the status of our knowledge about massive stars and the nucleosynthetic path they go through the different phases of their evolution.
comment: 13 pages, 4 figures. This is a pre-print of a chapter for the Encyclopedia of Astrophysics (edited by I. Mandel, section editor F.R.N. Schneider) to be published by Elsevier as a Reference Module
☆ Radial velocity homogeneous analysis of M dwarfs observed with HARPS. II. Detection limits and planetary occurrence statistics
We re-determine planetary occurrences around M dwarfs using 20 years of observations from HARPS on 197 targets. The first aim of this study is to propose more precise occurrence rates using the large volume of the sample but also variations to previous calculations, particularly by considering multiplicity, which is now an integral part of planetary occurrence calculations. The second aim is to exploit the extreme longevity of HARPS to determine occurrence rates in the unexplored domain of very long periods. This work relies entirely on the 197 radial velocity time series obtained and analysed in our previous study. By considering they are cleaned of any detectable signal, we convert them into detection limits. We use these 197 limits to produce a detectability map and combine it with confirmed planet detections to establish our occurrence rates. Finally, we also convert the detection limits from orbital period to insolation in order to construct an occurrence statistics for the temperate zone. We find a strong prevalence of low-mass planets around M dwarfs, with an occurrence rate of 120% for planets with a mass between 0.75 and 3 Me. In addition, we compute an occurrence rate of 45.3% +20-16% for temperate zone planets around M dwarfs. We obtain an occurrence rate of a few percent for giant planets with wide separations. In our sample these giant planets with wide separations are only detected around the most massive M dwarfs.
☆ Radial velocity homogeneous analysis of M dwarfs observed with HARPS I. Exoplanet detection and candidates
The census of planets around M dwarfs in the solar neighbourhood meets two challenges: detecting the best targets for the future characterisation of planets with ELTs, and studying the statistics of planet occurrence that are crucial to formation scenarios. The radial velocity (RV) method remains the most appropriate for such a census as it is sensitive to the widest ranges of masses and periods. HARPS, mounted on the 3.6 m telescope at La Silla Observatory (ESO, Chile), has been obtaining velocity measurements since 2003, and can therefore be used to analyse a very large and homogeneous dataset. We performed a homogeneous analysis of the RV time series of 200 M dwarfs observed with HARPS from 2003 to 2019 (gathering more than 15000 spectra), with the aim of understanding detectable signals such as stellar and planetary companions and activity signals. The RVs were computed with a template matching method before carrying out the time series analysis. First, we focused on the systematic analysis of the presence of a dominant long-term pattern in the RV time series (linear or quadratic trend and sine function). Then, we analysed higher-frequency perdiodic signals using periodograms of the residual time series and Keplerian function fitting. We found long-term variability in 57 RV time series (28.5%). This led to the revision of the parameters of the massive planet (GJ9482 b), as well as the detection of four substellar and stellar companions (around GJ3307, GJ4001, GJ4254, andGJ9588), for which we characterised inclinations and masses by combining RV and astrometry. The periodic analysis allowed us to recover 97% of the planetary systems already published in this sample, but also to propose three new planetary candidates orbiting GJ300 (7.3Me), GJ654(5Me), and GJ739 (39Me), which require additional measurements before they can be confirmed.
☆ Photometric metallicities of 0.8 million KiDS stars
Accurate determinations of metallicity for large, complete stellar samples are essential for advancing various studies of the Milky Way. In this paper, we present a data-driven algorithm that leverages photometric data from the KiDS and the VIKING surveys to estimate stellar absolute magnitude, effective temperature and metallicities. The algorithm is trained and validated using spectroscopic data from LAMOST, SEGUE, APOGEE, and GALAH, as well as a catalog of very metal-poor stars from the literature, and Gaia EDR3 data. This approach enables us to estimate metallicities, effective temperatures, and g-band absolute magnitudes for approximately 0.8 million stars in the KiDS dataset. The photometric metallicity estimates exhibit an uncertainty of around 0.28 dex when compared to spectroscopic studies, within the metallicity range of -2 dex to 0.5 dex. The photometric effective temperature estimates have an uncertainty of around 149 K, while the uncertainty in the absolute magnitude is approximately 0.36 mag. The metallicity estimates are reliable for values down to about -2 dex. This catalog represents a valuable resource for studying the structure and chemical properties of the Milky Way, offering an extensive dataset for future investigations into Galactic formation and evolution.
☆ Variable stars in the VVV globular clusters III. RR Lyrae stars in the inner Galactic globular clusters
High reddening near the Galactic plane hampers observations and proper characterization of the globular clusters (GCs) located toward the inner regions of the Milky Way. The VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) survey observed the Galactic bulge and adjacent disk for several years, providing multi-epoch, near-infrared images for 41 Galactic GCs. Detecting RRLyrae variables belonging to these GCs will aid in their accurate parameterization. By fully leveraging the astrometric, photometric, and variability VVV catalogs, we searched for RRLyrae stars associated with GCs. Our selection criteria, based on proper motions, proximity to the cluster centers, and distances inferred from their period-luminosity-metallicity relations, enable us to accurately identify the RRLyrae population in these GCs and determine color excesses and distances in a homogeneous manner. Since the VVV catalogs cover from the innermost regions of the GCs to their outskirts, we can provide a comprehensive picture of the entire RRLyrae population in these GCs. We have discovered significant RRLyrae populations in two highly reddened Galactic GCs: UKS1 and VVV-CL160, previously unknown to host RRLyrae stars. Additionally, we have detected one RRLyrae candidate in each of Terzan4 and Terzan9, also new to RRLyrae detection. We further confirm and increase the number of RRLyrae stars detected in 22 other low-latitude Galactic GCs. The RRLyrae distances place most of these GCs within the Galactic bulge, aligning well with the few GCs in our sample with reliable Gaia or Hubble Space Telescope measurements. However, most of the VVV GCs lack accurate Gaia distances, and literature distances are generally significantly smaller than those derived in this work. As a byproduct of our analysis, we have obtained the proper motions for all the VVV GCs, independently confirming Gaia results, except for UKS1 and 2MASS-GC02.
comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, 21 pages, 5 Figures, 5 Tables
☆ Sunrise III: Overview of Observatory and Instruments
In July 2024, Sunrise completed its third successful science flight. The Sunrise III observatory had been upgraded significantly after the two previous successful flights in 2009 and 2013. Three completely new instruments focus on the small-scale physical processes and their complex interaction from the deepest observable layers in the photosphere up to chromospheric heights. Previously poorly explored spectral regions and lines are exploited to paint a three-dimensional picture of the solar atmosphere with unprecedented completeness and level of detail. The full polarimetric information is captured by all three instruments to reveal the interaction between the magnetic fields and the hydrodynamic processes. Two slit- based spectropolarimeters, the Sunrise UV Spectropolarimeter and Imager (SUSI) and the Sunrise Chromospheric Infrared spectro-Polarimeter (SCIP), focus on the near-ultraviolet and the near-infrared regions respectively, and the imaging spectropolarimeter Tunable Magnetograph (TuMag) simultaneously obtains maps of the full field-of-view of $46 \times 46$ Mm$^2$ in the photosphere and the chromosphere in the visible. The instruments are operated in an orchestrated mode, benefiting from a new Image Stabilization and Light Distribution unit (ISLiD), with the Correlating Wavefront Sensor (CWS) providing the autofocus control and an image stability with a root-mean-square value smaller than 0.005''. A new gondola was constructed to significantly improve the telescope pointing stability, required to achieve uninterrupted observations over many hours. Sunrise III was launched successfully on July 10, 2024, from the Esrange Space Center near Kiruna (Sweden). It reached the landing site between the Mackenzie River and the Great Bear Lake in Canada after a flight duration of 6.5 days. In this paper, we give an overview of the Sunrise III observatory and its instruments.
comment: 67 pages, 25 figures; to be published in Solar Physics Topical Collection "The Sunrise III Solar Observatory" (https://link.springer.com/collections/jegdciedig)
☆ On the reason for the widespread energetic storm particle event of 13 March 2023
On 13 March 2023, when the Parker Solar Probe was situated on the far side of the Sun as seen from Earth, a large solar eruption took place creating a strong solar energetic particle (SEP) event observed by multiple spacecraft (S/C). The energetic event was observed at six well-separated locations: Parker Solar Probe, Solar Orbiter, BepiColombo, STEREO~A, near-Earth S/C, and MAVEN. An in-situ shock crossing and a related energetic storm particle (ESP) event were observed at all inner-heliospheric S/C, suggesting that the interplanetary coronal mass ejection (CME)-driven shock extended all around the Sun. However, the solar event was accompanied by a series of pre-event CMEs. We aim to characterize this extreme widespread SEP event and to provide an explanation for the unusual observation of a circumsolar interplanetary shock and corresponding circumsolar ESP event. We analyse data from seven space missions to characterize the solar eruption at the Sun, the energetic particle event, and the interplanetary context at each observer location as well as the magnetic connectivity of each observer to the Sun. We employ magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the solar wind in which we inject various CMEs that were launched before as well as contemporaneously with the solar eruption under study. In particular, we test two different scenarios that could have produced the observed global ESP event: 1) a single circumsolar blast-wave-like shock launched by the associated solar eruption, and 2) the combination of multiple CMEs driving shocks into different directions. By comparing the simulations of the two scenarios with observations we find that both settings are able to explain the observations. However, the blast-wave scenario performs slightly better in terms of the predicted shock arrival times at the various observers.
☆ Four Total Eclipsing Contact Binary Systems: The First Photometric Light Curve Solutions Employing TESS and Gaia Surveys
We presented the first photometric light curve solutions of four W Ursae Majoris (W UMa)-type contact binary systems. This investigation utilized photometric data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and Gaia Data Release 3 (DR3). We used the PHysics Of Eclipsing BinariEs (PHOEBE) Python code and the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method for these light curve solutions. Only TIC 249064185 among the target systems needed a cold starspot to be included in the analysis. Based on the estimated mass ratios for these total eclipse systems, three of them are categorized as low mass ratio contact binary stars. The absolute parameters of the systems were estimated using the Gaia DR3 parallax method and the orbital period and semi-major axis ($P-a$) empirical relationship. We defined that TIC 318015356 and TIC 55522736 systems are A-subtypes, while TIC 249064185 and TIC 397984843 are W-subtypes, depending on each component's effective temperature and mass. We estimated the initial masses of the stars, the mass lost by the binary system, and the systems' ages. We displayed star positions in the mass-radius, mass-luminosity, and total mass-orbital angular momentum diagrams. In addition, our findings indicate a good agreement with the mass-temperature empirical parameter relationship for the primary stars.
comment: Accepted by the RAA journal
☆ Observations and Radiative Transfer Simulations of the Carbon-rich AGB star V Oph with VLTI/MATISSE
Carbon-rich Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars are among the most important contributors of enriched materials to the interstellar medium due to their strong stellar winds. To fully characterize mass loss on the AGB, it is necessary to determine the distributions of dust and gas around the stars, where the dust begins to condense from the gas, and how this extended atmospheric structure evolves over the pulsational period of the star. We present an analysis of L-band (2.8-4.2 $\mu$m) interferometric observations of the carbon-rich AGB star V Oph made with the MATISSE instrument at the VLTI at the maximum and minimum of the star's visual light curve. Using the radiative transfer software RADMC-3D, we model the circumstellar dust shell, and find stellar radii of 395 and 495 $R_{\odot}$ at the two phases, and dust radii of 790 and 742.5 $R_{\odot}$ at the two epochs, respectively. By adding C$_2$H$_2$ and HCN gas to the RADMC-3D models, we are able to fit the visibility spectra well, with some deviations at the 3.11 $\mu$m feature. Reasons for this deviation and interpretation of the best fitting models are discussed in the text, and we discuss motivations for follow-up imaging observations of V Oph.
comment: 20 pages, 16 Figures
☆ The SPIRou Legacy Survey: near-infrared and optical radial velocity analysis of Gl 480 and Gl 382 using SPIRou, HARPS and CARMENES spectrographs
Context: Advancements in the field of exoplanetary research have extended radial velocity (RV) observations from the optical to the near-infrared (nIR) domain. M dwarf stars, characterized by their lower masses and higher prevalence of rocky planets, have become a focal point of investigation. This study uses data from the near-infrared spectropolarimeter SPIRou and data available in the literature from the HARPS and CARMENES spectrographs operating in the optical to analyze RVs of two nearby M dwarfs, Gl 480 and Gl 382. Aims: This work aims to detect and characterize exoplanetary companions around Gl 480 and Gl 382 by mitigating stellar activity effects through advanced data analysis techniques. The study seeks to improve the reliability of RV signals by integrating multi-wavelength observations and stellar activity diagnostics. Methods: The study employs a comprehensive approach that combines the line-by-line (LBL) framework with the Wapiti (Weighted principAl comPonent analysIs reconsTructIon) method to correct for systematics in SPIRou data. Through an extensive analysis of available stellar activity indicators and by combining optical data from the HARPS and CARMENES instruments, we perform a joint analysis of RV measurements in both the nIR and optical domains. Results: Our analysis confirms the detection of a planet orbiting Gl 480 with a period of $9.5537 \pm 0.0005$ d and a minimum mass of $8.8 \pm 0.7$ M$_\oplus$. Additionally, we detect a tentative signal at 6.4 d, whose significance depends strongly on the choice of Gaussian Process priors constrained by stellar activity indicators and would require further observations for confirmation. In contrast, no planetary signals are detected for Gl 382, where RV variations are dominated by stellar activity.
☆ SIP-IFVM: A time-evolving coronal model with an extended magnetic field decomposition strategy
Time-evolving magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) coronal modeling, driven by a series of time-dependent photospheric magnetograms, represents a new generation of coronal simulations. This approach offers greater realism compared to traditional coronal models constrained by a static magnetogram. However, its practical application is seriously limited by low computational efficiency and poor numerical stability. Therefore, we propose an extended magnetic field decomposition strategy and implement it in the implicit MHD model to develop a coronal model that is both efficient and numerically stable enough for simulating the long-term evolutions of the global corona. The traditional decomposition strategies split the magnetic field into a time-invariant potential field and a time-dependent component $\mathbf{B}_1$. It works well for quasi-steady-state coronal simulations where $\left|\mathbf{B}_1\right|$ is typically small. However, as the inner-boundary magnetic field evolves, $\left|\mathbf{B}_1\right|$ can grow significantly larger and its discretization errors often lead to nonphysical negative thermal pressure, ultimately causing the code to crash. In this paper, we mitigate such undesired situations by introducing a temporally piecewise-constant variable to accommodate part of the non-potential field and remain $\left|\mathbf{B}_1\right|$ consistently small throughout the simulations. We incorporate this novel magnetic field decomposition strategy into our implicit MHD coronal model and apply it to simulate the evolution of coronal structures within 0.1 AU over two solar-maximum Carrington rotations. The results show that this coronal model effectively captures observations and performs more than 80 times faster than real time using only 192 CPU cores, making it well-suited for practical applications in simulating the time-evolving corona.
comment: 26 pages,9 figures
☆ Properties of Turbulent Convection and Large-Scale Flows in a Rotating F-type Star Revealed by 3D Realistic Radiative Hydrodynamic Simulations
The nonlinear coupling between stellar convection and rotation is of great interest because it relates to understanding both stellar evolution and activity. We investigated the influence of rotation and the Coriolis force on the dynamics and thermodynamic structure of an F-type main-sequence star with a shallow outer convection zone. We performed a series of 3D radiative hydrodynamic simulations of a 1.47Msun star for different rotation rates (periods of rotation 1 and 14 days) and with computational domains placed at latitudes of 0degrees (equator), 30degrees, and 60degrees. Because the star has a relatively shallow convection zone (28.5 Mm thick or about 2.81% R*), we model its dynamics from the upper layers of the radiative zone, the whole convection zone, and the low atmosphere. The simulation results show a weak shift of the ionization zones to the photosphere and a decrease of the stellar radius by about 29 km at the equator and about 58 km at higher latitudes in the presence of rotation with a period of 1 day. The models presented reveal the formation of radial differential rotation, meridional flows, latitude-dependent roll-like structures of convection, a tachocline, the presence of a gravity-darkening effect, and others. In this paper, we primarily discuss the properties of the outer convection zone for different rotation rates. Detailed analysis of the properties of the tachocline, the overshoot layer, and small-scale turbulence will be discussed in follow-on papers.
comment: 19 pages, 14 figures, 1 table. Submitted to ApJ
☆ WilloWISPs: A New Dark Growth Channel for Black Holes Suggests a Full-Spectrum Hierarchical MACHO Mass Function for Dark Matter
Evidence of neutron stars with deconfined quark-matter cores suggest a new pathway for the evolution of black holes. New theories about the cores of neutron stars support the idea that quarkonium is likely to grow there as the neutron star ages. Surveys of stellar remnants have shown that there is no major mass gap between neutron stars and black holes. Black holes, specifically primordial ones (PBHs), have been suggested as an explanation for dark matter before. However, the way that very large black holes can form in the lifetime of the visible universe has only recently been explained with the solution to The Final Parsec Problem. If neutron stars can become exotic stars or black holes, then they may persist long enough to quiescently provide enough mass in dense matter regions to allow Intermediate-Mass Black Holes (IMBH) and Supermassive Black Holes (SMBH) to form quickly via coalescence. We find that a hierarchical clustering of Massive and Compact Halo Objects (MACHOs) with axion-dominated mini-halos can help to explain all of the missing dark matter. The model presented here suggests that this type of MACHO is likely equivalent to black holes above an unknown critical mass, which is less than ~5 $M_{\odot}$, and that they ought to form quark stars below this mass. If quark stars are a metastable transition between neutron stars and black holes, then black holes ought to be equivalent to boson stars with event horizons, after all the residual quark material has formed a Bose-Einstein condensate of mesons.
☆ Multi-band study of the flaring mode emission in the transitional millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038
We present a comprehensive study of the flaring mode of the transitional millisecond pulsar (tMSP) PSR J1023+0038 during its X-ray sub-luminous state, using strictly simultaneous X-ray, UV, optical, and radio observations. The X-ray flares exhibit UV and optical counterparts and coincide with the brightest radio flare observed in the past decade, reaching 1.2 mJy at 6 GHz and lasting ~1 hour. During the flare, the optical polarization drops from ~1.4% to ~0.5%, indicating the emergence of an unpolarized component. We propose that the thickening of the disc, which enlarges the shock region between the pulsar wind and the accretion flow and may drive the X-ray flaring observed in tMSPs, enhances the ionization level of the disc, thereby generating an increased number of free electrons. These electrons could then be channelled by magnetic field lines into the jet. This increased jet mass-loading could drive the associated radio and optical variability. The radio spectral evolution during flares is consistent with synchrotron self-absorption in jet ejecta or internal shocks within the compact jet. We infer radio polarization upper limits (<8.7%, <2.3%, and <8.2%, before, during, and after the radio flare) that further support a compact jet origin but do not rule out discrete ejections. Our findings suggest that tMSPs could serve as essential laboratories for investigating jet-launching mechanisms, mainly because they operate under very low mass accretion rates. This accretion regime has not been explored before in the context of the accretion-ejection coupling.
comment: Accepted for publication in A&AL
☆ Cryoscope: A Cryogenic Infrared Survey Telescope SP
We present Cryoscope -- a new 50 sq. deg field-of-view, 1.2 m aperture, K-dark survey telescope to be located at Dome C, Antarctica. Cryoscope has an innovative optical-thermal design wherein the entire telescope is cryogenically cooled. Cryoscope also explores new detector technology to cost-effectively tile the full focal plane. Leveraging the dark Antarctic sky and minimizing telescope thermal emission, Cryoscope achieves unprecedented deep, wide, fast and red observations, matching and exceeding volumetric survey speeds from the Ultraviolet Explorer, Vera Rubin Observatory, and Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. By providing coverage beyond wavelengths of 2 $\mu$m, we aim to create the most comprehensive dynamic movie of the most obscured reaches of the Universe. Cryoscope will be a dedicated discovery engine for electromagnetic emission from coalescing compact binaries, Earth-like exoplanets orbiting cold stars, and multiple facets of time-domain, stellar and solar system science. In this paper, we describe the scientific drivers and technical innovations for this new discovery engine operating in the K-dark passband, why we choose to deploy it in Antarctica, and the status of a fifth-scale prototype designed as a Pathfinder to retire technological risks prior to full-scale implementation.
comment: 36 pages, 20 figures, 4 tables; submitted to PASP on 2025-02-09
☆ The Gaia parallax discrepancy for the cluster Pismis 19, and separating $δ$ Scutis from Cepheids
Pre-Gaia distances for the open cluster Pismis 19 disagree with Gaia parallaxes. A 2MASS $JK_s$ red clump distance was therefore established for Pismis 19 ($2.90\pm0.15$ kpc), which reaffirms that zero-point corrections for Gaia are required (e.g., Lindegren et al.~2021). OGLE GD-CEP-1864 is confirmed as a member of Pismis 19 on the basis of DR3 proper motions, and its 2MASS+VVV color-magnitude position near the tip of the turnoff. That $0^{\rm d}.3$ variable star is likely a $\delta$ Scuti rather than a classical Cepheid. The case revealed a pertinent criterion to segregate those two populations in tandem with the break in the Wesenheit Leavitt Law ($\simeq 0^{\rm d}.5$). Just shortward of that period discontinuity are $\delta$ Scutis, whereas beyond the break lie first overtone classical Cepheids mostly observed beyond the first crossing of the instability strip.
comment: To appear in publication
☆ Sunrise III: Overview of Observatory and Instruments
In July 2024, Sunrise completed its third successful science flight. The Sunrise III observatory had been upgraded significantly after the two previous successful flights in 2009 and 2013. Three completely new instruments focus on the small-scale physical processes and their complex interaction from the deepest observable layers in the photosphere up to chromospheric heights. Previously poorly explored spectral regions and lines are exploited to paint a three-dimensional picture of the solar atmosphere with unprecedented completeness and level of detail. The full polarimetric information is captured by all three instruments to reveal the interaction between the magnetic fields and the hydrodynamic processes. Two slit-based spectropolarimeters, the Sunrise UV Spectropolarimeter and Imager (SUSI) and the Sunrise Chromospheric Infrared spectro-Polarimeter (SCIP), focus on the near-ultraviolet and the near-infrared regions respectively, and the imaging spectropolarimeter Tunable Magnetograph (TuMag) simultaneously obtains maps of the full field-of-view of $46 \times 46$ Mm$^2$ in the photosphere and the chromosphere in the visible. The instruments are operated in an orchestrated mode, benefiting from a new Image Stabilization and Light Distribution unit (ISLiD), with the Correlating Wavefront Sensor (CWS) providing the autofocus control and an image stability with a root-mean-square value smaller than 0.005''. A new gondola was constructed to significantly improve the telescope pointing stability, required to achieve uninterrupted observations over many hours. Sunrise III was launched successfully on July 10, 2024, from the Esrange Space Center near Kiruna (Sweden). It reached the landing site between the Mackenzie River and the Great Bear Lake in Canada after a flight duration of 6.5 days. In this paper, we give an overview of the Sunrise III observatory and its instruments.
comment: 67 pages, 25 figures; to be published in Solar Physics Topical Collection "The Sunrise III Solar Observatory" (https://link.springer.com/collections/jegdciedig)
♻ ☆ Collisional charging of dust particles by suprathermal plasmas. II -- Regularized Kappa distributions
We study the effects of the velocity distribution functions of the plasma particles on the equilibrium charge of dust grains, acquired through inelastic collisions of the particles with the grains. This paper is the second in a series of two papers on the subject. Here, we consider the charging process when the plasma particles are statistically described by the recently proposed regularized Kappa distribution functions, which allow for extreme suprathermal states, characterized by extremely low values of the kappa index, previously forbidden to the standard Kappa distributions, whose effects on dust charging were studied in Paper I of this series. We analyse the effects that extreme suprathermal states of the plasma particles have on dust charging and verify conditions for the uncommon result of positive equilibrium charge, employing two different models for the regularized Kappa distributions, one with kinetic temperature dependent on the kappa index, and another where the temperature is kappa-independent.
comment: Accepted for publication in Physics of Plasmas
♻ ☆ Cross Helicity and the Helium Abundance as an in situ Metric of Solar Wind Acceleration
The two-state solar wind paradigm is based on observations showing that slow and fast solar wind have distinct properties like helium abundances, kinetic signatures, elemental composition, and charge-state ratios. Nominally, the fast wind originates from solar sources that are continuously magnetically open to the heliosphere like coronal holes while the slow wind is from solar sources that are only intermittently open to the heliosphere like helmet streamers and pseudostreamers. The Alfv\'enic slow wind is an emerging 3rd class of solar wind that challenges the two-state fast/slow paradigm. It has slow wind speeds but is highly Alfv\'enic, i.e. has a high correlation between velocity and magnetic field fluctuations along with low compressibility typical of Alfv\'en waves, which is typically observed in fast wind. Its other properties are also more similar to the fast than slow wind. From 28 years of Wind observations at 1 AU, we derive the solar wind helium abundance ($A_\mathrm{He}$), Alfv\'enicity ($\left|\sigma_c\right|$), and solar wind speed ($v_\mathrm{sw}$). Characterizing vsw as a function of $\left|\sigma_c\right|$ and $A_\mathrm{He}$, we show that the maximum solar wind speed for plasma accelerated in source regions that are intermittently open is faster than the minimum solar wind speed for plasma accelerated in continuously open regions. We infer that the Alfv\'enic slow wind is likely solar wind originating from open-field regions with speeds below the maximum solar wind speed for plasma from intermittently open regions. We then discuss possible implications for solar wind acceleration. Finally, we utilize the combination of helium abundance and normalized cross helicity to present a novel solar wind categorization scheme that illustrates the transition in observations of solar wind at 1 AU from magnetically closed to magnetically open sources.
♻ ☆ Formation of twin compact stars in low-mass X-ray binaries: Implications on eccentric and isolated millisecond pulsar populations
Millisecond pulsars (MSPs) are laboratories for stellar evolution, strong gravity, and ultra-dense matter. Although MSPs are thought to originate in low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), approximately 27% lack a binary companion, and others are found in systems with large orbital eccentricities. Understanding how these systems form may provide insight into the internal properties of neutron stars (NSs). We studied the formation of a twin compact star through rapid first-order phase transitions in NS cores due to mass accretion in LMXBs. We investigated whether this mechanism, possibly coupled with secondary kick effects such as neutrino or electromagnetic rocket effects, leaves an observable long-lasting imprint on the orbit. We simulated mass accretion in LMXBs consisting of a NS and a low-mass main-sequence companion and followed the evolution of the NS mass, radius, and spin until a strong phase transition is triggered. For the NS structure, we assumed a multi-polytrope equation of state that allows for a sharp phase transition from hadronic to quark matter and satisfies observational constraints. We find that in compact binaries with relatively short pre-Roche lobe overflow orbital periods, an accretion-induced phase transition can occur during the LMXB phase. In contrast, in systems with wider orbits, this transition can take place during the spin-down phase, forming an eccentric binary MSP. If the transition is accompanied by a secondary kick, then the binary is likely to be disrupted, forming an isolated MSP or re-configured into an ultra-wide orbit. Our findings suggest that accretion in LMXBs provides a viable path for forming twin compact stars, potentially leaving an observable imprint on the orbit. The eccentricity distribution of binary MSPs with long orbital periods (> 50 d) could provide constraints on first-order phase transitions in dense nuclear matter.
comment: 12 pages, 6 figures. Accepted in Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A)
♻ ☆ Generation of cosmic ray trajectories by a Diffusion Model trained on test particles in 3D magnetohydrodynamic turbulence
Models for the transport of high energy charged particles through strong magnetic turbulence play a key role in space and astrophysical studies, such as describing the propagation of solar energetic particles and high energy cosmic rays. Inspired by the recent advances in high-performance machine learning techniques, we investigate the application of generative diffusion models to synthesizing test particle trajectories obtained from a turbulent magnetohydrodynamics simulation. We consider velocity increment, spatial transport and curvature statistics, and find excellent agreement with the baseline trajectories for fixed particle energies. Additionally, we consider two synthetic turbulence models for comparison. Finally, challenges towards an application-ready transport model based on our approach are discussed.
comment: 19 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
♻ ☆ A possible trail of dust from a young, highly-extincted brown dwarf in the outskirts of the Trapezium Cluster
We present the JWST discovery of a highly-extincted ($A_V\sim52$) candidate brown dwarf ($\sim0.018$M$_\odot$) in the outskirts of the Trapezium Cluster that appears to be coincident with the end of a $\sim 1700\,$au long, remarkably uniformly wide, dark trail that broadens only slightly at the end opposite the point source. We examine whether a dusty trail associated with a highly-extincted brown dwarf could plausibly be detected with JWST and explore possible origins. We show that a dusty trail associated with the brown dwarf could be observable if dust within it is larger than that in the ambient molecular cloud. For example, if the ambient cloud has a standard $\sim0.25$$\mu$m maximum grain size and the trail contains micron-sized grains, then the trail will have a scattering opacity over an order of magnitude larger compared to the surroundings in NIRCam short-wavelength filters. We use a simple model to show that a change in maximum grain size can reproduce the high $A_V$ and the multi-filter NIRCam contrast seen between the trail and its surroundings. We propose and explore two possible mechanisms that could be responsible for the trail: i) a weak FUV radiation-driven wind from the circum-brown dwarf disc due to the O stars in the region and ii) a Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton accretion wake. The former would be the most distant known case of the Trapezium stars' radiation driving winds from a disc, and the latter would be the first known example of ``late'' infall from the interstellar medium onto a low mass object in a high-mass star-forming region.
comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS
♻ ☆ SPARCL: SPectra Analysis and Retrievable Catalog Lab
SPectra Analysis and Retrievable Catalog Lab (SPARCL) at NOIRLab's Astro Data Lab was created to efficiently serve large optical and infrared spectroscopic datasets. It consists of services, tools, example workflows and currently contains spectra for over 7.5 million stars, galaxies and quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) survey. We aim to eventually support the broad range of spectroscopic datasets that will be hosted at NOIRLab and beyond. Major elements of SPARCL include capabilities to discover and query for spectra based on parameters of interest, a fast web service that delivers desired spectra either individually or in bulk as well as documentation and example Jupyter Notebooks to empower users in their research. More information is available on the SPARCL website (https://astrosparcl.datalab.noirlab.edu).
comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, Conference Proceedings for ADASS 2023 (Astronomical Data Analysis Software & Systems XXXIII). Revised figure 1 (text is unchanged)
♻ ☆ An anisotropic plasma model of the heliospheric interface
We present a pioneering model of the interaction between the solar wind and the surrounding interstellar medium that includes the possibility of different pressures in directions parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field. The outer heliosheath region is characterized by a low rate of turbulent scattering that would permit development of pressure anisotropy. The effect is best seen on the interstellar side of the heliopause, where a narrow region develops with an excessive perpendicular pressure resembling a plasma depletion layer typical of planetary magnetspheres. The magnitude of this effect for typical heliospheric conditions is relatively small owing to proton-proton collisions. We show, however, that if the circumstellar medium is warm and tenuous, a much broader anisotropic boundary layer can exist, with a dominant perpendicular pressure in the southern hemisphere and a dominant parallel pressure in the north.
comment: 14 pages, 3 figures
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena 3
☆ The dispersion measure and scattering of Fast Radio Bursts: contributions from multi-components, and clues for the intrinsic properties
Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are luminous, millisecond-duration transients that offer great potential for probing the universe, yet their physical origins remain unclear. The dispersion measure (DM) and scattering time ($\tau$) distributions provide key insights into FRBs' properties, including source population, redshift, and energy distribution. We use a simplified model of FRB source population and intrinsic Schechter function-like energy distribution, coupled with a thorough assessment of various contributors to dispersion and scattering, to replicate the joint distribution of DM and $\tau$ in the CHIME/FRB catalog. A mixed FRB source population, including both young and old progenitors, is considered. Contributions to the DM and $\tau$ from interstellar medium (ISM), circumgalactic medium (CGM) within host and foreground halos are informed by the IllustrisTNG simulation, while contributions from the Milky Way, intergalactic medium (IGM), and local environmental are estimated by updated models. Using MCMC simulations, we identify optimal model that well reproduce the DM distribution and broadly reproduce the $\tau$ distribution in the CHIME/FRB catalog. Our model suggests that the fraction of FRBs tracing star-formation rate is $\rm{f_{PSFR}=0.58^{+0.16}_{-0.27}}$, while $\rm{log_{10}E_*[erg]=42.27^{+1.17}_{-1.18}}$ and $\gamma=-1.60^{+0.11}_{-0.13}$ in the energy distribution function. Scattering predominantly arises from the circumburst medium or the ISM and CGM of hosts, which cause a DM of $\sim 10\, \rm{pc\,cm^{-3}}$. Using our optimal model, we estimate FRB redshifts with two methods: DM-only and combined DM-$\tau$. Evaluation with 68 localized FRBs reveals an RMS error $0.11-0.12$, and incorporation of $\tau$ has a minor effect. We further argue that the host galaxy properties of localized FRBs could be a potential tool to validate our model in the future.
comment: 38 pages, 20 figures; accepted for publication in ApJS
♻ ☆ Energy extraction through magnetic reconnection from a Kerr-Newman black hole in perfect fluid dark matter
In this work, we provide a thorough analysis of energy extraction via magnetic reconnection, a novel mechanism recently proposed by Comisso and Asenjo, for a Kerr-Newman black hole immersed in a perfect fluid dark matter (PFDM) background. Our studies focus on the impact of black hole spin $a$, electric charge $Q$ and PFDM parameter $\lambda$ on the horizons, ergoregion and circular geodesics at the equatorial plane of this black hole, and how they further influence the reconnection efficiency and energy extraction rate. Our results show that the outer horizon and the size of ergoregion do not vary monotonically with increasing dark matter parameters $\lambda$ until reaching its critical value $\lambda_c$ due to the combined counteracting effect between the black hole's charge and dark matter parameter. We identify the optimal combinations of $a$, $Q$ and $\lambda$ that allow for efficient energy extraction and high extracted power, even when the black hole is not spinning near its extremal limit. Our results ease the stringent conditions observed in other rotating black holes, where achieving comparable levels of extracted power and reconnection efficiency typically requires a near-extremal spin.
comment: 14 pages, 7 figures; updated title and abstract, revised for clarification, citations added
♻ ☆ Charged Quark Stars and Extreme Compact Objects in Regularized 4D Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet Gravity
Since the derivation of a well-defined $D\rightarrow 4$ limit for 4 dimensional Einstein Gauss-Bonnet (4DEGB) gravity coupled to a scalar field, there has been interest in testing it as an alternative to Einstein's general theory of relativity. Using the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff (TOV) equations modified for charge and 4DEGB gravity, we model the stellar structure of charged, non-interacting quark stars. We find that increasing the Gauss-Bonnet coupling constant $\alpha$ or the charge $Q$ both tend to increase the mass-radius profiles of quark stars described by this theory, allowing a given central pressure to support larger quark stars in general. We also derive a generalization of the Buchdahl bound for charged stars in 4DEGB gravity. As in the uncharged case, we find that quark stars can exist below the general relativistic Buchdahl bound (BB) and Schwarzschild radius $R=2M$, due to the lack of a mass gap between black holes and compact stars in the 4DEGB theory. Even for $\alpha$ well within current observational constraints, we find that quark star solutions in this theory can describe Extreme Compact Charged Objects (ECCOs), objects whose radii are smaller than what is allowed by general relativity.
comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:2309.00703
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics 5
☆ GDL 1.1, a smart and green language
GDL, a free interpreter for the IDL language, continues to develop smoothly, driven by feedback and requests from an increasingly active and growing user base, especially since GDL was made available on GitHub. Among the most notable features introduced in recent years are stable Widgets; extensive testing on M1, M2, and M3 processors; excellent computational performance (including OpenMP support) demonstrated across a comprehensive benchmark; simplified compilation and installation processes; and the availability of SHMMAP and Bridge functions, which enable concurrent GDL runs on shared RAM in HPC environments. As developers of GDL, we believe this language holds a valuable place in today's world, where efficiency and low-power computing are essential. GDL (not to mention IDL), written in C/C++, demonstrates exceptional efficiency in "real-world" benchmarks, making it one of the few interpreted languages that can truly be considered "green." Moreover, it is likely the only interpreter accompanied by a vast collection of free, well-tested, and proven astronomical procedures developed by colleagues over the years. GDL also stands out for its suitability for long-term projects, thanks to its stable and reliable syntax.
☆ J-PLUS: Spectroscopic validation of H$α$ emission line maps in spatially resolved galaxies
We present a dedicated automated pipeline to construct spatially resolved emission H$\alpha$+[NII] maps and to derive the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) in 12 optical filters (five broad and seven narrow/medium) of H$\alpha$ emission line regions in nearby galaxies (z $<$ 0.0165) observed by the Javalambre Photometric Local Universe Survey (J-PLUS). We used the $J0660$ filter of $140${\AA} width centered at $6600${\AA} to trace H$\alpha$ + [NII] emission and $r$ and $i$ broad bands were used to estimate the stellar continuum. We create pure emission line images after the continnum subtraction, where the H$\alpha$ emission line regions were detected. This method was also applied to Integral Field Unit (IFU) spectroscopic data from PHANGS-MUSE, CALIFA and MaNGA surveys by building synthetic narrow-bands based on J-PLUS filters. The studied sample includes the cross-matched catalog of these IFU surveys with J-PLUS third data release (DR3), amounting to $2$ PHANGS-MUSE, $78$ CALIFA, and $78$ MaNGA galaxies at $z < 0.0165$, respectively. We compared the H$\alpha$+[NII] radial profiles from J-PLUS and the IFU surveys, finding good agreement within the expected uncertainties. We also compared the SEDs from the emission line regions detected in J-PLUS images, reproducing the main spectral features present in the spectroscopic data. Finally, we compared the emission fluxes from the J-PLUS and IFU surveys accounting for scale differences, finding a difference of only 2% with a dispersion of 7% in the measurements. The J-PLUS data provides reliable spatially resolved H$\alpha$+[NII] emission maps for nearby galaxies. We provide the J-PLUS DR3 catalog for the $158$ galaxies with IFU data, including emission maps, SEDs of star-forming clumps, and radial profiles.
comment: 20 pages, 17 figures, 3 tables, Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics
♻ ☆ The Elemental Abundances of Ryugu: Assessment of Chemical Heterogeneities and the Nugget Effect
The Hayabusa 2 spacecraft sampled ~5.4 g of asteroid material from the Cb-type asteroid Ryugu. Initial analysis of the Ryugu materials revealed a mineralogical, chemical, and isotopic kinship to the CI chondrites. In this study, we have summarized the elemental abundances of Ryugu samples published to date, and evaluated their compositional variability associated with the CI chondrite data. The abundances of some elements (e.g., P, Ca, Mn, and rare earth elements) in individual Ryugu particles were found to show large relative dispersions compared to the other elements, presumably due to the nugget effect of aqueously formed minor secondary minerals (e.g., dolomite, apatite, magnetite, and pyrrhotite). Consequently, the mean abundances of Ryugu for these elements, calculated using currently available Ryugu data, are accompanied by a certain degree of uncertainties. We suggest establishing a consortium to determine the representative elemental abundances of Ryugu by measuring aliquots from a large homogenized powder sample that can mitigate the nugget effect. Our statistical calculation shows that at least 750 and 400 mg of homogenized samples from Chambers A and C, respectively, are needed to achieve within +/-5% compositional heterogeneity. The data obtained throughout the consortium activity complement the scientific objectives of the Hayabusa2 mission. Moreover, we anticipate that the obtained Ryugu data, coupled with the elemental abundances of CI chondrites, provide new insights into the chemical composition of the Solar System, which will be used by multidisciplinary communities, including Earth and planetary sciences, astronomy, physics, and chemistry.
comment: 16 pages, 7 figures, 3 Tables
♻ ☆ Scalable Cosmic AI Inference using Cloud Serverless Computing with FMI
Large-scale astronomical image data processing and prediction is essential for astronomers, providing crucial insights into celestial objects, the universe's history, and its evolution. While modern deep learning models offer high predictive accuracy, they often demand substantial computational resources, making them resource-intensive and limiting accessibility. We introduce the Cloud-based Astronomy Inference (CAI) framework to address these challenges. This scalable solution integrates pre-trained foundation models with serverless cloud infrastructure through a Function-as-a-Service (FaaS) Message Interface (FMI). CAI enables efficient and scalable inference on astronomical images without extensive hardware. Using a foundation model for redshift prediction as a case study, our extensive experiments cover user devices, HPC (High-Performance Computing) servers, and Cloud. CAI's significant scalability improvement on large data sizes provides an accessible and effective tool for the astronomy community. The code is accessible at https://github.com/UVA-MLSys/AI-for-Astronomy.
♻ ☆ Modeling of optical scattering from topographic surface measurements of high-quality mirrors
In this paper, we revisit computational methods to obtain an angular profile of optical scattering from a smooth surface, given a two-dimensional map of topographic height errors of the surface. Quick derivations of some traditional equations and relevant references are organized to shorten the search time. A practical data-processing flow of the methods is discussed. As a case study of this flow, the core mirrors of the KAGRA interferometer are examined, and we obtain a representative scattering profile that is easily applicable to ray-tracing simulations.
comment: 13 pages, 5 figures
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 10
☆ Dissecting the massive pristine, neutral gas reservoir of a remarkably bright galaxy at z = 14.179
At cosmic dawn, the first stars and galaxies are believed to form from and be deeply embedded in clouds of dense, pristine gas. Here we present a study of the JWST/NIRSpec data of the most distant, spectroscopically confirmed galaxy observed to date, JADES-GS-z14-0 (GS-z14 for short), at $z=14.179$, combined with recent far-infrared measurements of the [OIII]-$88\mu$m and [CII]-$158\mu$m line transitions and underlying dust-continuum emission. Based on the observed prominent damped Lyman-$\alpha$ (DLA) absorption profile, we determine a substantial neutral atomic hydrogen (HI) column density, $\log (N_{\rm HI} / {\rm cm^{-2}}) = 22.27^{+0.08}_{-0.09}$, consistent with previous estimates though seemingly at odds with the dynamical and gas mass of the galaxy. Using various independent but complementary approaches, considering the implied neutral gas mass from the DLA measurement, the star-formation rate surface density, and the metal abundance, we demonstrate that the total gas mass of GS-z14 is of the order $\log (M_{\rm gas} / M_\odot) = 9.8\pm 0.3$. This implies a substantial gas mass fraction, $f_{\rm gas} \gtrsim 0.9$ and that the bulk of the interstellar medium (ISM) is in the form of HI. We show that the derived gas mass is fully consistent with the non-detection of [CII]-$158\mu$m, assuming an appropriate scaling to the neutral gas. The low dust-to-gas ratio, $A_V/N_{\rm HI} = (1.3\pm 0.6)\times 10^{-23}$\,mag\,cm$^2$, derived in the line-of-sight through the DLA further indicates that the absorbing gas is more pristine than the central, star-forming regions probed by the [OIII]-$88\mu$m emission. These results highlight the implications for far-infrared line-detection searchers attainable with ALMA and demonstrate that the bright, relatively massive galaxy GS-z14 at $z=14.179$ is deeply embedded in a substantial, pristine HI gas reservoir dominating its baryonic matter content.
comment: Submitted. Comments welcome!
☆ The dispersion measure and scattering of Fast Radio Bursts: contributions from multi-components, and clues for the intrinsic properties
Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are luminous, millisecond-duration transients that offer great potential for probing the universe, yet their physical origins remain unclear. The dispersion measure (DM) and scattering time ($\tau$) distributions provide key insights into FRBs' properties, including source population, redshift, and energy distribution. We use a simplified model of FRB source population and intrinsic Schechter function-like energy distribution, coupled with a thorough assessment of various contributors to dispersion and scattering, to replicate the joint distribution of DM and $\tau$ in the CHIME/FRB catalog. A mixed FRB source population, including both young and old progenitors, is considered. Contributions to the DM and $\tau$ from interstellar medium (ISM), circumgalactic medium (CGM) within host and foreground halos are informed by the IllustrisTNG simulation, while contributions from the Milky Way, intergalactic medium (IGM), and local environmental are estimated by updated models. Using MCMC simulations, we identify optimal model that well reproduce the DM distribution and broadly reproduce the $\tau$ distribution in the CHIME/FRB catalog. Our model suggests that the fraction of FRBs tracing star-formation rate is $\rm{f_{PSFR}=0.58^{+0.16}_{-0.27}}$, while $\rm{log_{10}E_*[erg]=42.27^{+1.17}_{-1.18}}$ and $\gamma=-1.60^{+0.11}_{-0.13}$ in the energy distribution function. Scattering predominantly arises from the circumburst medium or the ISM and CGM of hosts, which cause a DM of $\sim 10\, \rm{pc\,cm^{-3}}$. Using our optimal model, we estimate FRB redshifts with two methods: DM-only and combined DM-$\tau$. Evaluation with 68 localized FRBs reveals an RMS error $0.11-0.12$, and incorporation of $\tau$ has a minor effect. We further argue that the host galaxy properties of localized FRBs could be a potential tool to validate our model in the future.
comment: 38 pages, 20 figures; accepted for publication in ApJS
☆ Little ado about everything II: an `emergent' dark energy from structure formation to rule cosmic tensions
[abridged] The $\eta$CDM framework is a new cosmological model aimed to cure some drawbacks of the standard $\Lambda$CDM scenario, such as the origin of the accelerated expansion at late times, the cosmic tensions, and the violation of the cosmological principle due to the progressive development of inhomogeneous/anisotropic conditions in the Universe during structure formation. To this purpose, the model adopts a statistical perspective envisaging a stochastic evolution of large-scale patches in the Universe with typical sizes $10-50\, h^{-1}$ Mpc, which is meant to describe the complex gravitational processes leading to the formation of the cosmic web. The stochasticity among different patches is technically rendered via the diverse realizations of a multiplicative noise term (`a little ado') in the cosmological equations, and the overall background evolution of the Universe is then operationally defined as an average over the patch ensemble. In this paper we show that such an ensemble-averaged evolution in $\eta$CDM can be described in terms of a spatially flat cosmology and of an `emergent' dark energy with a time-dependent equation of state, able to originate the cosmic acceleration with the right timing and to solve the coincidence problem. Then we test the $\eta$CDM model against the most recent supernova type-I$a$, baryon acoustic oscillations and structure growth rate datasets, finding an excellent agreement. Remarkably, we demonstrate that $\eta$CDM is able to alleviate simultaneously both the $H_0$ and the $f\sigma_8$ tensions. Finally, we discuss that the Linders' diagnostic test could be helpful to better distinguish $\eta$CDM from the standard scenario in the near future via upcoming galaxy redshift surveys at intermediate redshifts such as those being conducted by the Euclid mission.
comment: 38 pages, 9 figures. Submitted. Comments welcome
♻ ☆ Revisiting purely kinetic k-essence
In this paper, we perform a dynamical systems study of the purely kinetic k-essence. Although these models have been studied in the past, a full study of the dynamics in the phase space incorporating the stability conditions for theoretical consistency is lacking. Our results confirm in a very rigorous and clear way that these models i) can not explain in a unified way the dark matter and dark energy components of the cosmic fluid and ii) are not adequate to explain the existing observational evidence, in particular the observed amount of cosmic structure.
comment: 9 pages, 2 figures. New bibliographic references added. Acknowledgments modified
♻ ☆ Studying baryon acoustic oscillations using photometric redshifts from the DESI Legacy Imaging survey DR9
Context.The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Legacy Imaging Survey DR9 (DR9 hereafter), with its extensive dataset of galaxy locations and photometric redshifts, presents an opportunity to study baryon acoustic oscillations (BAOs) in the region covered by the ongoing spectroscopic survey with DESI. Aims. We aim to investigate differences between different parts of the DR9 footprint. Furthermore, we want to measure the BAO scale for luminous red galaxies within them. Our selected redshift range of 0.6 to 0.8 corresponds to the bin in which a tension between DESI Y1 and eBOSS was found. Methods. We calculated the anisotropic two-point correlation function in a modified binning scheme to detect the BAOs in DR9 data. We then used template fits based on simulations to measure the BAO scale in the imaging data. Results. Our analysis reveals the expected correlation function shape in most of the footprint areas, showing a BAO scale consistent with Planck's observations. Aside from identified mask-related data issues in the southern region of the South Galactic Cap, we find a notable variance between the different footprints. Conclusions. We find that this variance is consistent with the difference between the DESI Y1 and eBOSS data, and it supports the argument that that tension is caused by sample variance. Additionally, we also uncovered systematic biases not previously accounted for in photometric BAO studies. We emphasize the necessity of adjusting for the systematic shift in the BAO scale associated with typical photometric redshift uncertainties to ensure accurate measurements.
comment: 14 pages, 14 figures, 3 tables, accepted in Astronomy and Astrophysics
♻ ☆ Local Primordial Non-Gaussian Bias at the Field Level
Local primordial non-Gaussianity (LPNG) couples long-wavelength cosmological fluctuations to the short-wavelength behavior of galaxies. This coupling is encoded in bias parameters including $b_{\phi}$ and $b_{\delta\phi}$ at linear and quadratic order in the large-scale biasing framework. We perform the first field-level measurement of $b_{\phi}$ and $b_{\delta\phi}$ using Lagrangian bias and non-linear displacements from N-body simulations. We compare our field level measurements with universality predictions and separate universe results, finding qualitative consistency, but disagreement in detail. We also quantify the information on $f_{\mathrm{NL}}^{(\mathrm{loc})}$ available in the field given various assumptions on knowledge of $b_{\phi}$ at fixed initial conditions. We find that it is not possible to precisely constrain $f_{\mathrm{NL}}^{(\mathrm{loc})}$ when marginalizing over $b_{\phi} f_{\mathrm{NL}}^{(\mathrm{loc})}$ even at the field level, observing a 2-3X degradation in constraints between a linear and quadratic biasing model on perturbative field-level mocks, suggesting that a $b_{\phi}$ prior is necessary to meaningfully constrain $f_{\mathrm{NL}}^{(\mathrm{loc})}$ at the field level even in this idealized scenario. For simulated dark matter halos, the pure $f_{\mathrm{NL}}^{(\mathrm{loc})}$ constraints from both linear and quadratic field-level models appear biased when marginalizing over bias parameters including $b_{\phi}$ and $b_{\delta\phi}$ due largely to the $f_{\mathrm{NL}}^{(\mathrm{loc})} - b_\phi$ degeneracy. Our results are an important consistency test of the large-scale bias framework for LPNG and highlight the importance of physically motivated priors on LPNG bias parameters for future surveys.
comment: 26 pages, 10 figures, prepared for submission to JCAP
♻ ☆ Estimating Cosmological Parameters and Reconstructing Hubble Constant with Artificial Neural Networks: A Test with covariance matrix and mock H(z)
In this work, we present a new approach to estimate the cosmological parameters and reconstruct the Hubble constant. We reconstructed the function from observational Hub?ble data using an Artificial Neural Network. The training data we used are covariance matrix and mock H(z). With the reconstructed H(z), we can get the Hubble constant, and thus do the comparison with the CMB-based measurements. In order to constrain the cosmological parameters, we sampled data points from the reconstructed data and estimated the posterior distribution. Furthermore, we did many comparisons to test the quality of the reconstructed data. Finally, with the result of the test, we propose that the H(z) reconstructed by our artificial neural network can represent the actual distribution of the real observational data, and can be used in further cosmological research.
comment: 24 pages, 12 figures
♻ ☆ Cosmological Roles of Dark Photons in Axion-induced Electroweak Baryogenesis
By coupling to both the Higgs and electroweak gauge sectors, an axion can generate the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe via electroweak baryogenesis when the axion decay constant lies within the range of approximately $10^5$ and $10^7$GeV, corresponding to axion masses between the MeV and GeV scales. In this work, we explore the intriguing possibility that the axion interacts with a dark sector, particularly with dark photons through anomalous couplings. Notably, axion-coupled dark photons can play multiple roles, including $(i)$ suppressing the branching ratio of axion decay to Standard Model (SM) particles, which would otherwise conflict with the constraints from supernovae explosions, Big Bang nucleosynthesis, and neutron star merger events, $(ii)$ serving as a candidate for cold dark matter if they are massive and stable, and $(iii)$ contributing to dark radiation if they are ultralight. The axion decouples from the SM thermal bath when it becomes non-relativistic, facilitating the production of dark matter dark photons through the freeze-in mechanism, while dark radiation dark photons are thermally generated prior to the electroweak phase transition.
comment: 12 pages, 3 figures
♻ ☆ AxionH0graphy: hunting for ultralight dark matter with cosmographic H$_0$ signal
If ultralight boson fields exist, then vacuum misalignment populates them with nonzero relic abundance. For a broad range of particle mass $m$ the field condenses into fuzzy cores in massive galaxies. We use numerical simulations to test this idea, extending previous work (Blum and Teodori 2021) and focusing on ultralight dark matter (ULDM) that makes-up a subdominant fraction of the total dark matter density, consistent with observational constraints. Our simulations mimic galactic halos and explore different initial conditions and levels of sophistication in the modeling of the halo potential. For $m\sim10^{-25}$ eV ULDM cores act as approximate internal mass sheets in strong gravitational lensing, and could first be detected as an $H_0$ bias in cosmography: a scenario we dub AxionH0graphy. The mass sheet degeneracy is broken by finite core radius and by the dynamical displacement of cores from the halo center of mass, which introduce imaging distortions and restrict the $H_0$ bias limit of AxionH0graphy to $m\lesssim5\times10^{-25}$ eV. Cosmological simulations are called for to sharpen the predicted connection between the amplitude of ULDM galactic cores and the ULDM cosmological fraction.
comment: 16 pages, almost matches PRD version, comments welcome!
♻ ☆ Big-Bang Nucleosynthesis on a bubble universe nucleated in Kerr-AdS$_5$ Black Hole
We present the Big-Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) simulation with a bubble universe scenario around a rotating black hole (BH) in Kerr-AdS$_5$ spacetime to explain recently updated observations of light elements such as the primordial helium abundance. In this scenario, the geometry of the 4D-early Universe is described as a vacuum bubble that undergoes quasi-de Sitter expansion in Kerr-AdS$_5$ spacetime. We find that the BH mass and spin parameter, which show an anti-correlation against the total radiation, are important to resolve the ${}^4{\rm He}$ anomaly. The present results provide clues to finding a connection between the observed results of light-element nucleosynthesis and the scenario of the 4D-bubble universe in AdS$_5$ spacetimes.
comment: 21 pages, 5 figures, accepted by PRD
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 3
☆ Current Theories of Lunar Ice
The classic theory of cold-trapped ice on the Moon and some alternatives are reviewed and compared with observational constraints. The emphasis is on fundamental theoretical concepts. The "standard model" of lunar ice involves moderate modifications of the classical ideas and is consistent with major observational constraints. Only a few less established observational claims are unaccounted for. The text assumes some familiarity with the topic of lunar polar volatiles.
comment: 23 pages, 1 figure
☆ Observationally derived magnetic field strength and 3D components in the HD 142527 disk
In protoplanetary disks around young stars, magnetic fields play an important role for disk evolution and planet formation. Polarized thermal emission from magnetically aligned grains is one of the reliable methods to trace magnetic fields. However, it has been difficult to observe magnetic fields from dust polarization in protoplanetary disks because other polarization mechanisms involving grown dust grains become efficient. Here, we report multi-wavelength (0.87 mm, 1.3 mm, 2.1 mm, and 2.7 mm) observations of polarized thermal emission in the protoplanetary disk around HD 142527, showing the lopsided dust distribution. We revealed that the smaller dust still exhibits magnetic alignment in the southern part of the disk. Furthermore, angular offsets between the observed magnetic field and the disk azimuthal direction were discovered, which can be used as a method to measure the relative strengths of each component (radial ($B_r$), azimuthal ($B_\phi$), and vertical ($B_z$)) of 3D magnetic field. Applying this method, we derived the magnetic field around a 200-au radius from the protostar as $|B_r |:|B_\phi |:|B_z | \sim 0.26:1:0.23$ and a strength of $\sim 0.3$ milli-Gauss. Our observations provide some key parameters of magnetic activities including the plasma beta, which have only been assumed in theoretical studies. In addition, the radial and vertical angular momentum transfer are found to be comparable, which poses a challenge to theoretical studies of protoplanetary disks.
comment: Published in Nature Astronomy (2025) as open access, includes supplementary material
♻ ☆ The Elemental Abundances of Ryugu: Assessment of Chemical Heterogeneities and the Nugget Effect
The Hayabusa 2 spacecraft sampled ~5.4 g of asteroid material from the Cb-type asteroid Ryugu. Initial analysis of the Ryugu materials revealed a mineralogical, chemical, and isotopic kinship to the CI chondrites. In this study, we have summarized the elemental abundances of Ryugu samples published to date, and evaluated their compositional variability associated with the CI chondrite data. The abundances of some elements (e.g., P, Ca, Mn, and rare earth elements) in individual Ryugu particles were found to show large relative dispersions compared to the other elements, presumably due to the nugget effect of aqueously formed minor secondary minerals (e.g., dolomite, apatite, magnetite, and pyrrhotite). Consequently, the mean abundances of Ryugu for these elements, calculated using currently available Ryugu data, are accompanied by a certain degree of uncertainties. We suggest establishing a consortium to determine the representative elemental abundances of Ryugu by measuring aliquots from a large homogenized powder sample that can mitigate the nugget effect. Our statistical calculation shows that at least 750 and 400 mg of homogenized samples from Chambers A and C, respectively, are needed to achieve within +/-5% compositional heterogeneity. The data obtained throughout the consortium activity complement the scientific objectives of the Hayabusa2 mission. Moreover, we anticipate that the obtained Ryugu data, coupled with the elemental abundances of CI chondrites, provide new insights into the chemical composition of the Solar System, which will be used by multidisciplinary communities, including Earth and planetary sciences, astronomy, physics, and chemistry.
comment: 16 pages, 7 figures, 3 Tables
Astrophysics of Galaxies 12
☆ Study of giant radio galaxies using spectroscopic observations from the Himalayan Chandra Telescope
We present the results of spectroscopic observations of host galaxies of eleven candidate giant radio galaxies (GRGs), powered by active galactic nuclei (AGNs), conducted with the 2-m Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT). The primary aim of these observations, performed with the Hanle Faint Object Spectrograph Camera (HFOSC), was to secure accurate spectroscopic redshifts, enabling precise calculations of their projected linear sizes. Based on these measurements, we confirm all eleven sources as giants, with linear sizes ranging from 0.7 to 2.9 Mpc, including ten GRGs and one giant radio quasar (GRQ). One of the GRGs shows evidence of a potential AGN jet-driven ionized outflow, extending up to $\sim$12 kpc, which, if confirmed, would represent a rarely observed feature. Two of the confirmed GRGs exceed 2 Mpc in size, which are relatively rare examples of GRG. The redshifts of the host galaxies span 0.09323 $\leq$ z $\leq$ 0.41134. Using the obtained spectroscopic data, we characterised their AGN states based on the optical emission line properties. To complement these observations, archival radio and optical survey data were utilised to characterise their large-scale radio morphology and estimate projected linear sizes, arm-length ratios, flux densities, luminosities, and core dominance factors. These results provide new insights into the properties of GRSs and form a critical foundation for further detailed studies of their environments, AGN activity, and evolution using future high-sensitivity optical and radio datasets.
comment: Accepted for publication in the A&A journal. Comments are welcome
☆ Dissecting the massive pristine, neutral gas reservoir of a remarkably bright galaxy at z = 14.179
At cosmic dawn, the first stars and galaxies are believed to form from and be deeply embedded in clouds of dense, pristine gas. Here we present a study of the JWST/NIRSpec data of the most distant, spectroscopically confirmed galaxy observed to date, JADES-GS-z14-0 (GS-z14 for short), at $z=14.179$, combined with recent far-infrared measurements of the [OIII]-$88\mu$m and [CII]-$158\mu$m line transitions and underlying dust-continuum emission. Based on the observed prominent damped Lyman-$\alpha$ (DLA) absorption profile, we determine a substantial neutral atomic hydrogen (HI) column density, $\log (N_{\rm HI} / {\rm cm^{-2}}) = 22.27^{+0.08}_{-0.09}$, consistent with previous estimates though seemingly at odds with the dynamical and gas mass of the galaxy. Using various independent but complementary approaches, considering the implied neutral gas mass from the DLA measurement, the star-formation rate surface density, and the metal abundance, we demonstrate that the total gas mass of GS-z14 is of the order $\log (M_{\rm gas} / M_\odot) = 9.8\pm 0.3$. This implies a substantial gas mass fraction, $f_{\rm gas} \gtrsim 0.9$ and that the bulk of the interstellar medium (ISM) is in the form of HI. We show that the derived gas mass is fully consistent with the non-detection of [CII]-$158\mu$m, assuming an appropriate scaling to the neutral gas. The low dust-to-gas ratio, $A_V/N_{\rm HI} = (1.3\pm 0.6)\times 10^{-23}$\,mag\,cm$^2$, derived in the line-of-sight through the DLA further indicates that the absorbing gas is more pristine than the central, star-forming regions probed by the [OIII]-$88\mu$m emission. These results highlight the implications for far-infrared line-detection searchers attainable with ALMA and demonstrate that the bright, relatively massive galaxy GS-z14 at $z=14.179$ is deeply embedded in a substantial, pristine HI gas reservoir dominating its baryonic matter content.
comment: Submitted. Comments welcome!
☆ The dispersion measure and scattering of Fast Radio Bursts: contributions from multi-components, and clues for the intrinsic properties
Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are luminous, millisecond-duration transients that offer great potential for probing the universe, yet their physical origins remain unclear. The dispersion measure (DM) and scattering time ($\tau$) distributions provide key insights into FRBs' properties, including source population, redshift, and energy distribution. We use a simplified model of FRB source population and intrinsic Schechter function-like energy distribution, coupled with a thorough assessment of various contributors to dispersion and scattering, to replicate the joint distribution of DM and $\tau$ in the CHIME/FRB catalog. A mixed FRB source population, including both young and old progenitors, is considered. Contributions to the DM and $\tau$ from interstellar medium (ISM), circumgalactic medium (CGM) within host and foreground halos are informed by the IllustrisTNG simulation, while contributions from the Milky Way, intergalactic medium (IGM), and local environmental are estimated by updated models. Using MCMC simulations, we identify optimal model that well reproduce the DM distribution and broadly reproduce the $\tau$ distribution in the CHIME/FRB catalog. Our model suggests that the fraction of FRBs tracing star-formation rate is $\rm{f_{PSFR}=0.58^{+0.16}_{-0.27}}$, while $\rm{log_{10}E_*[erg]=42.27^{+1.17}_{-1.18}}$ and $\gamma=-1.60^{+0.11}_{-0.13}$ in the energy distribution function. Scattering predominantly arises from the circumburst medium or the ISM and CGM of hosts, which cause a DM of $\sim 10\, \rm{pc\,cm^{-3}}$. Using our optimal model, we estimate FRB redshifts with two methods: DM-only and combined DM-$\tau$. Evaluation with 68 localized FRBs reveals an RMS error $0.11-0.12$, and incorporation of $\tau$ has a minor effect. We further argue that the host galaxy properties of localized FRBs could be a potential tool to validate our model in the future.
comment: 38 pages, 20 figures; accepted for publication in ApJS
☆ J-PLUS: Spectroscopic validation of H$α$ emission line maps in spatially resolved galaxies
We present a dedicated automated pipeline to construct spatially resolved emission H$\alpha$+[NII] maps and to derive the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) in 12 optical filters (five broad and seven narrow/medium) of H$\alpha$ emission line regions in nearby galaxies (z $<$ 0.0165) observed by the Javalambre Photometric Local Universe Survey (J-PLUS). We used the $J0660$ filter of $140${\AA} width centered at $6600${\AA} to trace H$\alpha$ + [NII] emission and $r$ and $i$ broad bands were used to estimate the stellar continuum. We create pure emission line images after the continnum subtraction, where the H$\alpha$ emission line regions were detected. This method was also applied to Integral Field Unit (IFU) spectroscopic data from PHANGS-MUSE, CALIFA and MaNGA surveys by building synthetic narrow-bands based on J-PLUS filters. The studied sample includes the cross-matched catalog of these IFU surveys with J-PLUS third data release (DR3), amounting to $2$ PHANGS-MUSE, $78$ CALIFA, and $78$ MaNGA galaxies at $z < 0.0165$, respectively. We compared the H$\alpha$+[NII] radial profiles from J-PLUS and the IFU surveys, finding good agreement within the expected uncertainties. We also compared the SEDs from the emission line regions detected in J-PLUS images, reproducing the main spectral features present in the spectroscopic data. Finally, we compared the emission fluxes from the J-PLUS and IFU surveys accounting for scale differences, finding a difference of only 2% with a dispersion of 7% in the measurements. The J-PLUS data provides reliable spatially resolved H$\alpha$+[NII] emission maps for nearby galaxies. We provide the J-PLUS DR3 catalog for the $158$ galaxies with IFU data, including emission maps, SEDs of star-forming clumps, and radial profiles.
comment: 20 pages, 17 figures, 3 tables, Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics
☆ Searching for Low-Redshift Hot Dust-Obscured Galaxies
Hot Dust-Obscured Galaxies (Hot DOGs), discovered by the "W1W2 dropout" selection at high redshifts ($z\sim$ 2-4), are a rare population of hyper-luminous obscured quasars. Their number density is comparable to similarly luminous type 1 quasars in the same redshift range, potentially representing a short, yet critical stage in galaxy evolution. The evolution in their number density towards low redshift, however, remains unclear as their selection function is heavily biased against objects at $z\lesssim2$. We combine data from the WISE and Herschel archives to search for Hot DOGs at $z<0.5$ based on their unique spectral energy distributions. We find 68 candidates, and spectroscopic observations confirm that 3 of them are at $z<0.5$. For those 3 we find their black hole accretion is close to the Eddington limit, with lower bolometric luminosities and black hole masses than those of higher-$z$ Hot DOGs. Compared to high-$z$ systems, these low-$z$ systems are closer to the local relation between host galaxy stellar mass and black hole mass but still lie above it, and we discuss several possible scenarios for it. Finally, we also find the surface number density of $z<$0.5 Hot DOGs is $\rm 2.4 \times 10^{-3}$ deg$^{-2}$, about an order of magnitude lower than high-$z$ Hot DOGs but comparable to hyper-luminous unobscured quasars in the same redshift range. These results further support the idea that Hot DOGs may be a transitional phase of galaxy evolution.
comment: 22 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal
☆ The SUPERCOLD-CGM survey: II. [\ion{C}{1}]$(1-0)$ emission and the physical conditions of cold gas in Enormous Ly$α$ nebulae at $z\,\sim\,2$
We report ALMA and ACA observations of atomic carbon ([\ion{C}{1}]$(1-0)$) and dust continuum in 10 Enormous Ly$\alpha$ Nebulae hosting ultra-luminous Type-I QSOs at $z=2.2-2.5$, as part of the SUrvey of Protocluster ELANe Revealing CO/CI in the Ly$\alpha$ Detected CGM (SUPERCOLD-CGM). We detect [\ion{C}{1}]$(1-0)$ and dust in all ten QSOs and five companion galaxies. We find that the QSOs and companions have higher gas densities and more intense radiation fields than Luminous Infrared galaxies and high-$z$ main sequence galaxies, with the highest values found in the QSOs. By comparing molecular gas masses derived from [\ion{C}{1}]$(1-0)$, CO(4$-$3) and dust continuum, we find that the QSOs and companions display a similar low CO conversion factor of $\alpha_{\rm CO}$\,$\sim$\,0.8 $\rm M_{\sun}$${[\rm K\,km/s\,pc^2]}^{-1}$. After tapering our data to low resolution, the [\ion{C}{1}]$(1-0)$ flux increases for nine QSOs, hinting at the possibility of [\ion{C}{1}]$(1-0)$ in the circum-galactic medium (CGM) on a scale of 16$-$40 kpc. However, the [\ion{C}{1}]$(1-0)$ sensitivity is too low to confirm this for individual targets, except for a tentative (2.7$\sigma$) CGM detection in Q0050+0051{} with M$_{\rm H_2}$\,=\, ($1.0 - 2.8$)$\times 10^{10}$ $\rm M_{\sun}$. The 3$\sigma$ mass limits of molecular CGM for the remaining QSO fields are ($0.2-1.4$)\,$\times$\,10$^{10}$ $\rm M_{\sun}$. This translates into a baryon fraction of $<$0.4-3$\% $ in the molecular CGM relative to the total baryonic halo mass. Our sample also includes a radio-detected AGN, Q1416+2649{}, which shows [\ion{C}{1}]$(1-0)$ and CO(4$-$3) luminosities an order of magnitude fainter for its far-infrared luminosity than other QSOs in our sample, possibly due to a lower molecular gas mass.
comment: 27 pages, 9 figures
☆ The Warm-Hot Disk-Halo Interface Below the Perseus Spiral Arm
The Milky Way's disk-halo interface mediates energy and mass exchange between the interstellar thin disk and the halo. In the first detailed study of the Perseus arm's disk-halo interface, we combine HST/STIS and COS absorption spectra toward 6 stars and 23 AGNs projected behind a narrow section (95 degree < l <145 degree, -46 degree < b <0 degree), providing a unique dataset that bridges the disk and its extended vertical structure in these directions. We detect S II, Si IV, and C IV absorption, along with HI 21 cm emission, within -70 pc to -3.3 kpc from the mid-plane. The arm's southern vertical structure exhibits complexity beyond simple exponential scaling: HI and S II column densities sharply decline with height up to 1.5 kpc before flattening, while high ion (Si IV and C IV) column densities remain relatively constant. In this region, where warm neutral medium (WNM) dominates, S II and the high ions show similar kinematics, and we find a remarkably uniform CIV/SiIV ratio ( = 2.5 pm 0.5) within -0.9 to -3.25 kpc. Both the kinematic correspondence and high-ion ratio are consistent with the high ions probing turbulent mixing layers at the interfaces between warm/cool and hot gas phases. AGN sightlines reveal minimal circumgalactic medium (CGM) contribution in the low-velocity gas at |v_{LSR}|< 100 km/s, suggesting the observed properties may be attributed to previous fountain activity.
☆ On The Very Bright Dropouts Selected Using the James Webb Space Telescope NIRCam Instrument
The selection of candidate high-redshift galaxies using the dropout technique targeting the Lyman-break signature sometimes results in very bright objects, which would be too luminous to be easily explained if they are indeed at the expected redshifts. Here we present a systematic study of very bright dropouts selected through successive bands of the NIRCam instrument onboard the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Using the public NIRCam data in four blank fields over 500~arcmin$^2$, 300 such objects were found. They have magnitudes in F356W $<25.1$~mag or $<26.0$~mag depending on the dropout passband, and the vast majority of them ($>80\%$) have very red F115W$-$F356W colors $> 2.0$~mag, which make them qualify as ``extremely red objects'' (EROs). We focus on the 137 objects that also have mid-IR observations from the JWST MIRI instrument. The analysis of their spectral energy distributions shows that these very bright dropouts are dominated by low-redshift ($z\sim 1$--4) galaxies ($\gtrsim 67\%$). However, a non-negligible fraction ($\gtrsim 7\%$) could be at high redshifts. Seven of our objects have secure spectroscopic redshifts from the JWST NIRSpec identifications, and the results confirm this picture: while six are low-redshift galaxies at $z\approx 3$, one is a known galaxy at $z=8.679$ recovered in our sample. If more objects from our sample are confirmed to be at high redshifts, they could pose a severe challenge in explaining their properties, such as the extremely high star formation rates and stellar masses.
♻ ☆ A Natural Explanation of the VPOS from Multistate Scalar Field Dark Matter
Observations with the Gaia satellite have confirmed that the satellite galaxies of the Milky Way are not distributed as homogeneously as expected. The same occurs in galaxies such as Andromeda and Centaurus A, where satellites around their host galaxies have been observed to have orbits aligned perpendicular to the galactic plane of the host galaxy. This problem is known for the Milky Way as Vast Polar Structure (VPOS). The Scalar Field Dark Matter Field (SFDM), also known as Ultralight-, Fuzzy-, BEC-, and Axion-dark matter, proposes dark matter is a scalar field, which in the non-relativistic limit follows the Schr\"odinger equation coupled to the Poisson equation. Although the SF here is classical, the Schr\"odinger equation contains a ground and excited states as part of its nature. In this work, we show that such quantum character of the SFDM can naturally explain the VPOS observed in galaxies. By taking into account the finite temperature corrections for a complex, self-interacting SF at very early epochs of the Universe, we show that with the ground and first excited states in the Newtonian limit, we can fit the rotation curves of the host galaxies. With the best-fit parameters obtained, we can explain the VPOS. We do this with particular galaxies, such as the Milky Way, Andromeda, Centaurus A, and 6 other galaxies whose satellites have been observed. This result shows that the multistate SFDM is not distributed homogeneously around the galaxy, and therefore might explain the anisotropic distribution of the satellite galaxies. According to this result, this could be a general characteristic of the galaxies in the Universe. Finally, we also show how the scale of each galaxy depends on a parameter determined by the final temperature of the SF galactic halo under study. This might explain why different galaxies with SFDM give different values of the mass of the SF.
comment: 30 pages, 10 figures
♻ ☆ AxionH0graphy: hunting for ultralight dark matter with cosmographic H$_0$ signal
If ultralight boson fields exist, then vacuum misalignment populates them with nonzero relic abundance. For a broad range of particle mass $m$ the field condenses into fuzzy cores in massive galaxies. We use numerical simulations to test this idea, extending previous work (Blum and Teodori 2021) and focusing on ultralight dark matter (ULDM) that makes-up a subdominant fraction of the total dark matter density, consistent with observational constraints. Our simulations mimic galactic halos and explore different initial conditions and levels of sophistication in the modeling of the halo potential. For $m\sim10^{-25}$ eV ULDM cores act as approximate internal mass sheets in strong gravitational lensing, and could first be detected as an $H_0$ bias in cosmography: a scenario we dub AxionH0graphy. The mass sheet degeneracy is broken by finite core radius and by the dynamical displacement of cores from the halo center of mass, which introduce imaging distortions and restrict the $H_0$ bias limit of AxionH0graphy to $m\lesssim5\times10^{-25}$ eV. Cosmological simulations are called for to sharpen the predicted connection between the amplitude of ULDM galactic cores and the ULDM cosmological fraction.
comment: 16 pages, almost matches PRD version, comments welcome!
♻ ☆ Dark matter fraction derived from the M31 rotation curve
Mass estimates of a spiral galaxy derived from its rotation curve must account for the galaxy's past accretion history. There are several lines of evidence indicating that M31 experienced a major merger 2 to 3 Gyr ago. Here, we have generated a dynamical model of M31 as a merger remnant that reproduces most of its properties, from the central bar to the outskirts. The model accounts for the past major merger, and reproduces the details of M31's rotation curve, including its 14 kpc bump and the observed increase of velocity beyond 25 kpc. Furthermore, we find non-equilibrium and oscillatory motions in the gas of the merger-remnant outskirts caused by material in a tidal tail returning to the merger remnant. A total dynamical M31 mass of 4.5 $\times 10^{11} M_{\odot}$ within 137 kpc has been obtained after scaling it to the observed HI rotation curve. Within this radial distance, 68% of the total dynamical mass is dark.
comment: A&A, 9 pages, 10 Figures, see also a video showing the formation of the M31 gas disk and of its rotation curve at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W8tdlUbv2k
♻ ☆ SpyDust: an improved and extended implementation for modeling spinning dust radiation
This paper presents 'SpyDust', an improved and extended implementation of the spinning dust emission model based on a Fokker-Planck treatment. 'SpyDust' serves not only as a Python successor to 'spdust', but also incorporates some corrections and extensions. Unlike 'spdust', which is focused on specific grain shapes, 'SpyDust' considers a wider range of grain shapes and provides the corresponding grain dynamics, directional radiation field and angular momentum transports. We recognise the unique effects of different grain shapes on emission, in particular the shape-dependent mapping between rotational frequency and spectral frequency. In addition, we update the expressions for effects of electrical dipole radiation back-reaction and plasma drag on angular momentum dissipation. We also discuss the degeneracies in describing the shape of the spectral energy distribution (SED) of spinning dust grains with the interstellar environmental parameters. Using a typical Cold Neutral Medium (CNM) environment as an example, we perform a perturbative analysis of the model parameters, revealing strong positive or negative correlations between them. A principal component analysis (PCA) shows that four dominant modes can linearly capture most of the SED variations, highlighting the degeneracy in the parameter space of the SED shape in the vicinity of the chosen CNM environment. This opens the possibility for future applications of moment expansion methods to reduce the dimensionality of the encountered SED parameter space.
comment: 39 pages, 13 figures, accepted by JCAP; Added Figure 2 to illustrate grain dynamics and emission mechanisms, and Figure 13 to show how the fitted SED evolve with number of principal modes
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 2
☆ An assessment of observational coverage and gaps for robust Sun to heliosphere integrated science
Understanding the generation and development of the continuous outflow from the Sun requires tracing the physical conditions from deep in the corona to the heliosphere. Detailed global observations of plasma state variables and the magnetic field are needed to provide critical constraints to the underlying physics driving models of the corona and solar wind. Key diagnostics of the solar wind require measurements at its formation site and during its outflow to continuously track it across rapidly changing regions of space. A unified view of the solar wind is only possible through coordinated remote and in situ observations that probe these different regions. Here, we discuss current observational coverage and gaps of different plasma properties and review recent coordinated studies. We highlight how these efforts may become more routine with the launch of upcoming and planned missions.
comment: 5 figures
☆ Estimating solar radiation environment extremes
Extreme Solar Energetic Particle Events (ESPEs) were identified almost a decade ago, providing context for super events unleashed by our host star, the Sun. Their assumed solar origin drives the question of their ``worst-case" impact, which could be profound, multifaceted, and devastating for our technological society. A methodology that directly relates the soft X-ray flux $F_{SXR}$ of the driving solar flare of a Solar Energetic Particle event to its ``worst-case" integral fluence spectrum has recently been proposed by Papaioannou et al. (2023). We employ this method to the ESPEs that have been confirmed in cosmogenic radionuclide records up to date, retrieve their ``worst-case" integral spectrum, and compare the latter to the actual -- independently obtained -- recent reconstructions based on the radionuclide records. We first show that our method allows us to estimate the integral fluence spectra of one of the paleo events, i.e., AD774/775, one of the strongest ESPEs found within the cosmogenic radionuclide records so far. We then implement a mean ESPE utilizing four confirmed paleo ESPEs (i.e., AD993/994, AD774/775, 660 BCE, and 7176 BCE) and test the resulting spectrum against the estimated one. Finally, we test the same methodology for a series of strong SEPs recorded on the Earth's surface as Ground Level Enhancements (GLEs). In all investigated cases, the recent re-calibration of $F_{SXR}$ by Hudson et al. (2024) is considered. We conclude that the methodology can adequately estimate the ``worst-case" integral fluence spectra for both strong and extreme SEP events, quantifying their impact up to an integral energy of $\sim$ E $>$ 1 GeV.
comment: accepted at A&A
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena 11
☆ Exploring the disc-jet scenario in 3C 273 using simultaneous XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observations
Context: 3C 273, a well-studied active galactic nucleus (AGN), displays characteristics of both jetted-AGN and Seyfert galaxies, making it an excellent source to study the disc-jet connection in AGN. Aims: To investigate the disk-jet scenario in 3C 273 using broadband (0.3--78 keV) X-ray spectra from {\it XMM-Newton} and {\it NuSTAR}. Methods: We used simultaneous {\it XMM-Newton} and {\it NuSTAR} observations of 3C 273 carried out between 2012 and 2024. The 0.3--78 keV X-ray spectra were first fit with a simple power-law (PL) and then with the accretion-ejection-based JeTCAF model. The JeTCAF model accounts for emission from the jet, extending up to the sonic surface. In this framework, a reflection hump above 10 keV can also arise due to the bulk motion Comptonization of coronal photons by the jet. Results: We found that the simple PL did not provide a good fit, leaving significant residuals at energies below 1.5 keV. All the spectra were fitted well by the JeTCAF model. The weighted-averaged black hole mass of (7.77$\pm$0.30) $\times 10^8 M_\odot$ obtained from the JeTCAF model is comparable with the previous estimates based on reverberation mapping observations and accretion disk models. Conclusions: The 0.3--78 keV X-ray emission of 3C 273 can be fit by the accretion-ejection-based model in which the corona and the jet on top of it make significant contributions to the X-ray flux. The Doppler boosting factor estimated from the jet flux ranges from 1.6 to 2.2, consistent with the lower limit from the literature.
comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in the Astronomy & Astrophysics journal
☆ Ideas and Requirements for the Global Cosmic-Ray Observatory (GCOS)
After a successful kick-off meeting in 2021. two workshops in 2022 and 2023 on the future Global Cosmic-Ray Observatory (GCOS) focused mainly on a straw man design of the detector and science possibilities for astro- and particle physics. About 100 participants gathered for in-person and hybrid panel discussions. In this report, we summarize these discussions, present a preliminary straw-man design for GCOS and collect short write-ups of the flash talks given during the focus sessions.
comment: 48 pages, 27 figures
☆ Observational and Theoretical Constraints on First-Order Phase Transitions in Neutron Stars
Understanding the equation of state (EOS) of neutron stars (NSs) is a fundamental challenge in astrophysics and nuclear physics. A first-order phase transition (FOPT) at high densities could lead to the formation of a quark core, significantly affecting NS properties. This review explores observational and theoretical constraints on such transitions using multi-messenger astrophysics. X-ray observations, including mass-radius measurements from NICER and spectral features like quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) and cyclotron resonance scattering features (CRSFs), provide indirect evidence of EOS modifications. Gravitational wave detections, particularly from binary NS mergers such as GW170817, constrain tidal deformability and post-merger oscillations, which may carry signatures of phase transitions. Pulsar timing offers additional constraints through measurements of mass, spin evolution, and glitches, with millisecond pulsars exceeding twice the solar mass posing challenges to purely hadronic EOSs. Theoretical models and numerical simulations predict that an FOPT could impact gravitational wave signals, twin-star configurations, and NS cooling. Future advancements, including next-generation gravitational wave detectors, high-precision X-ray telescopes, and improved theoretical modeling, will enhance our ability to probe phase transitions in NSs. A combination of these approaches will provide crucial insights into the existence and properties of deconfined quark matter in NS interiors.
comment: This is the original version of the article
☆ Prediction of lithium isotope fluxes using data-driven production cross sections
Galactic cosmic rays (CRs) generally share common propagation features, leading to consistent spectral observations of secondary nuclei such as Li, Be, and B. However, the Li spectrum predicted by the CR diffusion coefficient inferred from B/C is significantly lower than the latest measurement of AMS-02. This anomaly may be attributed to the missing contributions from the heavy nuclei components in cosmic rays. By including these missing contributions the excess of the Li spectrum disappears. However, another inconsistency still exists since the calculated Li spectrum is now overestimated compared to the data. In this work, we update the cross-section model used to calculate the Li production according to more cross-section measurements. We find that the cross sections of these added reactions are systematically overestimated, and should be renormalized to the interpolations of available data. As a result, our prediction of the total Li spectrum is consistent with the measurement without discrepancy, and our prediction of the $\rm^6Li$ and $\rm^7Li$ spectra are consistent with the preliminary measurements of AMS-02 within the cross-section uncertainties.
comment: 12 pages, 8 figures
☆ The Equation of State of Neutron Stars: Theoretical Models, Observational Constraints, and Future Perspectives
Understanding the equation of state (EOS) of neutron stars (NSs) is a fundamental challenge in astrophysics and nuclear physics. A first-order phase transition (FOPT) at high densities could lead to the formation of a quark core, significantly affecting NS properties. This review explores observational and theoretical constraints on such transitions using multi-messenger astrophysics. X-ray observations, including mass-radius measurements from NICER and spectral features like quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) and cyclotron resonance scattering features (CRSFs), provide indirect evidence of EOS modifications. Gravitational wave detections, particularly from binary NS mergers such as GW170817, constrain tidal deformability and post-merger oscillations, which may carry signatures of phase transitions. Pulsar timing offers additional constraints through measurements of mass, spin evolution, and glitches, with millisecond pulsars exceeding twice the solar mass posing challenges to purely hadronic EOSs. Theoretical models and numerical simulations predict that an FOPT could impact gravitational wave signals, twin-star configurations, and NS cooling. Future advancements, including next-generation gravitational wave detectors, high-precision X-ray telescopes, and improved theoretical modeling, will enhance our ability to probe phase transitions in NSs. A combination of these approaches will provide crucial insights into the existence and properties of deconfined quark matter in NS interiors.
comment: This is the original version of the article
☆ Neutrinos from Carbon-Burning Red Supergiants and Their Detectability
Stars emit MeV neutrinos during their evolution via nuclear syntheses and thermal processes, and detecting them could provide insights into stellar structure beyond what is accessible through electromagnetic wave observations. So far, MeV neutrinos have been observed from the Sun and SN 1987A. It has been suggested that pre-supernova stars in the oxygen and silicon burning stages would emit enough MeV neutrinos to be detectable on Earth, provided they are in the local universe. In this study, we investigate the prospect of detecting neutrinos from red supergiants (RSGs) in the carbon-burning phase. In our Galaxy, around a thousand RSGs have been cataloged, and several are expected to be in the carbon-burning phase. We first calculate the luminosity and energy spectrum of neutrinos emitted during the post-main-sequence evolution of massive stars. For a nearby carbon-burning RSG located $\sim200$ pc away, we estimate the neutrino flux reaching Earth to be as large as $\sim10^5$ cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$ with a spectrum peaking $\sim0.6$ MeV. We then assess the feasibility of detecting these neutrinos in underground facilities, particularly in hybrid detectors equipped with water-based liquid scintillator and ultra-fast photodetectors. In detectors with a volume comparable to Super-Kamiokande, for the above flux, we anticipate up to $\sim50$ neutrino events per year with directional information. Although this is a fair number, the number of events from radioactive backgrounds would be much larger. Our results indicate that studying neutrinos from carbon-burning RSGs and predicting supernovae well in advance before their explosion would be challenging with currently available detector technologies.
comment: 12 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
♻ ☆ Parsec-scale jet direction evolution in AGNs
We analyze the variability of the parsec-scale jet directions in active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Our analysis involves 317 AGNs at frequencies ranging from 2 to 43 GHz, and is made possible by developing an automatic inner jet direction measurement procedure. We find strong significant variations in a one quarter of these AGNs; the effect is likely ubiquitous, and not detected in the rest due to a limited sensitivity and observations epoch coverage. Average apparent jet rotation speeds range from 0.21 deg/yr at 2 GHz to 1.04 deg/yr at 43 GHz. This strong frequency dependence indicates that the variability cannot be explained by jet components propagating ballistically without acceleration: more complex jet shapes or patterns are required. Still, we demonstrate that the apparent direction changes are predominantly caused by the jet nozzle rotations, and not by individual components propagating transversely to the jet. In this work, we focus on variability scales much longer than the times of observations, that is > 50 years. Using our measurements, we bound potential periods to less than 1000 years in the source rest frame for 90% AGNs in the sample. This allows us to constrain mechanisms causing these variations if they are periodic, such as instabilities, disk-driven precession, or binary black hole effects.
comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, 2 tables, published in MNRAS
♻ ☆ Is PSR J0514$-$4002E in a PBH-NS binary? SC
Recent pulsar timing observations using MeerKAT of the eccentric binary millisecond pulsar, PSR J0514$-$4002E, have unveiled a companion with a mass in the mass gap, ranging from $2.09\, M_\odot$ to $2.71\, M_\odot$. This challenges conventional astrophysical scenarios for black hole formation. In this paper, we present an alternative explanation: PSR J0514$-$4002E could be in a PBH-NS binary, with the companion potentially being a primordial black hole formed during the early Universe's first-order phase transition. The associated stochastic gravitational-wave background generated during this phase transition can account for the observed signal from the pulsar timing array, and the abundance of primordial black holes is consistent with constraints from LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA.
comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, version accepted for publication in Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron. (SCPMA);
♻ ☆ X-ray and gamma-ray timing of GRB 180720B, GRB 181222B, GRB 211211A and GRB 220910A observed with Fermi and ASIM
We present a timing study of the gamma and X-ray observations and analysis of a sample of bright gamma-ray bursts (GRBs; i.e. GRB 180720B, GRB 181222B, GRB 211211A and GRB 220910A), including the very bright and long GRB 211211A (a.k.a. kilonova candidate). They have been detected and observed by the Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor (ASIM) installed on the International Space Station (ISS) and the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) on-board the Fermi mission. The early (T-T0=s) and high-energy (0.3-20 MeV) ASIM High Energy Detector (HED) and (150 keV-30 MeV) Fermi (BGO) light curves show well-defined peaks with a low quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) frequency between 2.5-3.5 Hz that could be identified with the spin of the neutron star in the binary mergers (coinciding with the orbital frequency of the binary merger) originating these GRBs. These QPOs consist on the first detection of low-frequency QPOs (<10 Hz) detected in magnetars so far. We also detect a strong QPO at 21.8-22 Hz in GRB 181222B together with its (less significant) harmonics. The low-frequency QPO would correspond to the signal of the orbiting neutron star (NS) previous to the final coalescence giving rise to the gravitational-wave (GW) signal.
comment: Re-submitted to MNRAS Letters (7-Feb.-2025)
♻ ☆ Maximal Jet Energy of Gamma-Ray Bursts through the Blandford-Znajek Mechanism
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are among the most energetic events in the universe, driven by relativistic jets launched from black holes (BHs) formed during the collapse of massive stars or after the merger of two neutron stars (NSs). The jet power depends on the BH spin and the magnetic flux accreted onto it. In the standard thin disk model, jet power is limited by insufficient magnetic flux, even when the spin approaches maximum possible value. In contrast, the magnetically arrested disk (MAD) state limits jet energy by extracting significant angular momentum, braking BH rotation. We propose a unified model incorporating both standard thin disk and MAD states, identifying a universal curve for jet power per accretion rate as a function of the magnetic flux ratio, $\Delta_\mathrm{eq} = (\Phi_\mathrm{BH}/\Phi_\mathrm{MAD})_\mathrm{eq}$, at spin equilibrium. For long GRBs (lGRBs), the model predicts a maximum jet energy of $\sim 1.5\%$ of the accretion energy, occurring at $\Delta_\mathrm{eq} \sim 0.4$ where the BH equilibrium spin is $a \sim 0.5$. Both long and short GRBs are unlikely to be produced by a MAD: for short GRBs (sGRBs), this requires an accreted mass orders of magnitude smaller than that available, while for lGRBs, the narrow progenitor mass distribution challenges the ability to produce the observed broad distribution of jet energies. This framework provides a consistent explanation for both standard and luminous GRBs, emphasizing the critical role of magnetic flux. Both long and short GRBs require magnetic flux distributions that peak around $10^{27}\,\mathrm{G\,cm}^2$.
comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, published in ApJL
♻ ☆ Effects of orbital eccentricity on continuous gravitational waveforms from triaxially deformed precessing neutron stars in tight binaries
The successful detection of continuous gravitational waves from spinning neutron stars (NSs) will shape our understanding of the physical properties of dense matter under extreme conditions. Binary population synthesis simulations show that forthcoming space-borne gravitational wave detectors may be capable of detecting some tight Galactic double NSs with 10-min orbital periods. Successfully searching for continuous waves from the individual NS in such a close binary demands extremely precise waveform templates considering the interaction between the NS and its companion. Unlike the isolated formation channel, double NS systems from the dynamical formation channel have moderate to high orbital eccentricities. To accommodate these systems, we generalize the analytical waveforms from triaxial nonaligned NSs under spin-orbit coupling derived by Feng \textit{et al.} [\href{https://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevD.108.063035}{Phys. Rev. D 108, 063035 (2023)}] to incorporate the effects of the orbital eccentricity. Our findings suggest that for binaries formed through isolated binary evolution, the impact of eccentricity on the continuous waves of their NSs can be neglected. In contrast, for those formed through dynamical processes, it is necessary to consider eccentricity, as high-eccentricity orbits can result in a fitting factor of $\lesssim 0.97$ (0.9) within approximately 0.5 (1) to 2 (5) yr of a coherent search (at wave frequencies of 100 and 200 Hz). Once the continuous waves from spinning NSs in tight binaries are detected, the relative measurement accuracy of eccentricity can reach $\Delta e / e \sim O(10^{-7})$ for a signal-to-noise ratio of $O(100)$ based on the Fisher information matrix, bearing significant implications for understanding the formation mechanisms of double NS systems.
comment: 10 pages, 5 figures
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics 8
☆ Ideas and Requirements for the Global Cosmic-Ray Observatory (GCOS)
After a successful kick-off meeting in 2021. two workshops in 2022 and 2023 on the future Global Cosmic-Ray Observatory (GCOS) focused mainly on a straw man design of the detector and science possibilities for astro- and particle physics. About 100 participants gathered for in-person and hybrid panel discussions. In this report, we summarize these discussions, present a preliminary straw-man design for GCOS and collect short write-ups of the flash talks given during the focus sessions.
comment: 48 pages, 27 figures
☆ Characterization of Residual Charge Images in LSST Camera e2v CCDs
LSST Camera CCDs produced by the manufacturer e2v exhibit strong and novel residual charge images when exposed to bright sources. These manifest in images following bright exposures both in the same pixel areas as the bright source, and in the pixels trailing between the source and the serial register. Both of these pose systematic challenges to the Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time instrument signature removal. The latter trail region is especially impactful as it affects a much larger pixel area in a less well defined position. In our study of this effect at UC Davis, we imaged bright spots to characterize these residual charge effects. We find a strong dependence of the residual charge on the parallel clocking scheme, including the relative levels of the clocking voltages, and the timing of gate phase transition during the parallel transfer. Our study points to independent causes of residual charge in the bright spot region and trail region. We propose potential causes in both regions and suggest methodologies for minimizing residual charge. We consider the trade-offs to these methods including decreasing the camera's full well and dynamic range at the high end. Some of these results and suggestions have been reviewed by the camera commissioning team and may result in changes made to the clocking voltage scheme on the LSST Camera.
comment: 20 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables
☆ Mapping the Filamentary Nebula of NGC 1275 with Multiwavelength SITELLE Observations
The filamentary nebula encompassing the central galaxy of the Perseus Cluster, NGC 1275, is a complex structure extending dozens of kiloparsecs from NGC 1275. Decades of previous works have focused on establishing the primary formation and ionization mechanisms in different filaments. These studies have pointed to a lack of star formation in the majority of the filaments, the importance of magnetic fields and turbulence in several regions, and the role of interactions between the intercluster medium (ICM) and the cool gas in the filaments, as well as the role of interaction between the central radio source, 3C84, and the filaments. In this paper, we present multi-filter observations of the entire filamentary system that cover the optical bandpass, using the SITELLE instrument at the Canada-France-Hawai'i Telescope. Here, we use the data analysis software, \href{https://crhea93.github.io/LUCI/index.html}{\texttt{LUCI}}, to produce flux maps of the prominent emission lines present in the filters: \oii{}$\lambda$3726/3729, \oiii{}$\lambda$5007, H$\beta$, \nii{}$\lambda$6548, \nii{}$\lambda$6583, and H$\alpha$. We use these maps to produce BPT and WHAN diagrams to study the ionization mechanisms at play in each distinct region of the filamentary nebula. First, we confirm the absence of \oiii{}$\lambda$5007 in the extended filaments, although we detect this line in the central core, revealing a compact region where photoionization by the AGN might affect local conditions. Our findings corroborate previous claims that the ionization in the extended filaments could be caused by the cooling ICM via collisional excitation and/or mixing. Moreover, they support the conclusion that magnetic fields play an important role in the formation and continued existence of the filaments.
comment: Submitted to AJ
☆ Dynamic spectral tailoring of a 10 GHz laser frequency comb for enhanced calibration of astronomical spectrographs
Laser frequency combs (LFCs) are an important component of Doppler radial velocity (RV) spectroscopy that pushes fractional precision to the $10^{-10}$ level, as required to identify and characterize Earth-like exoplanets. However, large intensity variations across the LFC spectrum that arise in nonlinear broadening limit the range of comb lines that can be used for optimal wavelength calibration with sufficient signal-to-noise ratio. Furthermore, temporal spectral-intensity fluctuations of the LFC, that are coupled to flux-dependent detector defects, alter the instrumental point spread function (PSF) and result in spurious RV shifts. To address these issues and improve calibration precision, spectral flattening is crucial for LFCs to maintain a constant photon flux per comb mode. In this work, we demonstrate a dynamic spectral shaping setup using a spatial light modulator (SLM) over the wavelength range of 800nm to 1300nm. The custom shaping compensates for amplitude fluctuations in real time and can also correct for wavelength-dependent spectrograph transmission, achieving a spectral profile that delivers the constant readout necessary for maximizing precision. Importantly, we characterize the out-of-loop properties of the spectral flattener to verify a twofold improvement in spectral stability. This technique, combined with our approach of pumping the waveguide spectral broadener out-of-band at 1550 nm, reduces the required dynamic range. While this spectral region is tailored for the LFC employed at the Habitable-zone Planet Finder (HPF) spectrograph, the method is broadly applicable to any LFC used for astronomical spectrograph calibration.
comment: 15 pages, 11 figures
♻ ☆ Commissioning An All-Sky Infrared Camera Array for Detection Of Airborne Objects
To date there is little publicly available scientific data on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) whose properties and kinematics purportedly reside outside the performance envelope of known phenomena. To address this deficiency, the Galileo Project is designing, building, and commissioning a multi-modal ground-based observatory to continuously monitor the sky and conduct a rigorous long-term aerial census of all aerial phenomena, including natural and human-made. One of the key instruments is an all-sky infrared camera array using eight uncooled long-wave infrared FLIR Boson 640 cameras. Their calibration includes a novel extrinsic calibration method using airplane positions from Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data. We establish a first baseline for the system performance over five months of field operation, using a real-world dataset derived from ADS-B data, synthetic 3-D trajectories, and a hand-labelled real-world dataset. We report acceptance rates (e.g. viewable airplanes that are recorded) and detection efficiencies (e.g. recorded airplanes which are successfully detected) for a variety of weather conditions, range and aircraft size. We reconstruct $\sim$500,000 trajectories of aerial objects from this commissioning period. A toy outlier search focused on large sinuosity of the 2-D reconstructed trajectories flags about 16% of trajectories as outliers. After manual review, 144 trajectories remain ambiguous: they are likely mundane objects but cannot be elucidated at this stage of development without distance and kinematics estimation or other sensor modalities. Our observed count of ambiguous outliers combined with systematic uncertainties yields an upper limit of 18,271 outliers count for the five-month interval at a 95% confidence level. This likelihood-based method to evaluate significance is applicable to all of our future outlier searches.
♻ ☆ Quantifying energy fluence and its uncertainty for radio emission from particle cascades in the presence of noise
Measurements of radio signals induced by an astroparticle generating a cascade present a challenge because they are always superposed with an irreducible noise contribution. Quantifying these signals constitutes a non-trivial task, especially at low signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). Because of the randomness of the noise phase, the measurements can be either a constructive or a destructive superposition of signal and noise. To recover the electromagnetic energy of the cascade from the radio measurements, the energy fluence, i.e. the time integral of the Poynting vector, has to be estimated. Conventionally, noise subtraction in the time domain has been employed for energy fluence reconstruction, yielding significant biases, including even non-physical and negative values. To mitigate the effect of this bias, usually an SNR threshold cut is imposed, at the expense of excluding valuable data from the analyses. Additionally, the uncertainties derived from the conventional method are underestimated, even for large SNR values. This work tackles these challenges by detailing a method to correctly estimate the uncertainties and lower the reconstruction bias in quantifying radio signals, thereby, ideally, eliminating the need for an SNR cut. The development of the method is based on a robust theoretical and statistical background, and the estimation of the fluence is performed in the frequency domain, allowing for the improvement of further analyses by providing access to frequency-dependent fluence estimation.
comment: Version accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physics. The implementation of the algorithm can be found at https://gitlab.iap.kit.edu/saramartinelli/fluence-and-uncertainty-estimation-based-on-rice-distribution
♻ ☆ Doppler correlation-driven vetoes for the Frequency Hough analysis in continuous gravitational-wave searches
We present an improved method for vetoing candidates of continuous gravitational-wave sources during all-sky searches utilizing the Frequency Hough pipeline. This approach leverages linear correlations between source parameters induced by the Earth Doppler effect, which can be effectively identified through the Hough Transform. Candidates that do not align with these patterns are considered spurious and can thus be vetoed, enhancing the depth and statistical significance of follow-up analyses. Additionally, we provide a comprehensive explanation of the method calibration, which intrinsically linked to the total duration of the observing run. On average, the procedure successfully vetoes $56\%$ of candidates. To assess the method performance, we conducted a Monte-Carlo simulation injecting fake continuous-wave signals into data from the third observing run of the LIGO detectors. This analysis allowed us to infer strain amplitude upper limits at a $90\%$ confidence level. We found that the optimal sensitivity is $h_0^{90\%} = 3.62^{+0.23}_{-0.22}\times 10^{-26}$ in the [128, 200] Hz band, which is within the most sensible frequency band of the LIGO detectors.
comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, 5 tables
♻ ☆ Characterization of Multiple Channels Room Temperature Readout Electronics for Large Transition-Edge Sensor Array
Transition-edge sensor (TES) is a highly sensitive device that is capable of detecting extremely low levels of energy. It is characterised by low noise performance and high energy resolution. A mature method for reading out TES signal is through time-division multiplexing (TDM) direct current superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). In a TDM system, the signal readout chain represents a significant source of noise other than the TES intrinsic noise. The noise generated by TES is in the range of several tens to several hundreds of $pA/\sqrt{Hz}$. In order to ensure the high energy resolution of TES, it is necessary to ensure that the noise contribution from the room temperature readout electronics is less than $10$ $pA/\sqrt{Hz}$ above 100 $Hz$. In this work, we have designed a low-noise, high-resolution room temperature readout circuit for TDM. The equivalent current noise contribution of ADC is about $0.05$ $pA/\sqrt{Hz}$ above 100 $Hz$ and $0.46$ $pA\sqrt{Hz}$ under 30:1 multiplexing. The resolution of the analog to digital converter (ADC) is larger than 11.5 bits, which can reconstruct the TES signal without distortion. The readout board, which has eight channels, has JESD204B serial ports, which has greatly simplified the space of room temperature electronics. The readout chain is based on multi-threaded CPU processing and can transfer data at 2 $Gbps$ for each channel in real time. This readout board can be used in a TDM system with smaller size for large TES arrays.
comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 3
☆ Dynamical mechanism of vacuum energy compensation
The model of vacuum energy compensation due to interaction of a scalar field $\phi$ with curvature scalar of the form $\beta R \phi^2 f(\phi) $ is proposed. It is shown that with a simple power form of $f(\phi)$ the exponential expansion, induced by vacuum energy (or what is the same by cosmological constant), is transformed into canonical cosmological evolution of the universe dominated by relativistic matter.
comment: 9 pages, 2 figures
☆ Testing the cosmic distance duality relation using Type Ia supernovae and BAO observations
In this work, we propose to utilize the observed ratio of spherically-averaged distance to the sound horizon scale from Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) data to test the cosmic distance duality relation (CDDR) by comparing the luminosity distances (LDs) obtained from Type Ia supernovae (SNIa) observations with angular diameter distances (ADDs) derived from these ratio measurements, using a cosmological-model-independent method. To match the LDs with the ADDs at the identical redshifts, we employ two methods: a compressed form of the Pantheon sample and a hybrid approach that combines the binning method with an artificial neural network (ANN). The Hubble parameter $H(z)$ at any redshift is reconstructed from the observed Hubble parameter data with the ANN to derive the ADD. To avoid potential biases resulted from the specific prior values of the absolute magnitude $M_{\rm B}$ of SNIa and the sound horizon scale $r_{\rm d}$ from BAO measurements, we introduce the fiducial parameter $\kappa\equiv10^{M_{\rm B} \over 5}\, r_{\rm d}^{3 \over 2} $ and marginalize their impacts by treating them as nuisance parameters with flat prior distributions in our statistical analysis. Subsequently, we update the measurements of ratio of the transverse comoving distance to the sound horizon scale from the latest BAO data released by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) collaboration for CDDR testing. Our results indicate that BAO observation provides a powerful tool for testing the CDDR, independent of both the absolute magnitude $M_{\rm B}$ and sound horizon scale $r_{\rm d}$, as well as any cosmological model.
comment: Accepted by EPJC 22 pages, 4 figures
♻ ☆ Is PSR J0514$-$4002E in a PBH-NS binary? SC
Recent pulsar timing observations using MeerKAT of the eccentric binary millisecond pulsar, PSR J0514$-$4002E, have unveiled a companion with a mass in the mass gap, ranging from $2.09\, M_\odot$ to $2.71\, M_\odot$. This challenges conventional astrophysical scenarios for black hole formation. In this paper, we present an alternative explanation: PSR J0514$-$4002E could be in a PBH-NS binary, with the companion potentially being a primordial black hole formed during the early Universe's first-order phase transition. The associated stochastic gravitational-wave background generated during this phase transition can account for the observed signal from the pulsar timing array, and the abundance of primordial black holes is consistent with constraints from LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA.
comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, version accepted for publication in Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron. (SCPMA);
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 1
☆ A ZTF Search for Circumstellar Debris Transits in White Dwarfs: Six New Candidates, one with Gas Disk Emission, identified in a Novel Metric Space SP
White dwarfs (WDs) showing transits from orbiting planetary debris provide significant insights into the structure and dynamics of debris disks. This is a rare class of objects with only eight published systems. In this work, we perform a systematic search for such systems within 500 pc in the Gaia-eDR3 catalog of WDs using the light curves from the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) and present six new candidates. Our selection process targets the top 1% most photometrically variable sources identified using a combined variability metric from ZTF and Gaia eDR3 photometry, boosted by a metric space we define using von Neumann statistics and Pearson-Skew as a novel discovery tool to identify these systems. This is followed by optical spectroscopic observations of visually selected variables to confirm metal pollution. Four of the six systems show long-timescale photometric variability spanning several months to years, resulting either from long-term evolution of transit activity or dust and debris clouds at wide orbits. Among them, WD J1013-0427 shows an indication of reddening during the long-duration dip. Interpreting this as dust extinction makes it the first system to indicate an abundance of small dust grains (radius $\lesssim$$0.3~{\rm \mu m}$) in the occulting material. The same object also shows metal emission lines that map an optically thick eccentric gas disk orbiting within the star's Roche limit. For each candidate, we infer the abundances of the photospheric metals and estimate accretion rates. We show that transiting debris systems tend to have higher inferred accretion rates compared to the general population of metal-polluted WDs. Growing the number of these systems will further illuminate such comparative properties in the near future. Separately, we also serendipitously discovered an AM CVn showing a very long-duration outburst $-$ only the fourth such system to be known.
comment: 28 pages, 16 figures, 6 tables. Version after first PASP review. Resubmitting in a week. Comments are Welcome!
Astrophysics of Galaxies 9
☆ Exploring the disc-jet scenario in 3C 273 using simultaneous XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observations
Context: 3C 273, a well-studied active galactic nucleus (AGN), displays characteristics of both jetted-AGN and Seyfert galaxies, making it an excellent source to study the disc-jet connection in AGN. Aims: To investigate the disk-jet scenario in 3C 273 using broadband (0.3--78 keV) X-ray spectra from {\it XMM-Newton} and {\it NuSTAR}. Methods: We used simultaneous {\it XMM-Newton} and {\it NuSTAR} observations of 3C 273 carried out between 2012 and 2024. The 0.3--78 keV X-ray spectra were first fit with a simple power-law (PL) and then with the accretion-ejection-based JeTCAF model. The JeTCAF model accounts for emission from the jet, extending up to the sonic surface. In this framework, a reflection hump above 10 keV can also arise due to the bulk motion Comptonization of coronal photons by the jet. Results: We found that the simple PL did not provide a good fit, leaving significant residuals at energies below 1.5 keV. All the spectra were fitted well by the JeTCAF model. The weighted-averaged black hole mass of (7.77$\pm$0.30) $\times 10^8 M_\odot$ obtained from the JeTCAF model is comparable with the previous estimates based on reverberation mapping observations and accretion disk models. Conclusions: The 0.3--78 keV X-ray emission of 3C 273 can be fit by the accretion-ejection-based model in which the corona and the jet on top of it make significant contributions to the X-ray flux. The Doppler boosting factor estimated from the jet flux ranges from 1.6 to 2.2, consistent with the lower limit from the literature.
comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in the Astronomy & Astrophysics journal
The Host Galaxy of the Hyperactive Repeating FRB 20240114A: Behind a Galaxy Cluster
We report on the optical spectroscopic observations of the host galaxy of the hyperactive repeating fast radio burst, FRB 20240114A. The host galaxy is a dwarf galaxy at a redshift of $z=0.1306\pm0.0002$. With a rest-frame coverage of 4300-7900 \AA, we have detected H$\rm{\alpha}$, H$\rm{\beta}$, [O III]$\lambda\lambda$4959,5007, [N II]$\lambda\lambda$6548,6583, and [S II]$\lambda$6716 emission lines. The emission line ratios suggest that the ionization in the host galaxy is dominated by star formation. The star formation rate (SFR) derived from the H$\rm{\alpha}$ emission line is $(0.06 \pm 0.01) \ \rm{M_{\odot} \ yr^{-1}}$, and the SED fitting suggests the lower limit of the SFR(UV) is $0.09 \ \rm{M_{\odot} \ yr^{-1}}$. The stellar mass is $(\rm 4.0 \pm 1.8) \times 10^8 \ M_{\odot}$, making the specific star formation rate $\rm log \ sSFR(H\rm \alpha) = -9.17 \pm 0.07 \ yr^{-1}$. The line ratios indicate an upper limit of a metallicity of $\rm 12+log_{10} ([O/H]) \sim 8.5$. As the nearest dwarf host galaxy with a repeating FRB, the activity of FRB 20240114A and the properties of this host galaxy closely resemble those of FRB 20121102A and FRB 20190520B. The H$\rm{\alpha}$-traced dispersion measure (DM) provided by the ionized gas of the host galaxy has a moderate contribution of $\sim 200 \rm \ pc \ cm^{-3}$, assuming a warm ionized gas. We found that the distributions of the stellar mass versus SFR are significantly different between repeating and one-off FRBs, as determined by the MANOVA test with $p=0.0116$.
comment: Accepted by ApJL
☆ Finding Quasars Behind the Galactic Plane: Spectroscopic Identifications of ~1300 New Quasars at |b|<=20 degree from LAMOST DR10
Quasars behind the Galactic plane (GPQs) are excellent tracers to probe the chemistry and kinematics of the interstellar/intergalactic medium (ISM/IGM) of the Milky Way along sight lines via absorption line spectroscopy. Moreover, the quasars located at low Galactic latitudes will fill the gap in the spatial distribution of known quasars near the Galactic plane, and can be used to construct an astrometric reference frame for accurate measurements of proper motions (PMs) of stars, and substructures of the Milky Way. We started a survey of background quasars in the low Galactic latitude region since the LAMOST phase II survey in 2017. Quasar candidates have been selected from the optical and infrared photometric data of Pan-STARRS1 and WISE surveys based on their variability and color properties. In this paper, we present a sample of 1982 spectroscopically confirmed GPQs with |b| <= 20 degree based on LAMOST Data Release 10 (DR10). Among them, 1338 are newly discovered. Most GPQs are located around 240
comment: 15 pages, 7 figures and 2 tables, accepted for publication in ApJS
☆ Mapping the Filamentary Nebula of NGC 1275 with Multiwavelength SITELLE Observations
The filamentary nebula encompassing the central galaxy of the Perseus Cluster, NGC 1275, is a complex structure extending dozens of kiloparsecs from NGC 1275. Decades of previous works have focused on establishing the primary formation and ionization mechanisms in different filaments. These studies have pointed to a lack of star formation in the majority of the filaments, the importance of magnetic fields and turbulence in several regions, and the role of interactions between the intercluster medium (ICM) and the cool gas in the filaments, as well as the role of interaction between the central radio source, 3C84, and the filaments. In this paper, we present multi-filter observations of the entire filamentary system that cover the optical bandpass, using the SITELLE instrument at the Canada-France-Hawai'i Telescope. Here, we use the data analysis software, \href{https://crhea93.github.io/LUCI/index.html}{\texttt{LUCI}}, to produce flux maps of the prominent emission lines present in the filters: \oii{}$\lambda$3726/3729, \oiii{}$\lambda$5007, H$\beta$, \nii{}$\lambda$6548, \nii{}$\lambda$6583, and H$\alpha$. We use these maps to produce BPT and WHAN diagrams to study the ionization mechanisms at play in each distinct region of the filamentary nebula. First, we confirm the absence of \oiii{}$\lambda$5007 in the extended filaments, although we detect this line in the central core, revealing a compact region where photoionization by the AGN might affect local conditions. Our findings corroborate previous claims that the ionization in the extended filaments could be caused by the cooling ICM via collisional excitation and/or mixing. Moreover, they support the conclusion that magnetic fields play an important role in the formation and continued existence of the filaments.
comment: Submitted to AJ
☆ A new class of dark matter-free dwarf galaxies? I. Clues from FCC 224, NGC 1052-DF2 and NGC 1052-DF4
The discovery of quiescent, dark matter (DM)-deficient ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) with overluminous globular clusters (GCs) has challenged galaxy formation models within the Lambda Cold Dark Matter ($\Lambda$CDM) cosmological paradigm. Previously, such galaxies were only identified in the NGC 1052 group, raising the possibility that they are the result of unique, group-specific processes, and limiting their broader significance. The recent identification of FCC 224, a putative DM-deficient UDG on the outskirts of the Fornax Cluster, suggests that such galaxies are not confined to the NGC 1052 group but rather represent a broader phenomenon. We aim to investigate the DM content of FCC 224 and to explore its similarities to the DM-free dwarfs in the NGC 1052 group, DF2 and DF4, to determine whether or not it belongs to the same class of DM-deficient UDGs. We use high-resolution Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI) spectroscopy to study the kinematics, stellar populations, and GC system of FCC 224, enabling direct comparisons with DF2 and DF4. We find that FCC 224 is also DM-deficient and exhibits a distinct set of traits shared with DF2 and DF4, including slow and prolate rotation, quiescence in low-density environments, coeval formation of stars and GCs, flat stellar population gradients, a top-heavy GC luminosity function, and monochromatic GCs. These shared characteristics signal the existence of a previously unrecognized class of DM-deficient dwarf galaxies. This diagnostic framework provides a means of identifying additional examples and raises new questions for galaxy formation models within $\Lambda$CDM cosmology.
comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. 10 pages (without appendices), 6 figures
♻ ☆ New theoretical Fe II templates for bright quasars
We present a set of new theoretical Fe II templates for bright quasars covering a wavelength range of 1000-10000 \AA\, based on the recent atomic database available in the C23.00 version of the photoionization code CLOUDY. We compute a grid of models for a range of incident photon flux, gas density, and multiple microturbulence velocities. We examine the equivalent widths (EWs) and the ratios of Fe II emission over various wavebands and compare them with observations. Our key results are: (1) The flux generated from the shielded side of the cloud is insufficient to describe the measured Fe II emission. (2) Despite using the newest atomic data we still confirm the long-standing problem that the predicted Fe II UV/optical ratio is significantly larger than that observed in the AGN spectra. (3) The Fe II UV/optical ratio is not significantly affected by the variations in the microturbulence and the metallicity. (4) The microturbulence can create an additional apparent velocity shift of up to 1000 km/s in the spectra. (5) There is no Fe II template based on a single set of physical parameters that can fit the observed UV to optical Fe II emission spectra. We shortly discuss the most likely effects responsible for the Fe II UV/optical mismatch problem: the assumption of the constant density clouds and the heating mechanism for Fe II emitting clouds.
comment: 34 pages, 27 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Supplement (ApJS) series
♻ ☆ Parsec-scale jet direction evolution in AGNs
We analyze the variability of the parsec-scale jet directions in active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Our analysis involves 317 AGNs at frequencies ranging from 2 to 43 GHz, and is made possible by developing an automatic inner jet direction measurement procedure. We find strong significant variations in a one quarter of these AGNs; the effect is likely ubiquitous, and not detected in the rest due to a limited sensitivity and observations epoch coverage. Average apparent jet rotation speeds range from 0.21 deg/yr at 2 GHz to 1.04 deg/yr at 43 GHz. This strong frequency dependence indicates that the variability cannot be explained by jet components propagating ballistically without acceleration: more complex jet shapes or patterns are required. Still, we demonstrate that the apparent direction changes are predominantly caused by the jet nozzle rotations, and not by individual components propagating transversely to the jet. In this work, we focus on variability scales much longer than the times of observations, that is > 50 years. Using our measurements, we bound potential periods to less than 1000 years in the source rest frame for 90% AGNs in the sample. This allows us to constrain mechanisms causing these variations if they are periodic, such as instabilities, disk-driven precession, or binary black hole effects.
comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, 2 tables, published in MNRAS
♻ ☆ High-resolution imaging of the radio source associated with Project Hephaistos Dyson Sphere Candidate G
We present high-resolution e-MERLIN and EVN (e-VLBI) observations of a radio source associated with Dyson Sphere candidate G, identified as part of Project Hephaistos. The radio source, VLASS J233532.86-000424.9, is resolved into three compact components and shows the typical characteristics of a radio-loud active galactic nucleus (AGN). In particular, the European VLBI Network (EVN) observations show that it has a brightness temperature in excess of $10^{8}$~K. No radio emission is detected at the position of the M-dwarf star. This result confirms our earlier hypothesis, that at least some of the Dyson Sphere candidates of project Hephaistos are contaminated by obscured, background AGN, lying close to the line of sight of otherwise normal galactic stars. High-resolution radio observations of other Dyson Sphere candidates can be useful in distinguishing truly promising candidates from those contaminated by background sources.
comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, 3 tables, published in MNRAS Letters
♻ ☆ ALMA Lensing Cluster Survey: Physical characterization of near-infrared-dark intrinsically faint ALMA sources at z=2-4
We present results from Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) spectral line-scan observations at 3-mm and 2-mm bands of three near-infrared-dark (NIR-dark) galaxies behind two massive lensing clusters MACS J0417.5-1154 and RXC J0032.1+1808. Each of these three sources is a faint (de-lensed $S_{\text{1.2 mm}}$ $<$ 1 mJy) triply lensed system originally discovered in the ALMA Lensing Cluster Survey. We have successfully detected CO and [C I] emission lines and confirmed that their spectroscopic redshifts are $z=3.652$, 2.391, and 2.985. By utilizing a rich multi-wavelength data set, we find that the NIR-dark galaxies are located on the star formation main sequence in the intrinsic stellar mass range of log ($M_*$/$M_\odot$) = 9.8 - 10.4, which is about one order of magnitude lower than that of typical submillimeter galaxies (SMGs). These NIR-dark galaxies show a variety in gas depletion times and spatial extent of dust emission. One of the three is a normal star-forming galaxy with gas depletion time consistent with a scaling relation, and its infrared surface brightness is an order of magnitude smaller than that of typical SMGs. Since this galaxy has an elongated axis ratio of $\sim 0.17$, we argue that normal star-forming galaxies in an edge-on configuration can be heavily dust-obscured. This implies that existing deep WFC3/F160W surveys may miss a fraction of typical star-forming main-sequence galaxies due to their edge-on orientation.
comment: 23 pages, 10 figures, 5 tables, Accepted for publication on ApJ
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 5
☆ Small-scale variability in the spectrum of Vega
We reported the results of observations of small-scale variability in the hydrogen Balmer lines in Vega. Spectral observations were carried out with low-resolution spectrograph (R $\simeq$ 600) installed in the Main Astronomical Observatory, Ukraine. Spectra were obtained with a time resolution in the second range. It has been found that Vega shows variations in the hydrogen lines $H_{\beta} $, $H_{\gamma} $, $H_{ \delta} $. This can be interpreted that their variations are non-radial pulsations. The characteristic time of the observed variations ranges from 300 to 1200 sec. The horizontal scale for oscillating elements is about 800 Mm, which is comparable to the solar radius. The radial velocity of the variations is about 36 km/s.
comment: 7 pages, 16 figures, Kinematics and Physics of Celestial Bodies
☆ A ZTF Search for Circumstellar Debris Transits in White Dwarfs: Six New Candidates, one with Gas Disk Emission, identified in a Novel Metric Space SP
White dwarfs (WDs) showing transits from orbiting planetary debris provide significant insights into the structure and dynamics of debris disks. This is a rare class of objects with only eight published systems. In this work, we perform a systematic search for such systems within 500 pc in the Gaia-eDR3 catalog of WDs using the light curves from the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) and present six new candidates. Our selection process targets the top 1% most photometrically variable sources identified using a combined variability metric from ZTF and Gaia eDR3 photometry, boosted by a metric space we define using von Neumann statistics and Pearson-Skew as a novel discovery tool to identify these systems. This is followed by optical spectroscopic observations of visually selected variables to confirm metal pollution. Four of the six systems show long-timescale photometric variability spanning several months to years, resulting either from long-term evolution of transit activity or dust and debris clouds at wide orbits. Among them, WD J1013-0427 shows an indication of reddening during the long-duration dip. Interpreting this as dust extinction makes it the first system to indicate an abundance of small dust grains (radius $\lesssim$$0.3~{\rm \mu m}$) in the occulting material. The same object also shows metal emission lines that map an optically thick eccentric gas disk orbiting within the star's Roche limit. For each candidate, we infer the abundances of the photospheric metals and estimate accretion rates. We show that transiting debris systems tend to have higher inferred accretion rates compared to the general population of metal-polluted WDs. Growing the number of these systems will further illuminate such comparative properties in the near future. Separately, we also serendipitously discovered an AM CVn showing a very long-duration outburst $-$ only the fourth such system to be known.
comment: 28 pages, 16 figures, 6 tables. Version after first PASP review. Resubmitting in a week. Comments are Welcome!
☆ Tests and calibrations of stellar models with two triply eclipsing triple systems
We investigated the possibility of using two recently characterised triply eclipsing triple systems to constrain stellar model parameters. We specifically focused on evaluating the influence of the underlying astrophysical assumptions employed in the characterisation of the system to fix absolute values of the radii, effective temperatures, and metallicity. We used dense grids of pre-computed stellar models to fit the data for the triply eclipsing systems with a modified version of the SCEPtER pipeline. We achieve an excellent agreement with observational data for TIC 650024463, which comprises three low-mass main-sequence (MS) stars. We find it has an age of $9.0^{+1.4}_{-1.1}$ Gyr and a multimodal posterior density. Characterising TIC 323486857 proved more challenging. This system comprises two intermediate-mass MS stars and a slightly more massive tertiary in the red giant branch phase. For this last system we tested alternative scenarios for convective core overshooting. When all stars were assumed to have the same overshooting efficiency, significant discrepancies arose with the observed data for the tertiary star. This discrepancy may arise from the different assumptions regarding overshooting efficiency made for the observational characterisation of the system, in which an increasing overshooting efficiency with stellar mass was adopted. By allowing independent overshooting efficiencies for all stars, we recovered a solution close to that adopted in the system observational characterisation. Encouragingly, despite the relevant differences between the adopted stellar models and those used for the observational characterisation, we found a system age of $2.33^{+0.18}_{-0.16}$ Gyr in all the tested scenarios, and this age is in agreement with independent determinations.
comment: Accepted for publication in A&A
♻ ☆ Efficient magnetohydrodynamic modelling of the time-evolving corona by COCONUT
Compared to quasi-steady-state corona models that are constrained by a time-invariant magnetogram over a CR period, time-evolving corona models driven by time-varying photospheric magnetograms are more realistic and can maintain more useful information to accurately describe solar wind evolution and forecast CME propagation. This paper demonstrate that time-evolving corona simulations can be performed efficiently and accurately using an implicit method with relatively large time steps. We also evaluate differences between coronal structures captured by time-evolving and quasi-steady simulations over a CR period during solar minimum. We used a series of hourly updated photospheric magnetograms to drive the evolution of coronal structures from the solar surface to $25\; R_s$ during two CRs around the 2019 eclipse in an inertial coordinate system. We compare the time-evolving and quasi-steady simulations to demonstrate that the differences in these two types of coronal modelling can be obvious even for a solar minimum. The relative differences in radial velocity and density can be over $15 \%$ and $25 \%$ at 20$\;R_s$ during one CR period. We also evaluated the impact of time steps on the simulation results. Using a time step of approximately 10 minutes balances efficiency and necessary numerical stability and accuracy for time-evolving corona simulations around solar minima, with coronal evolution during a full CR simulated within only 9 hours (using 1080 CPU cores for 1.5M grid cells). The simulation results demonstrate that time-evolving MHD coronal simulations can be performed efficiently and accurately using an implicit method, offering a more realistic alternative to quasi-steady-state simulations. The fully implicit time-evolving corona model thus promises to simulate the time-evolving corona accurately in practical space weather forecasting.
comment: accept, 14 pages, 7 figures, 4 movies
♻ ☆ Emergence of two inertial sub-ranges in solar wind turbulence: dependence on heliospheric distance and solar activity
The solar wind is highly turbulent, and intermittency effects are observed for fluctuations within the inertial range. By analyzing magnetic field spectra and fourth-order moments, we perform a comparative study of turbulence and intermittency in different types of solar wind measured during periods of solar minima and a maximum. Using eight fast solar wind intervals measured during solar minima between 0.3 au and 3.16 au, we found a clear signature of two inertial sub-ranges with $f^{-3/2}$ and $f^{-5/3}$ power laws in the magnetic power spectra. The intermittency, measured through the scaling law of the kurtosis of magnetic field fluctuations, further confirms the existence of two different power laws separated by a clear break. A systematic study on the evolution of the said sub-ranges as a function of heliospheric distance shows correlation of the break scale with both the turbulence outer scale and the typical ion scales. During solar maximum, on the contrary, the two sub-ranges are not omnipresent, thus showing more variability in the power spectra and intermittency scaling properties.
comment: 17 pages, 11 figures, submitted to ApJ
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena 14
☆ Prospects for detecting generic fast-time features in the neutrino lightcurve of nearby supernovae in neutrino telescopes
Neutrino emission offers a direct probe into the hydrodynamics and energy transport processes within a supernova. Fast-time variations in the neutrino luminosity and mean energy can provide insights into phenomena like turbulence, convection, and shock revival. In this paper, we explore the detection capabilities of large-volume neutrino telescopes such as the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the planned IceCube-Gen2 detector in identifying generic fast-time features in the neutrino light curve. We also investigate the potential enhancement in detection sensitivity using wavelength shifters, which can improve light collection efficiency. By employing a Short-Time Fourier Transform analysis, we quantify the excess power in the frequency spectrum arising from fast-time modulations and compute the detection horizon for a range of generic models. We find that with IceCube we can already see the strongest modulation models (>50% amplitude) for progenitors located anywhere in the Milky Way. Sensitivity to weaker modulations (>20% amplitude) is possible in future detectors like IceCube-Gen2, in particular with the use of wavelength shifters. For all detector configurations, the frequency and central time of the fast-time feature at the 5$\sigma$ detection horizon can be measured with a resolution of 7.0 Hz and 17 ms respectively.
comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, prepared for submission to A&A
☆ Speed of sound in Kaluza-Klein Fermi gas
A five-dimensional Kaluza-Klein spacetime model is considered, with one extra compactified spatial dimension. The equation of state of an electrically neutral, zero-temperature Fermi gas with a repulsive linear potential is described. From the equation of state, the speed of sound squared is calculated and shown for different model parameters. Its properties are studied from lower energies up to the conformal limit.
comment: 7 pages, 1 figure
☆ Insights Into Neutron Stars From Gravitational Redshifts and Universal Relations
The universal relations in neutron stars form an essential entity to understand their properties. The moment of inertia, compactness, love number, mass quadrupole moment, and oscillation modes are some of the properties that have been studied previously in the context of universal relations. All of these quantities are measurable; thus, analyzing them is of utmost importance. This article analyzes the universal relations in the context of a neutron star's gravitational redshift. Using the redshift measurements of RBS 1223, RX J0720.4-3125, and RX J1856.5-3754, we provide theoretical estimates of compactness, the inverse of compactness, the moment of inertia, dimensionless tidal love number, mass quadrupole moment, the mass of the star times the ratio of angular frequency over the spin angular moment, and the average of the speed of sound squared. In the case of the redshift measurement of RX J0720.4-3125, we found that the theoretical estimate using universal relations aligns closely with the Bayesian estimate. Our findings indicate that such theoretical predictions are highly reliable for observations with low uncertainty and can be used as an alternative for statistical analysis. Additionally, we report a violation of the universality of the tidal love number and average of the speed of sound squared with respect to the gravitational redshift. Our calculations also show that the maximum redshift value for neutron stars following the current astrophysical constraints cannot exceed a value of $\le 0.763$.
comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables
☆ Broadband $γ$-ray spectrum of supernova remnant Cassiopeia A
The core-collapse supernova remnant (SNR) Cassiopeia A (Cas A) is one of the brightest galactic radio sources with an angular radius of $\sim$ 2.5 $\arcmin$. Although no extension of this source has been detected in the $\gamma$-ray band, using more than 1000 days of LHAASO data above $\sim 0.8$ TeV, we find that its spectrum is significantly softer than those obtained with Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) and its flux near $\sim 1$ TeV is about two times higher. In combination with analyses of more than 16 years of \textit{Fermi}-LAT data covering $0.1 \, \mathrm{GeV} - 1 \, \mathrm{TeV}$, we find that the spectrum above 30 GeV deviates significantly from a single power-law, and is best described by a smoothly broken power-law with a spectral index of $1.90 \pm 0.15_\mathrm{stat}$ ($3.41 \pm 0.19_\mathrm{stat}$) below (above) a break energy of $0.63 \pm 0.21_\mathrm{stat} \, \mathrm{TeV}$. Given differences in the angular resolution of LHAASO-WCDA and IACTs, TeV $\gamma$-ray emission detected with LHAASO may have a significant contribution from regions surrounding the SNR illuminated by particles accelerated earlier, which, however, are treated as background by IACTs. Detailed modelling can be used to constrain acceleration processes of TeV particles in the early stage of SNR evolution.
☆ Solar flares as electron accelerators: toward a resolution of the acceleration efficiency issue
A major open issue concerning the active Sun is the effectiveness with which magnetic reconnection accelerates electrons in flares. A paper published by {\em{Nature}} in 2022 used microwave observations to conclude that the Sun is an almost ideal accelerator, energizing nearly all electrons within a coronal volume to nonthermal energies. Shortly thereafter, a paper published in {\em{Astrophysical Journal Letters}} used hard X-ray measurements \emph{of the same event} to reach the contradictory conclusion that less than 1\% of the available electrons were accelerated. Here we address this controversy by using spatially resolved observations of hard X-ray emission and a spectral inversion method to determine the evolution of the electron spectrum throughout the flare. So we estimated the density of the medium where electrons accelerate and, from this, the ratio of accelerated to ambient electron densities. Results show that this ratio never exceeds a percent or so in the cases analyzed.
☆ Decretion disc evolution and neutron star accretion in short-period eccentric Be/X-ray binaries
We examine Be star discs in highly eccentric Be/X-ray systems. We use a three-dimensional smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code to model the structure of the Be star disc and investigate its interactions with the secondary star over time. We use system parameters consistent with the eccentric, short-period (P $\approx$ 16 d) Be/X-ray binary A0538-66 as the basis for our models. We explore a range of system geometries by incrementally varying the misalignment angle of the neutron star's orbital plane with respect to the primary star's equatorial plane to cover a complete range from coplanar prograde to coplanar retrograde. For all simulations, we follow the evolution of the disc's total mass and angular momentum as well as the average eccentricity and inclination with respect to the equatorial planes of both the primary and secondary. We also determine the neutron star accretion rates. We find that the high eccentricity of the binary orbit causes all calculated disc parameters to vary with orbital phase in all models. The amplitude of these variations is negatively correlated with misalignment angle for models with misalignment angles less than 90{\deg}, and positively correlated for models with misalignment angles greater than 90{\deg}. Accretion rates are affected by the number of particles the neutron star interacts with as well as the length of the interaction time between the particles and the neutron star. We find that accretion rates are largest for models with misalignment angles less than 90{\deg}, and smaller for models with those greater than 90{\deg}.
comment: 20 pages, 19 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ Choosing suitable noise models for nanohertz gravitational-wave astrophysics
Accurately estimating the parameters of the nanohertz gravitational-wave background is essential for understanding its origin. The background is typically modeled with a power-law spectrum, parametrized with an amplitude $A$, which describes its intensity, and a spectral index $\gamma$, which describes how the background varies with frequency. Different collaborations have produced varied estimates of $\gamma$, some in tension with the value of $\gamma = 13/3$ expected for circular, gravitational-wave-driven binary black holes. However, estimates of $A$ and $\gamma$ can be affected by systematic errors and misspecified noise models. We investigate how systematic errors, which may plausibly be present in pulsar-timing analyses, can shift inferences about $A, \gamma$. We demonstrate that conservatively incorporating noise sources into the model that are not actually present in the data does not produce bias inferences in practice. This addresses concerns that an overly complex noise model might lead to bias from a needlessly conservative prior. Our results highlight the importance of using comprehensive noise models in pulsar timing analyses to ensure accurate and reliable parameter estimation of the gravitational-wave background.
comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, 1 table
☆ Zooming In On The Multi-Phase Structure of Magnetically-Dominated Quasar Disks: Radiation From Torus to ISCO Across Accretion Rates
Recent radiation-thermochemical-magnetohydrodynamic simulations resolved formation of quasar accretion disks from cosmological scales down to ~300 gravitational radii $R_{g}$, arguing they were 'hyper-magnetized' (plasma $\beta\ll1$ supported by toroidal magnetic fields) and distinct from traditional $\alpha$-disks. We extend these, refining to $\approx 3\,R_{g}$ around a $10^{7}\,{\rm M_{\odot}}$ BH with multi-channel radiation and thermochemistry, and exploring a factor of 1000 range of accretion rates ($\dot{m}\sim0.01-20$). At smaller scales, we see the disks maintain steady accretion, thermalize and self-ionize, and radiation pressure grows in importance, but large deviations from local thermodynamic equilibrium and single-phase equations of state are always present. Trans-Alfvenic and highly-supersonic turbulence persists in all cases, and leads to efficient vertical mixing, so radiation pressure saturates at levels comparable to fluctuating magnetic and turbulent pressures even for $\dot{m}\gg1$. The disks also become radiatively inefficient in the inner regions at high $\dot{m}$. The midplane magnetic field remains primarily toroidal at large radii, but at super-Eddington $\dot{m}$ we see occasional transitions to a poloidal-field dominated state associated with outflows and flares. Large-scale magnetocentrifugal and continuum radiation-pressure-driven outflows are weak at $\dot{m}<1$, but can be strong at $\dot{m}\gtrsim1$. In all cases there is a scattering photosphere above the disk extending to $\gtrsim 1000\,R_{g}$ at large $\dot{m}$, and the disk is thick and flared owing to magnetic support (with $H/R$ nearly independent of $\dot{m}$), so the outer disk is strongly illuminated by the inner disk and most of the inner disk continuum scatters or is reprocessed at larger scales, giving apparent emission region sizes as large as $\gtrsim 10^{16}\,{\rm cm}$.
comment: Submitted to the Open Journal of Astrophysics. 40 pages, 31 figures, high-level overview sections provided. Comments welcome
☆ Light curves and spectra for stellar collisions between main-sequence stars in galactic nuclei
High-velocity stellar collisions in galactic nuclei produce ejecta that generate potentially observable electromagnetic radiation, making them promising nuclear transients. However, the photometric and spectroscopic properties of these collisions, which would more frequently involve main-sequence stars, remain largely unexplored. Here, using 3D hydrodynamics and 1D radiation-transfer simulations, we investigate the properties and observables of the debris produced in high-velocity collisions between terminal-age main-sequence stars, covering a wide range of collision configurations. The ejecta produce bright UV flares with bolometric luminosities typically peaking at $\gtrsim10^{43}$ erg s$^{-1}$, declining steeply as $t^{-2}-t^{-4}$ to reach $\gtrsim10^{41}-10^{42}$ erg s$^{-1}$ at 0.5\,d, and leveling off on a plateau at $10^{39}-10^{41.5}$ erg s$^{-1}$ ($M_V$ between $-$10 to $-$15\,mag) after a few days. Their spectra evolve considerably during the first few days, morphing from UV- to optical-dominated. The UV range shows numerous resonance transitions from metals like C, N, and O, whereas the optical primarily shows H{\,\sc i}\ Balmer lines. These properties are qualitatively similar to those observed, as well as obtained in models of Type II supernovae. Observables from these events exhibit clear correlations with collision configurations, including impact parameter, relative velocity, and stellar masses. We provide fitting formulae to describe these correlations. Detecting these flares requires sub-day cadence surveys such as ULTRASAT, combined with spectroscopic observations to disentangle degeneracies and infer collision characteristics.
comment: 20 page, 19 figures, 2 tables, submitted to A&A. Comments welcome!
☆ Neutrino spin oscillations near a black hole
In this work, we study neutrino spin oscillations in the case when they are gravitationally scattered off a rotating Kerr black hole surrounded by a thick magnetized accretion disk. We consider only toroidal magnetic field inside the disk. Neutrino spin precession is caused by the interaction of the neutrino magnetic moment with the magnetic field in the disk. Our treatment of the spin oscillations of the observed neutrino fluxes is based on numerical simulations of the propagation of a large number of incoming test neutrinos using High Performance Parallel Computing. We briefly discuss our results and their applications in the observations of astrophysical neutrinos.
comment: 11 pages, 3 figures. Contribution to The 7th International Conference on Particle Physics and Astrophysics (ICPPA-2024)
♻ ☆ Cooling rate and turbulence in the intracluster medium of the cool-core cluster Abell 2667
We present a detailed analysis of the thermal X-ray emission from the intracluster medium (ICM) in the cool-core galaxy cluster Abell 2667 ($z=0.23$). Our goal is to detect low-temperature ($<2$ keV) X-ray emitting gas, potentially associated to a cooling flow that connects the hot ICM reservoir to the cold gas phase responsible for star formation and supermassive black hole feeding. We use new deep XMM-Newton EPIC and RGS data, combined with archival Chandra data, to perform a spectral analysis for the core region. We find 1$\sigma$ upper limits to the cooling gas fraction of $\sim$40 $\rm M_{\odot}yr^{-1}$ and $\sim$50-60 $\rm M_{\odot}yr^{-1}$ in the temperature ranges 0.5-1 keV and 1-2 keV, respectively. The lack of OVII, FeXXI-FeXXII, and FeXVII emission lines in the RGS spectra suggest that the fraction of gas cooling below 1 keV is limited to a few tens of $\rm M_{\odot}yr^{-1}$ at most. However, we detect several lines (e.g. SiXIV, MgXII, FeXXIII/FeXXIV, NeX, OVIII$\alpha$) that allow us to estimate a 1$\sigma$ upper limit for turbulent broadening of $\sim$320 km $\rm s^{-1}$, higher that other cool-core clusters such as Abell 1835, implying mechanisms that boost turbulence in Abell 2667's atmosphere. Imaging analysis of Chandra data suggests the presence of a cold front, possibly lined to sloshing or ICM cavities. However, current data do not clearly identify the physical mechanism driving turbulence. These finding indicate that Abell 2667 is similar to other low-redshift cool-core clusters, though the large upper limit on turbulence hints at significant ICM heating, which may suppress cooling for extended periods and contribute to future condensation events.
♻ ☆ Connecting dust and outflows in AGN: the intriguing case of NGC 6860
Cosmic dust plays a crucial role in the evolution of galaxies, significantly influencing star formation and the interstellar medium. However, in active galactic nuclei (AGN), the role and origin of dust remain poorly understood. High-resolution X-ray spectroscopy is a powerful tool for probing the properties of dust in AGN. NGC 6860, an X-ray bright type-1 quasar, is an ideal target for investigating the connection between dust and winds in AGN. It exhibits reddening and X-ray absorption by both dust and winds. By modeling high-resolution X-ray spectra from XMM-Newton and Chandra observations, we determine the properties of dust and outflows in this AGN. Our analysis finds four photoionized components, outflowing with velocities of 50-300 km/s. The first two are relatively highly ionized with logxi = 3.4 and logxi = 2.9. The results of our photoionization modeling suggest that these two components are thermally unstable. The third component is ionized, with logxi = 2.3 and is located further away from the central black hole. The fourth component is less ionized, and is possibly located in the host galaxy. The application of dust models enables us to probe the abundance and location of the dust in NGC 6860. Our findings suggest that dust absorption and reddening originates from the extended narrow-line region and its host galaxy.
comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal (ApJ)
♻ ☆ Successful $νp$-process in neutrino-driven outflows in core-collapse supernovae
The origin of the solar system abundances of several proton-rich isotopes, especially $^{92,94}$Mo and $^{96,98}$Ru, has been an enduring mystery in nuclear astrophysics. An attractive proposal to solve this problem is the $\nu p$-process, which can operate in neutrino-driven outflows in a core-collapse supernova after the shock is launched. Years of detailed studies, however, have cast doubt over the ability of this process to generate sufficiently high absolute and relative amounts of various $p$-nuclei. The $\nu p$-process is also thought to be excluded by arguments based on the long-lived radionuclide $^{92}$Nb.Here, we present explicit calculations, in which both the abundance ratios and the absolute yields of the $p$-nuclei up to $A\lesssim 105$ are successfully reproduced, even when using the modern (medium enhanced) triple-$\alpha$ reaction rates. The process is also shown to produce the necessary amounts of $^{92}$Nb. The models are characterized by subsonic outflows and by the protoneutron star masses in the $\gtrsim 1.7 M_\odot$ range. This suggests that the Mo and Ru $p$-nuclides observed in the Solar System were made in CCSN explosions characterized by an extended accretion stage.
comment: 22 pages, 8 figures. Clarifications and figures added, results unchanged. Updated to match the journal version
♻ ☆ Impacts of UV Radiation from an AGN on Planetary Atmospheres and Consequences for Galactic Habitability
We present a study of the effects of ultraviolet (UV) emission from active galactic nuclei (AGN) on the atmospheric composition of planets and potential impact on life. It is expected that all supermassive black holes, which reside at galactic centers, have gone through periods of high AGN activity in order to reach their current masses. We examine potential damaging effects on lifeforms on planets with different atmosphere types and receiving different levels of AGN flux, using data on the sensitivity of various species' cells to UV radiation to determine when radiation becomes "dangerous". We also consider potential chemical changes to planetary atmospheres as a result of UV radiation from AGN, using the PALEO photochemical model. We find the presence of sufficient initial oxygen (surface mixing ratio $\geq 10^{-3} \rm\, mol/mol$) in the planet's atmosphere allows a thicker ozone layer to form in response to AGN radiation, which reduces the level of dangerous UV radiation incident on the planetary surface from what it was in absence of an AGN. We estimate the fraction of solar systems in galaxies that would be affected by AGN UV radiation, and find that the impact is most pronounced in compact galaxies such as "red nugget relics", as compared to typical present-day ellipticals and spirals (using M87 and the Milky Way as examples).
comment: 22 pages, 8 figures; Accepted for publication in ApJ
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics 3
☆ Prospects for detecting generic fast-time features in the neutrino lightcurve of nearby supernovae in neutrino telescopes
Neutrino emission offers a direct probe into the hydrodynamics and energy transport processes within a supernova. Fast-time variations in the neutrino luminosity and mean energy can provide insights into phenomena like turbulence, convection, and shock revival. In this paper, we explore the detection capabilities of large-volume neutrino telescopes such as the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the planned IceCube-Gen2 detector in identifying generic fast-time features in the neutrino light curve. We also investigate the potential enhancement in detection sensitivity using wavelength shifters, which can improve light collection efficiency. By employing a Short-Time Fourier Transform analysis, we quantify the excess power in the frequency spectrum arising from fast-time modulations and compute the detection horizon for a range of generic models. We find that with IceCube we can already see the strongest modulation models (>50% amplitude) for progenitors located anywhere in the Milky Way. Sensitivity to weaker modulations (>20% amplitude) is possible in future detectors like IceCube-Gen2, in particular with the use of wavelength shifters. For all detector configurations, the frequency and central time of the fast-time feature at the 5$\sigma$ detection horizon can be measured with a resolution of 7.0 Hz and 17 ms respectively.
comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, prepared for submission to A&A
☆ Tracking electron capture processes in classical molecular dynamics simulations for spectral line broadening in plasmas
Plasma spectroscopy is a fundamental tool for diagnosing laboratory and astrophysical plasmas. Accurate interpretation of spectra depends upon precise modeling and comprehension of Stark-broadening and other mechanisms affecting spectral lines. In this context, computer simulations have emerged as invaluable tools, offering \textit{idealized experiments} with well-defined conditions. Molecular dynamics simulations, in particular, excel at replicating the particle interactions within the plasma and their impact on the state of a radiating atom or ion. However, these simulations present challenges in tracking electron capture processes, since setting an unambiguous criterion to distinguish between bound and free electrons is not trivial. In this paper we introduce a new algorithm that, within a classical framework, precisely identifies the scenario in which an electron is captured by an ion and then follows a stable orbit around it. The algorithm's applicability extends to emitters with charges Z >= 1. Importantly, the procedure enables the correct identification of valid time-histories of the electric microfield perturbing the emitting ion, which will be used for subsequent line shape calculations. As a result, our simulations naturally and accurately incorporate the effects of both strong collisions and electron capture phenomena on spectral line broadening.
♻ ☆ cosmosage: A Natural-Language Assistant for Cosmologists
cosmosage is a natural-language assistant intended for a wide audience, from laypersons interested in cosmology to students, teachers, and professional cosmologists. cosmosage provides a novel way to access knowledge and reason about cosmology. Leveraging the power of advanced large language models (LLMs), cosmosage has learned from a vast corpus of open-access source texts, including textbooks and papers. cosmosage is found to be state-of-the-art on the narrow task of answering questions about cosmology, outperforming all general-purpose models. The model parameters and code are publicly available.
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 33
☆ Relationship between 2D and 3D Galaxy Stellar Mass and Correlations with Halo Mass
Recent studies suggest that the stars in the outer regions of massive galaxies trace halo mass better than the inner regions and that an annular stellar mass provides a low scatter method of selecting galaxy clusters. However, we can only observe galaxies as projected two-dimensional objects on the sky. In this paper, we use a sample of simulated galaxies to study how well galaxy stellar mass profiles in three dimensions correlate with halo mass, and what effects arise when observationally projecting stellar profiles into two dimensions. We compare 2D and 3D outer stellar mass selections and find that they have similar performance as halo mass proxies and that, surprisingly, a 2D selection sometimes has marginally better performance. We also investigate whether the weak lensing profiles around galaxies selected by 2D outer stellar mass suffer from projection effects. We find that the lensing profiles of samples selected by 2D and 3D definitions are nearly identical, suggesting that the 2D selection does not create a bias. These findings underscore the promise of using outer stellar mass as a tool for identifying galaxy clusters.
comment: 31 pages 11 figures. To be submitted to JCAP
☆ Short note on spin magnetization in QGP
We outline the theory of spin QGP (quark-gluon plasma) magnetization. We explore the primordial epoch shortly after the Big-Bang within temperatures of 150 MeV to 500 MeV, also of interest to laboratory experiments. The ferro-magnetized fermion gas we consider consists of (light) quarks in laboratory QGP, and also leptons (electrons) for the case of the primordial Universe. We show that a fully spin-polarized up-quark gas could generate cosmic magnetic fields in excess of $10^{15}$ Tesla. We suggest that even a weakly spin-polarized gas would have a profound impact on properties of the primordial Universe which can be explored in laboratory QGP experiments. We present details of how the magnetization is obtained using a grand partition function approach. This requires evaluating slowly convergent magnetized Fermi-Dirac integrals.
comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, submission to special issue of EPJ ST "Particles and Plasmas" edited by Tam\'as S\'andor Bir\'o, Gergely G\'abor Barnaf\"oldi and G\'abor B\'ir\'o
☆ Robustness of Dark Energy Phenomenology Across Different Parameterizations
The recent evidence for dynamical dark energy from DESI, in combination with other cosmological data, has generated significant interest in understanding the nature of dark energy and its underlying microphysics. However, interpreting these results critically depends on how dark energy is parameterized. This paper examines the robustness of conclusions about the viability of particular kinds of dynamical dark energy models to the choice of parameterization, focusing on four popular two-parameter families: the Chevallier-Polarski-Linder (CPL), Jassal-Bagla-Padmanabhan (JBP), Barboza-Alcaniz (BA), and exponential (EXP) parameterizations. We find that conclusions regarding the viability of minimally and non-minimally coupled quintessence models are independent of the parameterization adopted. We demonstrate this both by mapping these dark energy models into the $(w_0, w_a)$ parameter space defined by these various parameterizations and by showing that all of these parameterizations can equivalently account for the phenomenology predicted by these dark energy models to a high degree of accuracy.
comment: Comments welcome! 20 pages, 5 figures
☆ The head-tail radio galaxy and revived fossil plasma in Abell 1775
Head-tail radio galaxies are characterized by a head, corresponding to an elliptical galaxy, and two radio jets sweeping back from the head, forming an extended structure behind the host galaxy that is moving through the intracluster medium (ICM). This morphology arises from the interaction between the diffuse radio-emitting plasma and the surrounding environment. Sometimes revived fossil plasma is found in galaxy clusters, tracing old active galactic nucleus ejecta with a very steep spectrum re-energized through processes in the ICM, unrelated to the progenitor galaxy. We aim to study the central region of Abell 1775, a galaxy cluster in an unclear dynamical state at z = 0.072. It hosts two giant radio-loud elliptical galaxies, the head-tail radio galaxy that "breaks" at the position of a cold front detected in the X-rays, filamentary revived fossil plasma, and central diffuse emission. This study aims to investigate and constrain the spectral properties and trends along the head-tail, as well as the revived fossil plasma, to better understand the formation process of the non-thermal phenomena in A1775. We make use of LOFAR (144 MHz), and new deep uGMRT observations (400 and 650 MHz). We observe an overall steepening along the tail of the head-tail radio galaxy. In the radio colour-colour diagram, ageing models reproduce the emission of the head-tail. An unexpected brightness increase at the head of the tail suggests a complex bending of the jets. We derived the equipartition magnetic field and minimum pressure along the tail. We recovered the structure of the revived fossil plasma, which appears as thin filaments with ultra-steep spectra. We show that high-sensitivity, high-resolution observations at low frequencies are essential for detecting the full extent of the tail, enabling a deeper spectral analysis and resolving the structure and spectral properties of revived fossil plasma.
comment: 14 pages, 14 figures (including Appendices). Accepted for publication in A&A on 30 Jan 2025. Abstract abridged for arXiv submission
☆ Dynamical Galactic Halo Reconstruction from Rotation Curves in Self-Interacting Fuzzy Dark Matter
Fuzzy Dark Matter with an explicitly non-zero quartic self-interaction (gFDM) is shown to be a viable model for simultaneously fitting 17 dark-matter-dominated galaxies from the SPARC database, constraining both the boson mass, $m$, and the self-coupling constant, $g$, to values within the range $\log_{10}\left(\frac{m}{\mathrm{eV}/c^2}\right) = \log_{10}(1.98)-22^{+0.8}_{-0.6}$ and $\log_{10}\left(\frac{g}{\mathrm{Jm}^3/kg}\right) = \log_{10}(1.45)-28^{+0.4}_{-1.2}$; this is based on the combination of an appropriately constructed static super-Gaussian profile for the inner galactic core (`soliton') region, and a Navarro-Frenk-White profile for the surrounding halo region. Identification of these parameters enables the explicit {\em dynamical} reconstruction of potential host halos for such galaxies, for which we outline a procedure with a proof-of-principle demonstration for two galaxies (UGCA444, UGC07866) shown to yield viable rotation curves over a dynamical period of $O(1) \, Gyr$.
comment: 12 pages, 8 figures
☆ Observational constraints on vector-like dark energy
The canonical cosmological model to explain the recent acceleration of the universe relies on a cosmological constant, and most dynamical dark energy and modified gravity model alternatives are based on scalar fields. Still, further alternatives are possible. One of these involves vector fields: under certain conditions, they can lead to accelerating universes while preserving large-scale homogeneity and isotropy. We report quantitative observational constraints on a model previously proposed by Armend\'ariz-Pic\'on and known as the cosmic triad. We consider several subclasses of the model, which generically is a parametric extension of the canonical $\Lambda$CDM model, as well as two possible choices of the triad's potential. Our analysis shows that any deviations from this limit are constrained to be small. In particular the preferred present-day values of the matter density and the dark energy equation of state are fully consistent with those obtained, for the same datasets, in flat $\Lambda$CDM and $w_0$CDM. The constraints mildly depend on the priors on the dark energy equation of state, specifically on whether phantom values thereof are allowed, while the choice of potential does not play a significant role since any such potential is constrained to be relatively flat.
comment: 13 pages, 9 figures; Phys. Rev. D (in press)
☆ Radio emission from a massive node of the cosmic web. A discovery powered by machine learning
Aims. We aim to understand the nature of the diffuse radio emission surrounding the massive galaxy cluster PSZ2 G083.29-31.03, at z=0.412, already known to host a radio halo. Our investigation was triggered by Radio U-Net, a novel machine learning algorithm for detecting diffuse radio emission, which was previously applied to the LOFAR Two Meter Sky Survey (LoTSS). Methods. We re-processed LoTSS (120-168 MHz) data and analyzed archival XMM-Newton (0.7-1.2 keV) observations. We also analyzed optical and near-infrared data from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys and asses the mass distribution with weak-lensing analysis based on archival Subaru Suprime-Cam and CFHT MegaPrime/MegaCam observations. Results. We report the discovery of large-scale diffuse radio emission around PSZ2 G083.29-31.03, with a projected largest linear size of 5 Mpc at 144 MHz. The radio emission is aligned with the thermal X-ray emission and the distribution of galaxies, unveiling the presence of two low-mass systems, at similar redshifts on either side of the central cluster. The weak lensing analysis supports this scenario, demonstrating the presence of an extended and complex mass distribution. Conclusions. We propose to interpret the two faint radio sources as connected to the central cluster, thus illuminating the presence of two substructures merging into a massive node of the cosmic web. However, because of uncertainties in redshift and mass estimates, combined with the low resolution required to detect these sources, the classification of the two sources as independent radio halos associated with nearby low-mass clusters or even as a mixture of different types of diffuse radio emission cannot be definitively ruled out.
comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, 1 appendix, A&A letter
☆ The XXL Survey LIV. X-ray Luminosity Function and Luminosity-Mass Relation of Optically Selected Galaxy Groups
The overlap between the GAMA spectroscopic survey and the XXL X-ray survey was used to study the X-ray properties of optically-selected groups of galaxies. Forced X-ray aperture photometry was applied to an optically-selected sample of 235 groups (containing at least five member galaxies) to measure their X-ray luminosities in the regime of low signal to noise X-ray data. The sample encompasses X-ray luminosities over an order of magnitude fainter than typical X-ray selected samples, and avoids X-ray selection biases. This gives access to low mass groups where the effects of non-gravitational processes, such as AGN-feedback, should be most apparent and could inhibit their detection in an X-ray survey. We measured the X-ray luminosity function (XLF) of the sample, and found it to be consistent with the extrapolation of the XLF from X-ray selected samples at higher luminosities. The XLF was combined with a theoretical halo mass function to infer the form of the scaling relation between X-ray luminosity and mass (LM relation) for the GAMA groups. We found a slope of $1.87 \pm 0.12$, which is steeper than self similarity in this mass regime. When comparing with other measurements of the LM relation, we find evidence for a steepening of the slope in the low mass regime, likely due to the impact of non-gravitational processes. Our approach can be translated to eROSITA data using multi-wavelength surveys to constrain the X-ray properties of galaxy groups in the limits of high redshift and low mass.
comment: 22 pages, 15 figures, Accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ Is there a chiral dark dynamo in the universe induced by quantum correction, Nieh-Yan gravity and Barbero-Immirzi field?
Bombagcino investigated the role of Immirzi parameter when promoted to a field in Einstein-Cartan-Holst black hole and they found that the Immirzi field acts similar to the axion field, as both axial pseudo-vector and vectorial torsion trace appear to be expressed in terms of the 4-gradient of the Immirzi parameter. In this paper we introduced two important ingredients absent in the previous work: the torsion mass, significant for the torsion detection the Large Hadron Collider, and the quantum correction proportional to the 4-divergent of torsion squared. Without the quantum correction, a simple analytical solution is obtained, while the more complicated field equations incorporating the BI field are obtained also analytically. The lower bound of quantum correction parameter is determined in terms of the torsion trace mass squared and axial torsion squared. Our findings reveal that in the late universe, the BI parameter approaches infinity restoring to the Einstein-Cartan theory in the early universe with the dynamical reduction of the Immirzi parameter to a constant BI parameter. Additionally, we derive analytical solutions for magnetic dynamos in the early universe, demonstrating that magnetic helicity is proportional to chiral chemical potential. A magnetic field at the QCD phase is found out of $10^{17}$ G, without quantum correction. Furthermore, from this dark magnetogenesis, we estimate light torsion with mass of the order of 1 TeV, An example of unitary preserved Lagrangian with axion as an Immirzi field is obtained. In the present universe we find a magnetic field strength of approximately $10^{-12}$ G which is quite close to the range found by Miniati at the QCD threshold, between $10^{-18}-10^{-15}$ G. Given that unitary violation on theoretical grounds may indicate new physics, exploring unitary violations in dark magnetogenesis could be particularly intriguing.
comment: 13 pages,1 figure
☆ Core to Cosmic Edge: SIMBA-C's New Take on Abundance Profiles in the Intragroup Medium at z = 0
We employ the SIMBA-C cosmological simulation to study the impact of its upgraded chemical enrichment model (Chem5) on the distribution of metals in the intragroup medium (IGrM). We investigate the projected X-ray emission-weighted abundance profiles of key elements over two decades in halo mass ($10^{13} \leq M_{500}/\mathrm{M_\odot} \leq 10^{15}$). Typically, SIMBA-C generates lower-amplitude abundance profiles than SIMBA with flatter cores, in better agreement with observations. For low-mass groups, both simulations over-enrich the IGrM with Si, S, Ca, and Fe compared to observations, a trend likely related to inadequate modeling of metal dispersal and mixing. We analyze the 3D mass-weighted abundance profiles, concluding that the lower SIMBA-C IGrM abundances are primarily a consequence of fewer metals in the IGrM, driven by reduced metal yields in Chem5, and the removal of the instantaneous recycling of metals approximation employed by SIMBA. Additionally, an increased IGrM mass in low-mass SIMBA-C groups is likely triggered by changes to the AGN and stellar feedback models. Our study suggests that a more realistic chemical enrichment model broadly improves agreement with observations, but physically motivated sub-grid models for other key processes, like AGN and stellar feedback and turbulent diffusion, are required to realistically reproduce observed group environments.
comment: 40 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables. Published in Universe. This article belongs to the Special Issue Universe: Feature Papers 2024--"Galaxies and Clusters"
☆ Dark energy and lensing anomaly in Planck CMB data
In this paper, we investigate the impact of the lensing anomaly in Planck cosmic microwave background (CMB) data on the nature of dark energy (DE). We constrain the state equation ($w_0,w_a$) of DE with the lensing scaling parameter $A_L=1$ and varying $A_L$, using the Planck PR3 and two updated Planck PR4 likelihoods, CamSpec and HiLLiPoP respectively, combined with DESI baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) and Pantheon+ supernova data. As expected, when $A_L$ is allowed to vary, the evolving DE is not preferred due to the degeneracy between $w_0,w_a$ and $A_L$. In particular, we also consider replacing DESI BAO data with pre-DESI BAO in our analysis, and observe that DESI BAO appears to exacerbate the lensing anomaly, which is caused by the smaller matter density $\Omega_m$ it prefers, however, this effect can be offset by the shifts in $w_0$ and $w_a$ preferring the evolving DE. Our work indicates that the lensing anomaly in Planck data is worth carefully reconsidering when one combined new cosmological survey data with CMB.
☆ Black Holes and Higgs Dark Energy
Black holes, dark energy, and the Higgs field are all currently established, exciting, and mysterious, each in its own way. Cosmological data show that dark energy may evolve with time. The electroweak phase transition during stellar collapse can provide a mechanism via the Higgs field for dark energy to be trapped inside black holes at the time of their formation. Using the Oppenheimer-Snyder model of collapse, we calculate the total matter and dark energy densities in a black hole, to be in the ratio of 2 to 1 at the start of collapse. The solution for the scale factor a(t) is a cycloid with a collapse time of 57 \mu s. If black holes are cosmologically coupled and grow in mass as the universe expands, they can account for the evolution and quantity of the dark energy of the universe.
comment: 12 pages, 4 figures
☆ Zooming In On The Multi-Phase Structure of Magnetically-Dominated Quasar Disks: Radiation From Torus to ISCO Across Accretion Rates
Recent radiation-thermochemical-magnetohydrodynamic simulations resolved formation of quasar accretion disks from cosmological scales down to ~300 gravitational radii $R_{g}$, arguing they were 'hyper-magnetized' (plasma $\beta\ll1$ supported by toroidal magnetic fields) and distinct from traditional $\alpha$-disks. We extend these, refining to $\approx 3\,R_{g}$ around a $10^{7}\,{\rm M_{\odot}}$ BH with multi-channel radiation and thermochemistry, and exploring a factor of 1000 range of accretion rates ($\dot{m}\sim0.01-20$). At smaller scales, we see the disks maintain steady accretion, thermalize and self-ionize, and radiation pressure grows in importance, but large deviations from local thermodynamic equilibrium and single-phase equations of state are always present. Trans-Alfvenic and highly-supersonic turbulence persists in all cases, and leads to efficient vertical mixing, so radiation pressure saturates at levels comparable to fluctuating magnetic and turbulent pressures even for $\dot{m}\gg1$. The disks also become radiatively inefficient in the inner regions at high $\dot{m}$. The midplane magnetic field remains primarily toroidal at large radii, but at super-Eddington $\dot{m}$ we see occasional transitions to a poloidal-field dominated state associated with outflows and flares. Large-scale magnetocentrifugal and continuum radiation-pressure-driven outflows are weak at $\dot{m}<1$, but can be strong at $\dot{m}\gtrsim1$. In all cases there is a scattering photosphere above the disk extending to $\gtrsim 1000\,R_{g}$ at large $\dot{m}$, and the disk is thick and flared owing to magnetic support (with $H/R$ nearly independent of $\dot{m}$), so the outer disk is strongly illuminated by the inner disk and most of the inner disk continuum scatters or is reprocessed at larger scales, giving apparent emission region sizes as large as $\gtrsim 10^{16}\,{\rm cm}$.
comment: Submitted to the Open Journal of Astrophysics. 40 pages, 31 figures, high-level overview sections provided. Comments welcome
☆ The Qz5 Survey (I): How the HI Mass Density of the Universe Evolves With Cosmic Time
We report that the neutral hydrogen (HI) mass density of the Universe ($\rho_{HI}$) increases with cosmic time since $z \sim 5$, peaks at $z \sim 3$, and then decreases toward $z \sim 0$. This is the first result of Qz5, our spectroscopic survey of 63 quasars at $z \gtrsim 5$ with VLT/X-SHOOTER and Keck/ESI aimed at characterizing intervening HI gas absorbers at $z \sim 5$. The main feature of Qz5 is the high resolution ($R \sim 7000 - 9000$) of the spectra, which allows us to (1) accurately detect high column density HI gas absorbers in an increasingly neutral intergalactic medium at $z \sim 5$ and (2) determine the reliability of previous $\rho_{HI}$ measurements derived with lower resolution spectroscopy. We find 5 intervening Damped Ly$\alpha$ absorbers (DLAs) at $z > 4.5$, which corresponds to the lowest DLA incidence rate ($0.034^{0.05}_{0.02}$) at $z \gtrsim 2$. We also measure the lowest $\rho_{HI}$ at $z \gtrsim 2$ from our sample of DLAs and subDLAs, corresponding to $\rho_{HI} = 0.56^{0.82}_{0.31} \times 10^8~$M$_{\odot}~$Mpc$^{-3}$ at $z \sim 5$. Taking into account our measurements at $z \sim 5$ and systematic biases in the DLA detection rate at lower spectral resolutions, we conclude that $\rho_{HI}$ doubles from $z \sim 5$ to $z \sim 3$. From these results emerges a qualitative agreement between how the cosmic densities of HI gas mass, molecular gas mass, and star-formation rate build up with cosmic time.
comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. Main text is composed of 18 pages and 8 figures
☆ Cosmological Inference with Cosmic Voids and Neural Network Emulators
Cosmic Voids are a promising probe of cosmology for spectroscopic galaxy surveys due to their unique response to cosmological parameters. Their combination with other probes promises to break parameter degeneracies. Due to simplifying assumptions, analytical models for void statistics are only representative of a subset of the full void population. We present a set of neural-based emulators for void summary statistics of watershed voids, which retain more information about the full void population than simplified analytical models. We build emulators for the void size function and void density profiles traced by the halo number density using the Quijote suite of simulations for a broad range of the $\Lambda\mathrm{CDM}$ parameter space. The emulators replace the computation of these statistics from computationally expensive cosmological simulations. We demonstrate the cosmological constraining power of voids using our emulators, which offer orders-of-magnitude acceleration in parameter estimation, capture more cosmological information compared to analytic models, and produce more realistic posteriors compared to Fisher forecasts. We find that the parameters $\Omega_m$ and $\sigma_8$ in this Quijote setup can be recovered to $14.4\%$ and $8.4\%$ accuracy respectively using void density profiles; including the additional information in the void size function improves the accuracy on $\sigma_8$ to $6.8\%$. We demonstrate the robustness of our approach to two important variables in the underlying simulations, the resolution, and the inclusion of baryons. We find that our pipeline is robust to variations in resolution, and we show that the posteriors derived from the emulated void statistics are unaffected by the inclusion of baryons with the Magneticum hydrodynamic simulations. This opens up the possibility of a baryon-independent probe of the large-scale structure.
comment: 13 pages, 10 figures
☆ Searching for Inflationary Physics with the CMB Trispectrum: 2. Code & Validation
To unlock the vast potential of the CMB trispectrum, we require both robust estimators and efficient computational tools. In this work, we introduce the public code PolySpec: a suite of quartic estimators designed to measure the amplitudes of a wide variety of inflationary templates, including local non-Gaussianity, effective field theory models, direction-dependent trispectra, spinning massive particle exchange, and weak gravitational lensing. PolySpec includes a python/cython implementation of each estimator derived in Paper 1 and has been carefully optimized to ensure efficient use of computational resources. We perform a broad range of validation tests, which demonstrate that the estimator is unbiased and minimum-variance, both in Gaussian and non-Gaussian regimes. In addition, we forecast constraints on various types of trispectra; this highlights the utility of CMB polarization and demonstrates that many models of primordial physics are poorly correlated with the simple templates considered in previous studies. This work lays the foundation for the Planck trispectrum analyses performed in Paper 3.
comment: 35 pages, 27 figures, 10263 lines of code. PolySpec is available at https://github.com/oliverphilcox/PolySpec
☆ JAGB 2.0: Improved Constraints on the J-region Asymptotic Giant Branch-based Hubble Constant from an Expanded Sample of JWST Observations
The J-region Asymptotic Giant Branch (JAGB) is an overdensity of stars in the near-infrared, attributed to carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch stars, and recently used as a standard candle for measuring extragalactic distances and the Hubble constant. Using JWST in Cycle 2, we extend JAGB measurements to 6 hosts of 9 Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) (NGC 2525, NGC 3147, NGC 3370, NGC 3447, NGC 5468, and NGC 5861), with two at $D \sim 40$ Mpc, all calibrated by the maser host NGC 4258. We investigate the effects of incompleteness and find that we are unable to recover a robust JAGB measurement in one of the two most distant hosts at $R \sim 40$ Mpc, NGC 3147. We compile all JWST JAGB observations in SNe Ia hosts, 15 galaxies hosting 18 SNe Ia, from the SH0ES and CCHP programs and employ all literature measures (mode, mean, median, model). We find no significant mean difference between these distances and those from HST Cepheids, $-0.03\pm0.02$ (stat) $\pm$ 0.05 (sys) mag. We find a difference of 0.11 $\pm$ 0.02 mag between JAGB mode measurements in the CCHP analyses of two fields in NGC 4258, a feature also seen in two SH0ES fields (see field-to-field variations in Li et al. 2024a), indicating significant field-to-field variation of JAGB measurements in NGC 4258 which produce a large absolute calibration uncertainty. Variations are also seen in the shape of the JAGB LF across galaxies so that different measures produce different values of the Hubble constant. We look for but do not (yet) find a standardizing relation between JAGB LF skew or color dependence and the apparent variation. Using the middle result of all JAGB measures to calibrate SNe Ia yields a Hubble constant of $H_0$ = 73.3 $\pm$ 1.4 (stat) $\pm$ 2.0 (sys) km/s/Mpc with the systematic dominated by apparent differences across NGC 4258 calibrating fields or their measures.
comment: 29 pages, 18 figures, 7 tables, submitted to ApJ
☆ Neutrino Mass Constraints from kSZ Tomography
We forecast neutrino mass constraints using Stage IV CMB and large-scale structure surveys, focusing on kSZ tomography as an independent probe of the growth of cosmic structure. We take into account several realistic factors, including the kSZ optical depth degeneracy. Our baseline setup consists of CMB S4 temperature and polarization (but not lensing) information, DESI BAO, the LSST galaxy power spectrum, and a Planck like $\tau$ prior, yielding $\sigma(\sum m_\nu) = 32\, \rm{meV}$. Adding kSZ tomography improves this by a few percent, while a kSZ optical depth prior can push this improvement to over $15\%$, giving $\sigma(\sum m_\nu) = 27\, \rm{meV}$. When CMB lensing is included in the baseline setup, kSZ does not further improve neutrino mass constraints. We find promising prospects for a scenario combining futuristic CMB and galaxy surveys.
comment: 11 pages, 8 figures; comments welcome!
☆ A comparison of the turbulent dynamo in weakly-collisional and collisional plasmas: from subsonic to supersonic turbulence
Weakly-collisional plasmas, such as the solar wind or the intra-cluster medium (ICM) of galaxy clusters, evolve in the presence of dynamically strong magnetic fields. The turbulent dynamo can amplify magnetic fields to such levels by converting turbulent kinetic energy into magnetic energy. While extensively studied in collisional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations, the weakly-collisional regime has only been explored recently. Here, we determine the properties of the weakly-collisional turbulent dynamo in the exponential ``kinematic" growth phase in both the subsonic and the previously unexplored supersonic regime of turbulence, using hybrid particle-in-cell (HPIC) and MHD simulations. We conduct a large parameter study, fixing the magnetic Reynolds number, Rm = 500, and the initial ratio of the magnetic to kinetic energy, $(E_{\rm{mag}}/E_{\rm{kin}})_{0} = 10^{-10}$, and then vary the kinetic Reynolds number, Re = 500, 50, and 5, for the MHD simulations. In the HPIC runs, only Rm = 500 is controlled, while Re emerges self-consistently from wave-particle interactions. We find that the velocity and magnetic field structures, probability distribution functions, and power spectra of the HPIC runs are similar to that of the MHD dynamo with Re ~ 50-500 and Re ~ 500 in the subsonic and supersonic regimes, respectively. Using MHD scaling relations, we infer $\text{Re}_{\rm inferred}=480^{+170}_{-250}$ and $690^{+360}_{-360}$ in the subsonic and supersonic weakly-collisional plasma, respectively. Overall, we find that the turbulent dynamo shares similar physical properties in both weakly-collisional and collisional plasmas. Our results of the weakly-collisional turbulent dynamo may have relevant applications to the solar wind, weakly-collisional shocks, and the hot ICM.
comment: 16 pages, 13 figures, Submitted to Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
♻ ☆ Discrete dark matter with light Dirac neutrinos
We propose a new realisation of light Dirac neutrino mass and dark matter (DM) within the framework of a non-Abelian discrete flavour symmetry based on $A_4$ group. In addition to $A_4$, we also consider a $Z_2$ and an unbroken global lepton number symmetry $U(1)_L$ to keep unwanted terms away while guaranteeing the Dirac nature of light neutrinos. The field content, their transformations and flavon vacuum alignments are chosen in such a way that the type-I Dirac seesaw generates only one light Dirac neutrino mass while the other two masses arise from scotogenic contributions at one-loop. This leads to the Dirac scoto-seesaw framework, a generalisation of the widely studied scoto-seesaw model to Dirac neutrinos. The symmetry breaking of $A_4$ leaves a remnant $\mathcal{Z}_2$ symmetry responsible for stabilising DM. Dirac nature of light neutrinos introduces additional relativistic degrees of freedom $\Delta N_{\rm eff}$ within reach of cosmic microwave background experiments.
comment: 38 pages, 8 captioned figures, matches version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. D
♻ ☆ Field Equations in Chern-Simons-Gauss-Bonnet Gravity
We investigate the effects of Chern-Simons-Gauss-Bonnet gravity on fundamental metrics. This theory involves perturbative corrections to general relativity, as well as two scalar fields, the axion and the dilaton, that arise from Chern-Simons and Gauss-Bonnet gravity modifications respectively. The combined Chern-Simons-Gauss-Bonnet gravity is motivated by a wide range of theoretical and phenomenological perspectives, including particle physics, string theory, and parity violation in the gravitational sector. In this work, we provide the complete set of field equations and equations of motion of the Chern-Simons-Gauss-Bonnet modified gravity theory for a suite of fundamental metrics (Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker, Schwarzschild, spherically symmetric, and perturbed Minkowski), under no prior assumptions on the behavior of the fields. The full set of field equations and equations of motion can be numerically solved and applied to specific observables under certain assumptions, and can be used to place constraints on the Chern-Simons-Gauss-Bonnet modified gravity theory.
comment: 26 pages; Accepted for publication in PRD
♻ ☆ Inner radius and energy conditions of dark matter halos surrounding Schwarzschild black holes
We study a class of analytic models for a dark matter halo surrounding a Schwarzschild black hole sitting at the center of a galaxy, with a variable inner radius $r_{\text{in}}$ at which the density profile of the dark matter halo vanishes. We examine in detail how the three energy conditions are satisfied in such models. In particular, independent of concrete profile, we find that the three energy conditions are satisfied when $r_{\text{in}}\ge5M/2$, where $M$ denotes the mass of the black hole. This indicates it is crucial to include inner radius when discussing dark matter distributions. All our solutions expressed explicitly in closed form are particularly valuable for the studies of the gravitational waveforms of extreme/intermediate mass ratio inspirals and the nature of dark matter in galaxies.
comment: 6 pages, no figures
♻ ☆ Matching current observational constraints with nonminimally coupled dark energy
We show that a Universe with a nonminimally coupled scalar field can fit current measurements of the expansion rate of the Universe better than the standard $\Lambda$-Cold Dark Matter ($\Lambda$CDM) model or other minimally coupled dark energy models. In particular, the nonminimal coupling in this model allows for the dark energy model to exhibit stable phantom crossing behavior, which seems to be suggested by the constraints on the dark energy equation of state coming from the most recent data. While we find a clear improvement in the goodness of fit for this dark energy model with respect to others that have been considered in the recent literature, using information theoretic criteria, we show that the evidence for it is still inconclusive.
comment: Updated to matched published version in PRD
♻ ☆ Neural Networks for cosmological model selection and feature importance using Cosmic Microwave Background data
The measurements of the temperature and polarisation anisotropies of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) by the ESA Planck mission have strongly supported the current concordance model of cosmology. However, the latest cosmological data release from ESA Planck mission still has a powerful potential to test new data science algorithms and inference techniques. In this paper, we use advanced Machine Learning (ML) algorithms, such as Neural Networks (NNs), to discern among different underlying cosmological models at the angular power spectra level, using both temperature and polarisation Planck 18 data. We test two different models beyond $\Lambda$CDM: a modified gravity model: the Hu-Sawicki model, and an alternative inflationary model: a feature-template in the primordial power spectrum. Furthermore, we also implemented an interpretability method based on SHAP values to evaluate the learning process and identify the most relevant elements that drive our architecture to certain outcomes. We find that our NN is able to distinguish between different angular power spectra successfully for both alternative models and $\Lambda$CDM. We conclude by explaining how archival scientific data has still a strong potential to test novel data science algorithms that are interesting for the next generation of cosmological experiments.
comment: 24 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables, comments welcome
♻ ☆ Testing Cotton gravity as dark matter substitute with weak lensing
Harada proposed a modified theory of gravity called Cotton gravity, and argued that it successfully explains the rotation curves of $84$ galaxies without the need of dark matter. In this work we use galaxy-galaxy lensing technique to test whether the modification effect of Cotton gravity can indeed be a viable substitute for dark matter. Using the spherically symmetric solution of Cotton gravity, we obtain the deflection angle via Gauss-Bonnet theorem and the weak lensing shear. We use five galaxy catalogs divided in 5 stellar mass bins from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 (SDSS DR7), each of which is further divided into blue star forming galaxy and red passive galaxy sub-catalogs. We find that Cotton gravity on its own has significant deviation from the measured galaxy-galaxy lensing signals, thus it cannot replace the role of dark matter. If we consider the combination of dark matter and Cotton gravity, the modification is tightly constrained. Our analysis also applies to other modified gravity theories whose an additional linear term appears in the Schwarzschild solution.
comment: 16 pages, 3 figures
♻ ☆ Cooling rate and turbulence in the intracluster medium of the cool-core cluster Abell 2667
We present a detailed analysis of the thermal X-ray emission from the intracluster medium (ICM) in the cool-core galaxy cluster Abell 2667 ($z=0.23$). Our goal is to detect low-temperature ($<2$ keV) X-ray emitting gas, potentially associated to a cooling flow that connects the hot ICM reservoir to the cold gas phase responsible for star formation and supermassive black hole feeding. We use new deep XMM-Newton EPIC and RGS data, combined with archival Chandra data, to perform a spectral analysis for the core region. We find 1$\sigma$ upper limits to the cooling gas fraction of $\sim$40 $\rm M_{\odot}yr^{-1}$ and $\sim$50-60 $\rm M_{\odot}yr^{-1}$ in the temperature ranges 0.5-1 keV and 1-2 keV, respectively. The lack of OVII, FeXXI-FeXXII, and FeXVII emission lines in the RGS spectra suggest that the fraction of gas cooling below 1 keV is limited to a few tens of $\rm M_{\odot}yr^{-1}$ at most. However, we detect several lines (e.g. SiXIV, MgXII, FeXXIII/FeXXIV, NeX, OVIII$\alpha$) that allow us to estimate a 1$\sigma$ upper limit for turbulent broadening of $\sim$320 km $\rm s^{-1}$, higher that other cool-core clusters such as Abell 1835, implying mechanisms that boost turbulence in Abell 2667's atmosphere. Imaging analysis of Chandra data suggests the presence of a cold front, possibly lined to sloshing or ICM cavities. However, current data do not clearly identify the physical mechanism driving turbulence. These finding indicate that Abell 2667 is similar to other low-redshift cool-core clusters, though the large upper limit on turbulence hints at significant ICM heating, which may suppress cooling for extended periods and contribute to future condensation events.
♻ ☆ Non-Gaussian Statistics of Nanohertz Stochastic Gravitational Waves
Recent detection of nHz stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) by multiple pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) has stimulated intensive discussions about its physical origin. In principle, either supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs) or processes in the early universe may be the sources. One key difference between the two lies in the statistics of the SGWB frequency power spectrum. In particular, the often assumed Gaussian random SGWB does not accurately describe the distribution of the collective SMBHB emission. In this work, we present a semi-analytical framework for calculating the non-Gaussian statistics of SGWB power expected from SMBHBs. We find that (a) wave interference between individual SMBHBs with indistinguishable observed frequencies and (b) the Poisson fluctuation of the source numbers, together shape the non-Gaussian statistics. Implementing the non-Gaussian statistics developed in this work, we investigate the sensitivity of current and future PTA datasets in distinguishing the origin of the SGWB through non-Gaussian information. Additionally, we find an interesting approximation of the non-Gaussian statistics, which has implications for accurately and practically treating non-Gaussianity in PTA Bayesian analyses.
comment: 14 pages including references, 8 figures. Accepted by Phys. Rev. D
♻ ☆ Percolation of Domain Walls in the Two-Higgs Doublet Model
Domain walls formed during a phase transition in a simple field theory model with $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetry in a periodic box have been demonstrated to annihilate as fast as causality allows and their area density scales $\propto t^{-1}$. We have performed numerical simulations of the dynamics of domain walls in the Two-Higgs Doublet Model (2HDM) where the potential has $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetry in two spatial dimensions. We observed significant differences with the standard case. Although the extreme long-time limit is the same for the $\approx 10^{5}$ sets of random initial configurations analysed, the percolation process is much slower due to the formation of long-lived loops. We suggest that this is due to the build up of superconducting currents on the walls which could lead ultimately to stationary configurations known as Kinky Vortons. We discuss the relevance of these findings for the production of Vortons in three spatial dimensions.
comment: 11 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for publication in Physics Letters B
♻ ☆ Scale-dependence in $Λ$CDM parameters inferred from the CMB: a possible sign of Early Dark Energy
The early dark energy (EDE) model is one of the promising solutions to the Hubble tension. One of the successes of the EDE model is that it can provide a similar fit to the $\Lambda$CDM model for the CMB power spectrum. In this work, I analyze the phenomenology of the EDE and $\Lambda$CDM parameters on the CMB temperature power spectrum and notice that this cannot hold on all scales. Thus, if the real cosmology is as described by the EDE model, the $\Lambda$CDM parameters will be scale-dependent when fitting the CMB power spectrum with the $\Lambda$CDM model, which can be hints for the EDE model. I examine CMB-S4-like observations through mock data analysis and find that parameter shifts are notable. As observations include smaller scales, I find lower $H_0$, $n_s$, $\omega_b$ and higher $\omega_m$, $A_s e^{-2\tau}$, which will also constitute new tensions with other observations. They can serve as a possible signal for the EDE model.
comment: 26 pages, 7 figures
♻ ☆ Reheating chiral dynamos with spin-0 and massive spin-1 torsions via chiral asymmetry
Recently, Syderenko et al. (JCAP, 10: 018, 2016) investigated magnetogenesis and chiral asymmetry in the early hot universe. This study explores the impact of minimally coupling a constant torsion in their cosmological model, suggesting new chiral physics. Physically, this means that if torsion is right chiral, the difference between the number of right and left chiralities does not change. Moreover, the decay of chiral asymmetry depends on torsion chirality. We solve the chiral torsionful dynamo equation for magnetic field seeds. Magnetic helical fields are considered important for chiral fermion asymmetry. Even in $(3+1)$ dimensional spacetime, torsion is highly suppressed beyond inflation (Eur Phys J C 82: 291, 2022). However, torsion of $1\,\mathrm{MeV}$ appears in the early universe. Equations for correlated magnetic field coefficients are solved in terms of torsion. Weak magnetic fields of the order of $10^{-42}$ Gauss are boosted by powerful torsionful dynamo amplification, generating a much stronger magnetic field of the order of $10^{-9}$ Gauss in the present universe. A galactic magnetic field of $10^{-6}$ Gauss in the present universe, with torsion of $10^{-15}$ Gauss, leads us to a galactic dynamo seed of $10^{-9}$ Gauss. We also discuss reheating dynamo regeneration of decaying cosmic magnetic fields during the hadronization era. The relation between the reheating contribution to e-folds and the connection between CMF and temperature squared allows us to obtain dynamo amplification in terms of N-folds of inflation. The main innovation of this work is the exploration of constant torsion in a cosmological model, revealing new chiral physics. This study offers a new perspective on the origin and evolution of magnetic fields in the early universe.
comment: 11 pages,1 figure
♻ ☆ cosmosage: A Natural-Language Assistant for Cosmologists
cosmosage is a natural-language assistant intended for a wide audience, from laypersons interested in cosmology to students, teachers, and professional cosmologists. cosmosage provides a novel way to access knowledge and reason about cosmology. Leveraging the power of advanced large language models (LLMs), cosmosage has learned from a vast corpus of open-access source texts, including textbooks and papers. cosmosage is found to be state-of-the-art on the narrow task of answering questions about cosmology, outperforming all general-purpose models. The model parameters and code are publicly available.
♻ ☆ On Legacy of Starobinsky Inflation
Alexei Alexandrovich Starobinsky was one of the greatest cosmologists of all times, who made fundamental contributions to gravitational theory and cosmology based on geometrical ideas in physics, in the spirit of Einstein. One of his big achievements is the famous Starobinsky model of cosmological inflation in the early universe, proposed in 1979-1980. In this memorial paper, the Starobinsky inflation model is systematically reviewed from the modern perspective. Its deformation to include production of primordial black holes is proposed, and possible quantum corrections in the context of superstring theory and the Swampland Program are discussed. Starobinsky inflation also leads to the universal reheating mechanism for particle production after inflation.
comment: 20 pages, 3 figures, LaTeX; invited contribution to the Starobinsky Memorial Volume, Springer 2025; a reference added
♻ ☆ Anisotropy of Nanohertz Gravitational Wave Background and Individual Sources from Supermassive Binary Black Holes Based on Cosmological Simulation
Several pulsar timing array (PTA) groups have recently claimed the detection of nanohertz gravitational wave background (GWB), but the origin of this gravitational wave (GW) signal remains unclear. Nanohertz GWs generated by supermassive binary black holes (SMBBHs) are one of the most important GW sources in the PTA band. Utilizing data from cosmological simulation, we construct a comprehensive dataset of SMBBHs within a mock observable universe incorporates the cosmic large-scale structure. We carry out an exhaustive analysis of the distribution characteristics of these merger events, as well as the GWB signals they produce. Specifically, we predict the characteristic amplitude of GWB to be $h_c=4.85\times10^{-16}$ at the frequency of ${\rm yr^{-1}}$, while the energy density of GWB signal exhibit an anisotropic part with $C_1/C_0\approx2.50\times10^{-3}\pm2.04\times10^{-3}$. We study the clustering pattern of the positional distribution of SMBBHs, and found that they show similar behavior with that of galaxies on relatively small scales. Furthermore, for the upcoming Chinese Pulsar Timing Array (CPTA) and Square Kilometre Array (SKA)-PTA, we predict the spatial distribution, numbers and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) distribution of individual GW sources that may be detected with SNR$>$8, and study the anisotropic properties in the spatial distribution of these individual GW sources. We finally investigated the impact of lensing effects and found that their influence is rather limited.
comment: 22 pages,22 figures
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 9
☆ Emission from multiple molecular isotopologues in a high-inclination protoplanetary disk
We present a MIRI-MRS spectrum of the high-inclination protoplanetary disk around the solar-mass (K0) star MY Lup, obtained as part of the JWST Disk Infrared Spectral Chemistry Survey (JDISCS). The spectrum shows an unusually weak water emission spectrum for a disk around a star of its spectral type, but strong emission from CO$_2$, HCN, and isotopologues of both molecules. This includes the first ever detection of C$^{18}$O$^{16}$O and H$^{13}$CN in an inner disk, as well as tentative detections of C$^{17}$O$^{16}$O and HC$^{15}$N. Slab modeling provides molecular temperatures, column densities and emitting areas of the detected molecules. The emitting molecular gas is cold compared to that of other observed protoplanetary disk spectra. We estimate the isotopologue ratios of CO$_2$ and HCN, albeit with significant uncertainty. We suggest that the unusual spectrum of MY Lup arises from a combination of inner disk clearing, which removes emission from warm water, and its nearly edge-on inclination, which enhances line-of-sight column densities, although unusual chemistry may also be required. MY Lup's spectrum highlights the potential to detect and measure trace isotopologues to study isotopic fractionation in protoplanetary disks; observations at higher spectral resolving power is needed to constrain the isotopologue ratios to greater precision.
comment: 20 pages, 18 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal
☆ The GAPS Programme at TNG LXVII. Detection of water and preliminary characterisation of the atmospheres of the two hot Jupiters KELT-8 b and KELT-23 Ab
Expanding the number of hot giant planets with atmospheric characterisation can improve our understanding of their atmospheres as well as their formation and evolution mechanisms. In this work, we use high-resolution spectroscopy in the near-infrared (NIR) to search for chemical signatures in the atmospheres of the two hot Jupiters KELT-8 b and KELT-23 Ab, and perform a first characterisation of their atmospheric properties. We measured the transmission spectrum of each target with the NIR high-resolution spectrograph GIANO-B at the TNG and searched for atmospheric signals by cross-correlating the data with synthetic transmission spectra. In order to characterise the chemical-physical properties of the two atmospheres, we ran two different atmospheric retrievals for each dataset: a retrieval assuming chemical equilibrium and a ``free-chemistry'' retrieval, in which the abundance of each molecule could vary freely. We detect $H_2O$ in the atmospheres of KELT-8 b and KELT-23 Ab with an S/N = 6.6 and S/N = 4.2, respectively. The two retrievals indicate a water-rich atmosphere for both targets. For KELT-8 b, we determine a water volume mixing ratio of log$_{10}$(VMR$_{\rm H_2O})=-2.07^{+0.53}_{-0.72}$, a metallicity [M/H] $=0.77^{+0.61}_{-0.89}$ dex, and a sub-solar C/O ratio (C/O $\leq0.30$, at $2\,\sigma$). For KELT-23 Ab, we find log$_{10}$(VMR$_{\rm H_2O})=-2.26^{+0.75}_{-1.24}$, [M/H] $=-0.42^{+1.56}_{-1.35}$ dex, and a C/O ratio $\leq0.78$ (at $2\,\sigma$). Comparing these chemical properties with those of the host stars, we suggest that, for both planets, the accretion of gaseous material occurred within the $H_2O$ snowline in a pebble-rich disk enriched in oxygen due to sublimation of water ice from the inward-drifting pebbles. In conclusion, we measure the atmospheric signals of KELT-8 b and KELT-23 Ab for the first time and place first constraints on their properties.
comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A) journal
☆ ALMA reveals thermal and non-thermal desorption of methanol ice in the HD 100546 protoplanetary disk
Methanol (CH$_3$OH) and formaldehyde (H$_2$CO) are chemically coupled organic molecules proposed to act as an intermediate step between simple molecules and more complex prebiotic compounds. Their abundance distributions across disks regulate the prebiotic potential of material at different disk radii. We present observations of multiple methanol and formaldehyde transitions toward the Herbig Ae disk HD 100546 obtained with ALMA, building upon the previous serendipitous detection of methanol in this source. We find that methanol has a higher rotational temperature ($T_\mathrm{rot}$) than formaldehyde towards both the centrally concentrated emission component in the inner disk ($0-110$ au) and a radially separate dust ring farther out in the disk ($180-260$ au). $T_\mathrm{rot}$ decreases for methanol and formaldehyde from the inner ($152^{+35}_{-27}$ K and $76^{+9}_{-8}$ K) to the outer disk ($52^{+8}_{-6}$ K and $31^{+2}_{-2}$ K), suggesting that we are tracing two different chemical environments. $T_\mathrm{rot}$ for both species in the inner disk is consistent with thermal desorption as the origin, while the outer disk reservoir is driven by non-thermal desorption. The CH$_3$OH/H$_2$CO column density ratio decreases from 14.6$^{+5.2}_{-4.6}$ in the inner disk to $1.3^{+0.3}_{-0.2}$ in the outer disk, consistent with modelling predictions. The CH$_3$OH/H$_2$CO column density ratio for the inner disk is consistent with the median value in the range of column density ratios compiled from Solar System comets which would have formed at a similar distance. This supports the notion that interstellar ice is inherited and preserved by protoplanetary disks around solar-mass and intermediate-mass stars as we are seeing 'fresh' ice sublimation, as well as providing more evidence for the presence of prebiotic precursor molecules in planet-forming regions.
comment: 35 pages, 16 figures
☆ Clusters of tribocharged dust aggregates as pebbles in protoplanetary disks
In recent years, the tribocharging of colliding and bouncing submillimeter (submm) particles has been studied as a possible mechanism promoting the formation of large pebbles on centimeter (cm) to decimeter (dm) scales in protoplanetary disks. Here, we observe, for the first time, that it is not only monolithic, spherical particles, but also real dust aggregates, that become tribocharged and end up forming large clusters. For aggregates of $\sim 0.4$ mm consisting of $\rm \sim$ 1 $\rm \mu m$ sized dust, we determined net charge densities up to $10^{-7}$ C/$\rm m^2$ during our drop tower experiments. These charged aggregates form compact clusters up to 2 cm in size via collisions with other clusters and aggregates at collision velocities on the order of 1 cm/s. Size and speed are the only lower limits for growth, currently set by the limits of the experiment. However, these clusters already form under conditions that are well beyond the expected transition to bouncing for uncharged aggregates and clusters. Our findings further support the idea that collisional charging can leapfrog the traditional bouncing barrier and form larger clusters that then serve as large pebbles. These cm-sized clusters are more susceptible to further evolutionary steps via particle trapping, concentration, and planetesimal formation.
☆ Impact-induced Vaporization During Accretion of Planetary Bodies
Giant impacts dominate the late stages of accretion of rocky planets. They contribute to the heating, melting, and sometimes vaporizing of the bodies involved in the impacts. Due to fractionation during melting and vaporization, planet-building impacts can significantly change the composition and geochemical signatures of rocky objects. Using first-principles molecular dynamics simulations, we analyze the shock behavior of complex realistic silicate systems, representative of both rocky bodies. We introduce a novel criterion for vapor formation that uses entropy calculations to determine the minimum impact velocity required to pass the threshold for vapor production. We derive impact velocity criteria for vapor formation (7.1 km per s for chondritic bodies) and show that this threshold is reached in 61 and 89 percent of impacts in dynamical simulations of the late stages of accretion with classical and annulus starting configuration (respectively) for analogs of Earth. These outcomes should be nuanced by factors such as the impact angle and the mass of the impacting bodies, which further influence the vaporization dynamics and the resultant material distribution. Our findings indicate that vaporization was common during accretion and likely played a crucial role in shaping the early environments and material properties of terrestrial planets.
comment: 17 pages, 4 figures
☆ Context images for Venus Express radio occultation measurements: A search for a correlation between temperature structure and UV contrasts in the clouds of Venus
Venus exhibits strong and changing contrasts at ultraviolet wavelengths apparently related to the clouds and the dynamics in the cloud layer, but to date their origin continues to be unknown. We investigate the nature of the UV contrasts exhibited by Venus clouds by examining possible correlations between the thermal structure inferred from radio occultation data and UV brightness from imagery data, both observed with Venus Express. We analyse Venus Express images obtained from 11 hours before to a few hours after the time of radio occultation measurements of the same area. We account for the advection of clouds by zonal and meridional winds and apply a phase angle correction to compensate for the changing viewing geometry. We find a possible anti-correlation between UV-brightness and atmospheric temperature in the 65-70 km altitude range for low latitudes. Heating in this altitude and latitude region due to an increase in the UV-absorber has been predicted by radiative forcing studies. The predictions roughly match our observed temperature amplitude between UV-dark and UV-bright regions. We find no evidence for any correlation between UV-brightness and static stability in the atmosphere in the 50-80 km altitude region. This could be the first observational evidence for a direct link between UV-brightness and atmospheric temperature in the 65-70km altitude region in the clouds of Venus.
comment: 10 pages, 12 figures, submitted to A&A January 2025
☆ On the Orbit of the Binary Brown Dwarf Companion GL229 Ba and Bb
The companion GL229B was recently resolved by Xuan et al. (2024) as a tight binary of two brown dwarfs (Ba and Bb) through VLTI-GRAVITY interferometry and VLT-CRIRES+ RV measurements. Here, we present Bayesian models of the interferometric and RV data in additional detail, along with an updated outer orbit of the brown dwarf pair about the primary. To create a model of the inner orbit with robust uncertainties, we apply kernel phases to the GRAVITY data to address baseline redundancy in the raw closure phases. Using parallel tempering, we constrain the binary's orbit using only VLTI-GRAVITY data, despite each epoch having low visibility-plane coverage and/or SNR. We demonstrate very agreement the VLTI-GRAVITY and CRIRES+ datasets and find that the inner binary has a period of 12.1346$\pm$0.0011 days, eccentricity of 0.2317$\pm$0.0025, and total mass of 71.0$\pm$0.4 Mjup, with Ba and Bb having masses of 37.7$\pm$1.1Mjup and 33.4$\pm$1.0Mjup respectively. With new Keck/NIRC2 astrometry, we update the outer orbit GL229B around the primary. We find a semi-major axis of 42.9+3.0-2.4AU, eccentricity of 0.736$\pm$0.014, and a total mass for B of 71.7$\pm$0.6Mjup, consistent with that derived from the inner orbit. We find a mutual inclination of 31$\pm$2.5deg, below the threshold for Kozai-Lidov oscillations. The agreement on the mass of Ba+Bb between the inner and outer orbits is an important test of our ability to model RV, astrometry, and Hipparcos-Gaia proper motion anomaly. Our methodological advances in handling interferometric data with low SNR and sparse UV-coverage will benefit future observations of rapidly-orbiting companions with VLTI-GRAVITY.
comment: Resubmitted to AJ
♻ ☆ General solution to Euler-Poisson equations of a free symmetric body by direct summation of power series
Euler-Poisson equations describe the temporal evolution of a rigid body's orientation through the rotation matrix and angular velocity components, governed by first-order differential equations. According to the Cauchy-Kovalevskaya theorem, these equations can be solved by expressing their solutions as power series in the evolution parameter. In this work, we derive the sum of these series for the case of a free symmetric rigid body. By using the integrals of motion and directly summing the terms of these series, we obtain the general solution to the Euler-Poisson equations for a free symmetric body in terms of elementary functions. This method circumvents the need for standard parametrizations like Euler angles, allowing for a direct, closed-form solution. The results are consistent with previous studies, offering a new perspective on solving the Euler-Poisson equations.
comment: 15 pages
♻ ☆ Impacts of UV Radiation from an AGN on Planetary Atmospheres and Consequences for Galactic Habitability
We present a study of the effects of ultraviolet (UV) emission from active galactic nuclei (AGN) on the atmospheric composition of planets and potential impact on life. It is expected that all supermassive black holes, which reside at galactic centers, have gone through periods of high AGN activity in order to reach their current masses. We examine potential damaging effects on lifeforms on planets with different atmosphere types and receiving different levels of AGN flux, using data on the sensitivity of various species' cells to UV radiation to determine when radiation becomes "dangerous". We also consider potential chemical changes to planetary atmospheres as a result of UV radiation from AGN, using the PALEO photochemical model. We find the presence of sufficient initial oxygen (surface mixing ratio $\geq 10^{-3} \rm\, mol/mol$) in the planet's atmosphere allows a thicker ozone layer to form in response to AGN radiation, which reduces the level of dangerous UV radiation incident on the planetary surface from what it was in absence of an AGN. We estimate the fraction of solar systems in galaxies that would be affected by AGN UV radiation, and find that the impact is most pronounced in compact galaxies such as "red nugget relics", as compared to typical present-day ellipticals and spirals (using M87 and the Milky Way as examples).
comment: 22 pages, 8 figures; Accepted for publication in ApJ
Astrophysics of Galaxies 36
☆ Relationship between 2D and 3D Galaxy Stellar Mass and Correlations with Halo Mass
Recent studies suggest that the stars in the outer regions of massive galaxies trace halo mass better than the inner regions and that an annular stellar mass provides a low scatter method of selecting galaxy clusters. However, we can only observe galaxies as projected two-dimensional objects on the sky. In this paper, we use a sample of simulated galaxies to study how well galaxy stellar mass profiles in three dimensions correlate with halo mass, and what effects arise when observationally projecting stellar profiles into two dimensions. We compare 2D and 3D outer stellar mass selections and find that they have similar performance as halo mass proxies and that, surprisingly, a 2D selection sometimes has marginally better performance. We also investigate whether the weak lensing profiles around galaxies selected by 2D outer stellar mass suffer from projection effects. We find that the lensing profiles of samples selected by 2D and 3D definitions are nearly identical, suggesting that the 2D selection does not create a bias. These findings underscore the promise of using outer stellar mass as a tool for identifying galaxy clusters.
comment: 31 pages 11 figures. To be submitted to JCAP
☆ Emission from multiple molecular isotopologues in a high-inclination protoplanetary disk
We present a MIRI-MRS spectrum of the high-inclination protoplanetary disk around the solar-mass (K0) star MY Lup, obtained as part of the JWST Disk Infrared Spectral Chemistry Survey (JDISCS). The spectrum shows an unusually weak water emission spectrum for a disk around a star of its spectral type, but strong emission from CO$_2$, HCN, and isotopologues of both molecules. This includes the first ever detection of C$^{18}$O$^{16}$O and H$^{13}$CN in an inner disk, as well as tentative detections of C$^{17}$O$^{16}$O and HC$^{15}$N. Slab modeling provides molecular temperatures, column densities and emitting areas of the detected molecules. The emitting molecular gas is cold compared to that of other observed protoplanetary disk spectra. We estimate the isotopologue ratios of CO$_2$ and HCN, albeit with significant uncertainty. We suggest that the unusual spectrum of MY Lup arises from a combination of inner disk clearing, which removes emission from warm water, and its nearly edge-on inclination, which enhances line-of-sight column densities, although unusual chemistry may also be required. MY Lup's spectrum highlights the potential to detect and measure trace isotopologues to study isotopic fractionation in protoplanetary disks; observations at higher spectral resolving power is needed to constrain the isotopologue ratios to greater precision.
comment: 20 pages, 18 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal
☆ A prevalent population of normal-mass central black holes in high-redshift massive galaxies
Understanding the co-evolution between supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and their host galaxies provides crucial insights into SMBH formation and galaxy assembly in these cosmic ecosystems. However, measuring this co-evolution, as traced by the black hole mass - stellar mass relation towards the early Universe, often suffers from significant sample selection biases. Samples selected based on the luminosity of the SMBH would preferentially find overly massive black holes relative to their host stellar mass, missing the population of lower-mass SMBHs that are underrepresented. Here we report the discovery of 13 moderate-luminosity broad-line Active Galactic Nuclei from a galaxy-based selection of 52 massive galaxies at z~3-5. The derived SMBH masses for these AGNs yield a mean SMBH-to-stellar mass ratio of ~0.1%, consistent with the local value. There is limited evolution in this mean mass ratio traced back to z~6, indicating that a significant population of ''normal'' SMBHs already existed within the first billion years of the Universe. Combined with the previous sample of overmassive black holes, there must be diverse pathways for SMBH formation in high-redshift galaxies. Most of these galaxies are experiencing star formation quenching by the observed epoch, suggesting the formation of massive quiescent galaxies does not necessarily require an overly massive black hole, contrary to some theoretical predictions.
comment: 34 pages, 6 figures
☆ Scattered synchrotron emission and a giant torus revealed in polarized light in the nearest radio galaxy Centaurus A
Centaurus A (Cen A) is the closest radio galaxy and a prime example of a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus (AGN), exhibiting complex emissions across the electromagnetic spectrum. The nature of its continuum emission, particularly the mechanisms powering it, has been a subject of considerable debate due to the fact that the AGN is deeply buried in dust. This study aims to elucidate the origin of the continuum emission in Cen A and determine the geometrical arrangement of matter in the nuclear region by the mean of optical and near-infrared spectropolarimetry. We obtained spectropolarimetric data of Cen A using the VLT/FORS2. The analysis revealed a region showing strong and narrow emission lines associated with AGN activity. After correction for interstellar polarization in the dust lane (but not for starlight), the intrinsic polarization of the scattered AGN light exhibits a polarization degree of 2-4%, decreasing from optical to near-infrared, associated with a polarization position angle perpendicular to the radio jet axis. We exclude the presence of hidden broad line in our polarized flux spectrum at more than 99% probability. Narrow emission lines are found to be strongly polarized and orthogonal to the jet position angle. We demonstrate that a beamed synchrotron jet, scattering onto the narrow line region (NLR) best fits all the observational properties reported in this paper and the literature. In this model, the base of the NLR is obscured by a giant circumnuclear region and can only become visible through perpendicular scattering onto the outermost part of the NLR, naturally producing high polarization degrees and polarization angles perpendicular to the radio structure. This study provides strong evidence that Cen A defines a new class of hidden-NLR AGNs and supports old predictions that beamed synchrotron jets can be observed in reflection.
comment: 13 pages, 3 tables 9 figures, accepted for publication in A&A
☆ Unveiling IZw18 age's mystery: Resolved Stellar Populations and Star Formation History Study with JWST/NIRCam
With its peculiar appearance, I Zw 18 has long been considered a unique example of a young galaxy in the nearby Universe. In this paper, we summarize the observational history of this famous galaxy, discuss the controversies surrounding its evolutionary state, and present new insights gained from JWST/NIRCam observations. These recent findings shed light on one of the most intriguing mysteries in extragalactic astronomy.
comment: 3 pages, 1 figure, Proceedings of the IAU Symposium No. 395, Stellar populations in the Milky Way and beyond
☆ ALMA reveals thermal and non-thermal desorption of methanol ice in the HD 100546 protoplanetary disk
Methanol (CH$_3$OH) and formaldehyde (H$_2$CO) are chemically coupled organic molecules proposed to act as an intermediate step between simple molecules and more complex prebiotic compounds. Their abundance distributions across disks regulate the prebiotic potential of material at different disk radii. We present observations of multiple methanol and formaldehyde transitions toward the Herbig Ae disk HD 100546 obtained with ALMA, building upon the previous serendipitous detection of methanol in this source. We find that methanol has a higher rotational temperature ($T_\mathrm{rot}$) than formaldehyde towards both the centrally concentrated emission component in the inner disk ($0-110$ au) and a radially separate dust ring farther out in the disk ($180-260$ au). $T_\mathrm{rot}$ decreases for methanol and formaldehyde from the inner ($152^{+35}_{-27}$ K and $76^{+9}_{-8}$ K) to the outer disk ($52^{+8}_{-6}$ K and $31^{+2}_{-2}$ K), suggesting that we are tracing two different chemical environments. $T_\mathrm{rot}$ for both species in the inner disk is consistent with thermal desorption as the origin, while the outer disk reservoir is driven by non-thermal desorption. The CH$_3$OH/H$_2$CO column density ratio decreases from 14.6$^{+5.2}_{-4.6}$ in the inner disk to $1.3^{+0.3}_{-0.2}$ in the outer disk, consistent with modelling predictions. The CH$_3$OH/H$_2$CO column density ratio for the inner disk is consistent with the median value in the range of column density ratios compiled from Solar System comets which would have formed at a similar distance. This supports the notion that interstellar ice is inherited and preserved by protoplanetary disks around solar-mass and intermediate-mass stars as we are seeing 'fresh' ice sublimation, as well as providing more evidence for the presence of prebiotic precursor molecules in planet-forming regions.
comment: 35 pages, 16 figures
☆ The head-tail radio galaxy and revived fossil plasma in Abell 1775
Head-tail radio galaxies are characterized by a head, corresponding to an elliptical galaxy, and two radio jets sweeping back from the head, forming an extended structure behind the host galaxy that is moving through the intracluster medium (ICM). This morphology arises from the interaction between the diffuse radio-emitting plasma and the surrounding environment. Sometimes revived fossil plasma is found in galaxy clusters, tracing old active galactic nucleus ejecta with a very steep spectrum re-energized through processes in the ICM, unrelated to the progenitor galaxy. We aim to study the central region of Abell 1775, a galaxy cluster in an unclear dynamical state at z = 0.072. It hosts two giant radio-loud elliptical galaxies, the head-tail radio galaxy that "breaks" at the position of a cold front detected in the X-rays, filamentary revived fossil plasma, and central diffuse emission. This study aims to investigate and constrain the spectral properties and trends along the head-tail, as well as the revived fossil plasma, to better understand the formation process of the non-thermal phenomena in A1775. We make use of LOFAR (144 MHz), and new deep uGMRT observations (400 and 650 MHz). We observe an overall steepening along the tail of the head-tail radio galaxy. In the radio colour-colour diagram, ageing models reproduce the emission of the head-tail. An unexpected brightness increase at the head of the tail suggests a complex bending of the jets. We derived the equipartition magnetic field and minimum pressure along the tail. We recovered the structure of the revived fossil plasma, which appears as thin filaments with ultra-steep spectra. We show that high-sensitivity, high-resolution observations at low frequencies are essential for detecting the full extent of the tail, enabling a deeper spectral analysis and resolving the structure and spectral properties of revived fossil plasma.
comment: 14 pages, 14 figures (including Appendices). Accepted for publication in A&A on 30 Jan 2025. Abstract abridged for arXiv submission
☆ Dynamical Galactic Halo Reconstruction from Rotation Curves in Self-Interacting Fuzzy Dark Matter
Fuzzy Dark Matter with an explicitly non-zero quartic self-interaction (gFDM) is shown to be a viable model for simultaneously fitting 17 dark-matter-dominated galaxies from the SPARC database, constraining both the boson mass, $m$, and the self-coupling constant, $g$, to values within the range $\log_{10}\left(\frac{m}{\mathrm{eV}/c^2}\right) = \log_{10}(1.98)-22^{+0.8}_{-0.6}$ and $\log_{10}\left(\frac{g}{\mathrm{Jm}^3/kg}\right) = \log_{10}(1.45)-28^{+0.4}_{-1.2}$; this is based on the combination of an appropriately constructed static super-Gaussian profile for the inner galactic core (`soliton') region, and a Navarro-Frenk-White profile for the surrounding halo region. Identification of these parameters enables the explicit {\em dynamical} reconstruction of potential host halos for such galaxies, for which we outline a procedure with a proof-of-principle demonstration for two galaxies (UGCA444, UGC07866) shown to yield viable rotation curves over a dynamical period of $O(1) \, Gyr$.
comment: 12 pages, 8 figures
☆ Puzzling Ultra-Diffuse Galaxy Evolution (PUDGE). I. The existence of a Nube-like galaxy in IllustrisTNG
The recent discovery of the most extended ultra-diffuse galaxy (UDG), Nube, has raised yet another question about the validity of the cold dark matter (CDM) model. The studies using cosmological and zoom-in simulations, which assume CDM, failed to replicate galaxies with the structural properties of Nube. However, the simulation box or the examined population of UDGs may be too narrow to fully capture the range of effects that can lead to the formation of such extraordinary galaxies. In this work we present a case study of a Nube-like galaxy from TNG100, the most extended simulated UDG examined to date that closely mirrors the structural properties of the observed Nube galaxy. Since its formation, the simulated Nube-like galaxy has already been ultra-diffuse and evolved mainly in isolated regions with occasional interactions. Its last major merger was finalized about 1.336 Gyr ago and left no trace of interaction apart from further extending the stellar size. This evolutionary pathway, featuring a recent merger that expanded an already ultra-diffuse stellar system, is unique and innovative compared to previous studies. We argue that multiple proposed formation mechanisms can operate simultaneously, further expanding the UDGs and making them extreme outliers of the mass-size relation under favorable conditions. Therefore, it is essential to study these simulated extreme outliers, their formation, and, more importantly, their evolution. We also highlight the necessity of carefully analyzing and interpreting the simulated data and better understanding the limitations of a chosen simulation. Thus, if Nube is considered an extreme outlier, its properties are not in tension with the standard cosmological model.
comment: accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics
☆ Potential Nitrogen Enrichment via Direct-Collapse Wolf-Rayet Stars in a $z=4.7$ Star-Forming Galaxy
We present analyses of a nitrogen-enriched star-forming galaxy, ID60001, at $z=4.6928$ based on JWST/NIRSpec MSA spectroscopy and NIRCam photometry. From rest-frame optical emission lines we derive the nitrogen-to-oxygen (N/O) abundance ratio of ID60001 to be $\log({\rm N/O})=-0.76_{-0.03}^{+0.03}$ ($[{\rm N/O}]=0.10_{-0.03}^{+0.03}$), which is significantly elevated at the corresponding metallicity $12+\log({\rm O/H})=7.75_{-0.01}^{+0.01}$ ($Z/Z_\odot = 0.12$) compared to local counterparts. We discuss possible scenarios for elevated N/O abundance in ID60001, including pristine gas inflow, Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars, and Oxygen depletion by Type II supernova winds. Based on the moderately broadened He{\sc ii}$\lambda$4686 emission line, galaxy morphology, and star-formation history, we conclude that the elevated N/O abundance of ID60001 is likely originated from massive ($>25\,M_\odot$) WR stars that directly collapse into a black hole. We also stress the importance of reliable electron density measurements when deriving N/O abundance with rest-frame optical emission lines.
comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, submitted to ApJ
☆ The XXL Survey LIV. X-ray Luminosity Function and Luminosity-Mass Relation of Optically Selected Galaxy Groups
The overlap between the GAMA spectroscopic survey and the XXL X-ray survey was used to study the X-ray properties of optically-selected groups of galaxies. Forced X-ray aperture photometry was applied to an optically-selected sample of 235 groups (containing at least five member galaxies) to measure their X-ray luminosities in the regime of low signal to noise X-ray data. The sample encompasses X-ray luminosities over an order of magnitude fainter than typical X-ray selected samples, and avoids X-ray selection biases. This gives access to low mass groups where the effects of non-gravitational processes, such as AGN-feedback, should be most apparent and could inhibit their detection in an X-ray survey. We measured the X-ray luminosity function (XLF) of the sample, and found it to be consistent with the extrapolation of the XLF from X-ray selected samples at higher luminosities. The XLF was combined with a theoretical halo mass function to infer the form of the scaling relation between X-ray luminosity and mass (LM relation) for the GAMA groups. We found a slope of $1.87 \pm 0.12$, which is steeper than self similarity in this mass regime. When comparing with other measurements of the LM relation, we find evidence for a steepening of the slope in the low mass regime, likely due to the impact of non-gravitational processes. Our approach can be translated to eROSITA data using multi-wavelength surveys to constrain the X-ray properties of galaxy groups in the limits of high redshift and low mass.
comment: 22 pages, 15 figures, Accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ Explaining JWST counts with galaxy formation models
A distinct power-law break is apparent m_AB approximately 21 in the deep Near-Infrared PEARLS-JWST galaxy counts. The break becomes more pronounced at longer wavelengths, with the counts slope flattening smoothly with apparent magnitude in the shortest band used at 0.9 microns, trending towards an increasingly broken slope by the longest wavelength passband of JWST NIRCam, 4.4 microns. This behaviour is remarkably well predicted by the GALFORM semi-analytical model of galaxy formation. We use the model to diagnose the origin of this behaviour. We find that the features that are responsible for the break are: 1) the inherent break in the luminosity function; 2) the change in the volume element with redshift and 3) the redshift-dependent nature of the k-correction. We study the contribution to these effects by early and late-type galaxies, using as a proxy for morphology the bulge-to-total stellar mass ratio. We find that the way in which ellipticals populate the bright end of the luminosity function while spirals dominate the faint end is preserved in the galaxy number counts, with a characteristic stellar mass at the break of approximately 10^10 M_sun. We also find that the shape of the number counts is mainly driven by galaxies with relatively low redshift (z < 2) for the PEARLS observational limit of m_AB < 28. We give a comprehensive description of why the galaxy number counts in the near-infrared PEARLS-JWST observation look the way they do and which population of galaxies is dominant at each apparent magnitude.
☆ Core to Cosmic Edge: SIMBA-C's New Take on Abundance Profiles in the Intragroup Medium at z = 0
We employ the SIMBA-C cosmological simulation to study the impact of its upgraded chemical enrichment model (Chem5) on the distribution of metals in the intragroup medium (IGrM). We investigate the projected X-ray emission-weighted abundance profiles of key elements over two decades in halo mass ($10^{13} \leq M_{500}/\mathrm{M_\odot} \leq 10^{15}$). Typically, SIMBA-C generates lower-amplitude abundance profiles than SIMBA with flatter cores, in better agreement with observations. For low-mass groups, both simulations over-enrich the IGrM with Si, S, Ca, and Fe compared to observations, a trend likely related to inadequate modeling of metal dispersal and mixing. We analyze the 3D mass-weighted abundance profiles, concluding that the lower SIMBA-C IGrM abundances are primarily a consequence of fewer metals in the IGrM, driven by reduced metal yields in Chem5, and the removal of the instantaneous recycling of metals approximation employed by SIMBA. Additionally, an increased IGrM mass in low-mass SIMBA-C groups is likely triggered by changes to the AGN and stellar feedback models. Our study suggests that a more realistic chemical enrichment model broadly improves agreement with observations, but physically motivated sub-grid models for other key processes, like AGN and stellar feedback and turbulent diffusion, are required to realistically reproduce observed group environments.
comment: 40 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables. Published in Universe. This article belongs to the Special Issue Universe: Feature Papers 2024--"Galaxies and Clusters"
☆ The Gas-to-Dust Ratio Investigation in the Massive Star-Forming region M17
M17 is a well-known massive star-forming region, and its Gas-to-Dust Ratio (GDR) may vary significantly compared to the other areas. The mass of gas can be traced by the ${\rm CO}$ emission observed in the \emph{Milky Way Imaging Scroll Painting (MWISP) project}. The dust mass can be traced by analyzing the interstellar extinction magnitude obtained from the \emph{United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT)}. We computed the ratio ${W({\rm CO})/A_V}$: for ${A_V \le }$ 10 mag, ${{ W(^{12}{\rm CO})/ A_V}= (6.27 \pm 0.19)}$ ${\mathrm{{K \cdot km/s} \cdot mag^{-1}}}$ and ${{ W(^{13}{\rm CO})/ A_V} = (0.75 \pm 0.72)}$ ${ \mathrm{{K \cdot km/s} \cdot mag^{-1}}}$; whereas for ${{A_V} \ge 10}$ mag, ${{ W(^{12}{\rm CO})/ A_V} = (15.8 \pm 0.06) }$ ${\mathrm{{K \cdot km/s} \cdot mag^{-1}}}$ and ${{ W(^{13}{\rm CO})/ A_V} = (3.11 \pm 0.25)}$ ${ \mathrm{{K \cdot km/s} \cdot mag^{-1}}}$. Then, we converted the ${W({\rm CO})/A_V}$ into ${N(\rm H)/A_V}$. Using the WD01 model, we derived the GDR: for ${A_V \le }$ 10 mag, the GDRs were ${118 \pm 9}$ for ${^{12}{\rm CO}}$ and ${83 \pm 62}$ for ${^{13}{\rm CO}}$, comparable to those of the Milky Way; however, for ${A_V \ge }$ 10 mag, the GDRs increased significantly to ${296 \pm 3}$ for ${^{12}{\rm CO}}$ and ${387 \pm 40}$ for ${^{13}{\rm CO}}$, approximately three times higher than those of the Milky Way. In the discussion, we compared the results of this work with previous studies and provided a detailed discussion of the influence of massive stars and other factors on GDR.
comment: 10 pages, 14 figures, 2 tables, Accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ Starburst Galaxies in Their Last Billion Years: An H$δ$ Absorption Line Selected Sample
In this paper, we focus on the study of starburst galaxies in their final billion years. Our galaxy selection is based solely on the presence of the H${\delta}$ absorption line, which permits tracing the later evolution of starburst galaxies, coinciding with the emergence of A-type stars in these galaxies. We propose a novel method that utilizes star formation rate and UVJ colors to classify galaxies in the sample, and use the spectral features to mark their evolution stages. Our in-depth analysis of the MgII line indicates the substantial increasing of F- and G-type stars when a galaxy evolves from star forming to quiescent phase. Furthermore, we identify AGNs in this sample to explore their roles in the later stage of galaxy star formation history.
comment: 16 pages, 12figures, 3 tables
☆ Evolution of black hole echo modes and the causality dilemma
It has been shown that black hole quasinormal modes are subject to spectral instability, typically triggered by metric perturbations. These perturbations, which can introduce a minor bump in the effective potential of the wave equation, give rise to a novel branch of asymptotic quasinormal modes, dubbed the {\it echo modes}, which lie mainly parallel to the real frequency axis. This study explores the evolution of the echo modes and their interplay with the outward spiral motion observed in low-lying quasinormal modes. As the bump in the effective potential moves away from the central black hole, the echo modes collectively shift toward the real axis, with the spacing between successive modes decreasing uniformly. This collective motion occurs simultaneously with the spiral of the low-lying modes until the echo modes eventually take over the fundamental quasinormal mode. In the time domain, such a takeover coincides with a transition point for the temporal waveform, where the distinction between the original black hole's ringdown and the echoes becomes clear. This marks a transition in the characteristics of the waveform from primarily damped oscillations, dominated by the damping rate of the fundamental mode, to echo waves, characterized by periodic echo pulses. We argue that this phenomenon is universal by employing analytical and numerical analyses. We first elucidate our arguments using explicit but simplified toy models, where the effective potential barriers are disjoint. The derivations are then generalized to scenarios where perturbations are introduced on top of a black hole metric with a continuous effective potential. The observational implications, particularly the causality dilemma, are elaborated. We show that the echo modes can be extracted by applying the Fourier transform to ringdown waveforms, which can be important for gravitational wave observations.
comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, regular article
☆ The Type Ia Supernova and AGB-Regulated Interstellar Medium of Massive Galaxies
Observations and theory suggest that Type Ia supernovae (SNIa) heating and mass loss from asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars play a crucial role in the interstellar medium (ISM) of massive galaxies. We perform 3D hydrodynamic simulations of the central few kiloparsecs of massive galaxies, including radiative cooling and mass and energy injection from AGB winds and SNIa (resolving each SNIa remnant, a few $\times10~\mathrm{pc}$ in size), excluding black hole feedback. We study systems with different initial core thermodynamic profiles, focusing on NGC 1399. Our simulations reproduce its observed density and entropy profiles well. Over $100~\mathrm{Myr}$, two steady-state profiles emerge, depending on the inner circumgalactic medium (CGM) pressure and the ratio of Ia heating to cooling: (i) if SNIa heating is less than cooling, a cooling flow develops; (ii) if SNIa heating is comparable to or exceeds cooling, SNIa heating drives a slow subsonic outflow of AGB ejecta, with black hole accretion at small radii. This outflow, pressure-confined by the CGM, adapts the ISM to the CGM properties: a low entropy CGM results in a dense, low entropy ISM with higher black hole accretion, while a high entropy CGM leads to a less dense, high entropy ISM with lower accretion. This suggests that the AGB-SNIa regulated ISM connects CGM and galaxy scales, potentially influencing black hole feedback in massive halos. Approximate methods of modeling Ia heating, such as clustered SNIa and smoothly distributed heating, produce unrealistic ISM profiles over $100~\mathrm{Myr}$, highlighting the importance of resolving SNIa in simulations.
comment: 19 pages, 10 figures, simulation movies at: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuaNgQ1v_KMZh_O4fznaKMyvOEmhUav_T&si=9HbIdFQMIkDhd9dt, submitted to APJ
☆ VODKA: Complex molecular gas dynamics in a kpc-separation z=2.17 dual quasar with ALMA
In galaxy mergers, dual quasars - two actively accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs) - provide a unique opportunity to study the interplay between galaxy dynamics and quasar activity. However, very little is known about their molecular gas, which fuels star formation and quasar activity. In this study, we map the kinematics of the cold molecular gas in J0749+2255, a 3.8 kpc separation dual quasar at z=2.17 using the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) Band 4. We detect CO(4-3)650um, which shows remarkably complex morphological and kinematic structures. While the integrated CO map suggested a lens-like ring, this feature disappears with kinematic decomposition. The kinematic analysis with ALMA resolves the ambiguities introduced by previous observations, further supporting the dual quasar interpretation of J0749+2255. We find two kinematically distinct molecular gas components: spatially extended, yet dynamically complex slow-moving gas (FWHM~130 km/s), and a compact, blueshifted, fast-moving, turbulent gas (FWHM~300 km/s). The disturbed kinematics, likely driven by the merger, show hints of rotation but no molecular outflows, suggesting circumnuclear flows. We estimate a large molecular gas reservoir ($M_{H2}\sim10^{10} M_{\odot}$), yet the starburst activity appears to exceed the available fuel. We detect an extended continuum in excess at rest-frame 455 GHz. The kinematic complexity of CO implicates the connection of mergers on the starburst and quasar activity in J0749+2255, yet whether J0749+2255 represents the dual quasar population remains unclear. Targeted kinematic studies of larger dual quasar samples will be essential to disentangling the nature of dual quasars.
comment: 19 pages; 9 figures, 5 tables. Submitted to ApJ
☆ Redefining $Q$ for multi-component discs of stars and gas
We point out a fundamental mismatch in the $Q$ stability parameter for Galactic discs: Toomre's $Q = 1$ defines the boundary between axisymmetric stability/instability, while simulations, observations, and theoretical expectations apply $Q$ in the region $Q > 1$ as a measure for spiral activity (e.g. swing amplification), for which $Q$ has not been designed. We suggest to redefine $Q$ to keep $Q = 1$ as the stability boundary, but to equally yield a consistent map between $Q$ and the maximum swing amplification factor. Using the Goldreich-Lynden-Bell formalism, we find that particularly the $Q$ for gas discs has been mismatched, and should be redefined to close to the square of the traditional definition. We provide new formulations of $Q$ for simple, two-component, and multi-component discs, including a discussion of vertically extended discs, providing a simple iterative formula for which we also provide code. We find $Q \approx 1.58$ for the Solar Neighbourhood under our definition, closer to results from simulations. We compare the Milky Way and M74, showing that, consistent with observations, the theory suggests a higher $m$ number for the Milky Way (arguing against a 2-arm pattern) for stellar-dominated patterns. Gas instability arises at much smaller scales ($m \gtrsim 10$), and we link both M74's gas pattern and local spurs in the Milky Way to this gas instability rather than stellar spiral arms.
comment: 20 pages, 20 figures. Submitted to MNRAS
ASKAP EMU Radio Detection of the Reflection Nebula VdB-80 in the Monoceros Crossbones Filamentary Structure
We present a new radio detection from the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU) survey associated with the reflection nebula (RN) VdB-80. The radio detection is determined to be a previously unidentified HII region, now named Lagotis. The RN is located towards Monoceros, centred in the molecular cloud feature known as the `Crossbones'. The 944 MHz EMU image shows a roughly semicircular HII region with an integrated flux density of 30.2$\pm$0.3 mJy. The HII region is also seen at 1.4 GHz by NVSS, yielding an estimated spectral index of 0.65$\pm$0.51, consistent with thermal radio emission. Gaia DR3 and 2MASS data give a distance to the stars associated with the HII region of $\sim$960 pc. This implies a size of 0.76$\times$0.68($\pm$0.09) pc for the HII region. We derive an HII region electron density of the bright radio feature to be 26 cm$^{-3}$, requiring a Lyman-alpha photon flux of $10^{45.6}$ s$^{-1}$, which is consistent with the expected Lyman flux of HD 46060, the B2II type star which is the likely ionising star of the region. The derived distance to this region implies that the Crossbones feature is a superposition of two filamentary clouds, with Lagotis embedded in the far cloud.
comment: Accepted to the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia (PASA). 9 Pages, 4 figures, 2 tables
☆ Direct Evidence for AGN Feedback from Fast Molecular Outflows in Reionization-Era Quasars
Galactic outflows driven by rapidly-accreting quasars at high redshift are widely expected to play a key role in the short- and long-term future evolution of their host galaxies. Using new and archival ALMA data, we observed the OH 119um doublet lines in order to search for cold molecular outflows in a sample of 11 unobscured, IR-luminous quasars at z>6. This represents the first survey for molecular winds in reionization-era quasars, and we detect unambiguous outflows in 8/11 (73%) of the quasars. The outflows we find are substantially faster, by ~300km/s on average, than outflows observed in a roughly co-eval sample of non-quasar IR-luminous galaxies, suggesting that the AGN drive the winds to higher velocities. On the other hand, the implied molecular outflow rates are relatively modest given the high luminosities, suggesting typical mass loading factors ~0.5 in the cold gas. The outflows are consistent with expectations for momentum-driven winds regardless of the driving source, but the kinetic energy in the outflows suggests that the AGN must be at least partially responsible for driving the winds. Accordingly, we find trends between the outflow properties and the Eddington ratio of the black hole accretion, though this may be linked to the underlying trend with AGN luminosity. We find that the kinetic power carried in the cold outflow phase is typically only ~0.1% of the total AGN luminosity. Our study provides evidence in favor of AGN feedback on the cold molecular gas in $z>6$ quasar host galaxies, demonstrating that cold outflows are very common and powerful in the most extreme reionization-era quasars.
comment: ApJ accepted for publication. 21 pages, 11 figures plus appendix
☆ Zooming In On The Multi-Phase Structure of Magnetically-Dominated Quasar Disks: Radiation From Torus to ISCO Across Accretion Rates
Recent radiation-thermochemical-magnetohydrodynamic simulations resolved formation of quasar accretion disks from cosmological scales down to ~300 gravitational radii $R_{g}$, arguing they were 'hyper-magnetized' (plasma $\beta\ll1$ supported by toroidal magnetic fields) and distinct from traditional $\alpha$-disks. We extend these, refining to $\approx 3\,R_{g}$ around a $10^{7}\,{\rm M_{\odot}}$ BH with multi-channel radiation and thermochemistry, and exploring a factor of 1000 range of accretion rates ($\dot{m}\sim0.01-20$). At smaller scales, we see the disks maintain steady accretion, thermalize and self-ionize, and radiation pressure grows in importance, but large deviations from local thermodynamic equilibrium and single-phase equations of state are always present. Trans-Alfvenic and highly-supersonic turbulence persists in all cases, and leads to efficient vertical mixing, so radiation pressure saturates at levels comparable to fluctuating magnetic and turbulent pressures even for $\dot{m}\gg1$. The disks also become radiatively inefficient in the inner regions at high $\dot{m}$. The midplane magnetic field remains primarily toroidal at large radii, but at super-Eddington $\dot{m}$ we see occasional transitions to a poloidal-field dominated state associated with outflows and flares. Large-scale magnetocentrifugal and continuum radiation-pressure-driven outflows are weak at $\dot{m}<1$, but can be strong at $\dot{m}\gtrsim1$. In all cases there is a scattering photosphere above the disk extending to $\gtrsim 1000\,R_{g}$ at large $\dot{m}$, and the disk is thick and flared owing to magnetic support (with $H/R$ nearly independent of $\dot{m}$), so the outer disk is strongly illuminated by the inner disk and most of the inner disk continuum scatters or is reprocessed at larger scales, giving apparent emission region sizes as large as $\gtrsim 10^{16}\,{\rm cm}$.
comment: Submitted to the Open Journal of Astrophysics. 40 pages, 31 figures, high-level overview sections provided. Comments welcome
☆ Light curves and spectra for stellar collisions between main-sequence stars in galactic nuclei
High-velocity stellar collisions in galactic nuclei produce ejecta that generate potentially observable electromagnetic radiation, making them promising nuclear transients. However, the photometric and spectroscopic properties of these collisions, which would more frequently involve main-sequence stars, remain largely unexplored. Here, using 3D hydrodynamics and 1D radiation-transfer simulations, we investigate the properties and observables of the debris produced in high-velocity collisions between terminal-age main-sequence stars, covering a wide range of collision configurations. The ejecta produce bright UV flares with bolometric luminosities typically peaking at $\gtrsim10^{43}$ erg s$^{-1}$, declining steeply as $t^{-2}-t^{-4}$ to reach $\gtrsim10^{41}-10^{42}$ erg s$^{-1}$ at 0.5\,d, and leveling off on a plateau at $10^{39}-10^{41.5}$ erg s$^{-1}$ ($M_V$ between $-$10 to $-$15\,mag) after a few days. Their spectra evolve considerably during the first few days, morphing from UV- to optical-dominated. The UV range shows numerous resonance transitions from metals like C, N, and O, whereas the optical primarily shows H{\,\sc i}\ Balmer lines. These properties are qualitatively similar to those observed, as well as obtained in models of Type II supernovae. Observables from these events exhibit clear correlations with collision configurations, including impact parameter, relative velocity, and stellar masses. We provide fitting formulae to describe these correlations. Detecting these flares requires sub-day cadence surveys such as ULTRASAT, combined with spectroscopic observations to disentangle degeneracies and infer collision characteristics.
comment: 20 page, 19 figures, 2 tables, submitted to A&A. Comments welcome!
☆ Radio Signatures of a Massive Black Hole in GHZ9 at z $\sim$ 10
Synergies between the {\em James Webb Space Telescope} ({\em JWST}) and the {\em Chandra} X-ray observatory have advanced the observational frontier by detecting a handful of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) beyond $z \sim$ 10. In particular, the recent discovery of a candidate $\rm 8 \times 10^7~M_{\odot}$ black hole (BH) in the galaxy GHZ9 at $z =$ 10.4 favors massive seed formation channels for these objects. Motivated by prospects for their detection in radio by recent studies, we estimate radio fluxes for GHZ9 and explore the possibility of their detection with the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) and next-generation Very Large Array (ngVLA). We find that ngVLA should be able to detect radio emission from GHZ9 for integration times as short as 1 hr while SKA will require integration times of up to 100 hr. We also find that radio emission from the BH can be distinguished from that due to H II regions and supernovae in its host galaxy. The detection of a few hundred nJy radio signal at frequencies $> 2$ GHz will be a smoking gun for the presence of a BH in GHZ9.
comment: To be published in MNRAS
☆ The Qz5 Survey (I): How the HI Mass Density of the Universe Evolves With Cosmic Time
We report that the neutral hydrogen (HI) mass density of the Universe ($\rho_{HI}$) increases with cosmic time since $z \sim 5$, peaks at $z \sim 3$, and then decreases toward $z \sim 0$. This is the first result of Qz5, our spectroscopic survey of 63 quasars at $z \gtrsim 5$ with VLT/X-SHOOTER and Keck/ESI aimed at characterizing intervening HI gas absorbers at $z \sim 5$. The main feature of Qz5 is the high resolution ($R \sim 7000 - 9000$) of the spectra, which allows us to (1) accurately detect high column density HI gas absorbers in an increasingly neutral intergalactic medium at $z \sim 5$ and (2) determine the reliability of previous $\rho_{HI}$ measurements derived with lower resolution spectroscopy. We find 5 intervening Damped Ly$\alpha$ absorbers (DLAs) at $z > 4.5$, which corresponds to the lowest DLA incidence rate ($0.034^{0.05}_{0.02}$) at $z \gtrsim 2$. We also measure the lowest $\rho_{HI}$ at $z \gtrsim 2$ from our sample of DLAs and subDLAs, corresponding to $\rho_{HI} = 0.56^{0.82}_{0.31} \times 10^8~$M$_{\odot}~$Mpc$^{-3}$ at $z \sim 5$. Taking into account our measurements at $z \sim 5$ and systematic biases in the DLA detection rate at lower spectral resolutions, we conclude that $\rho_{HI}$ doubles from $z \sim 5$ to $z \sim 3$. From these results emerges a qualitative agreement between how the cosmic densities of HI gas mass, molecular gas mass, and star-formation rate build up with cosmic time.
comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. Main text is composed of 18 pages and 8 figures
☆ JAGB 2.0: Improved Constraints on the J-region Asymptotic Giant Branch-based Hubble Constant from an Expanded Sample of JWST Observations
The J-region Asymptotic Giant Branch (JAGB) is an overdensity of stars in the near-infrared, attributed to carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch stars, and recently used as a standard candle for measuring extragalactic distances and the Hubble constant. Using JWST in Cycle 2, we extend JAGB measurements to 6 hosts of 9 Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) (NGC 2525, NGC 3147, NGC 3370, NGC 3447, NGC 5468, and NGC 5861), with two at $D \sim 40$ Mpc, all calibrated by the maser host NGC 4258. We investigate the effects of incompleteness and find that we are unable to recover a robust JAGB measurement in one of the two most distant hosts at $R \sim 40$ Mpc, NGC 3147. We compile all JWST JAGB observations in SNe Ia hosts, 15 galaxies hosting 18 SNe Ia, from the SH0ES and CCHP programs and employ all literature measures (mode, mean, median, model). We find no significant mean difference between these distances and those from HST Cepheids, $-0.03\pm0.02$ (stat) $\pm$ 0.05 (sys) mag. We find a difference of 0.11 $\pm$ 0.02 mag between JAGB mode measurements in the CCHP analyses of two fields in NGC 4258, a feature also seen in two SH0ES fields (see field-to-field variations in Li et al. 2024a), indicating significant field-to-field variation of JAGB measurements in NGC 4258 which produce a large absolute calibration uncertainty. Variations are also seen in the shape of the JAGB LF across galaxies so that different measures produce different values of the Hubble constant. We look for but do not (yet) find a standardizing relation between JAGB LF skew or color dependence and the apparent variation. Using the middle result of all JAGB measures to calibrate SNe Ia yields a Hubble constant of $H_0$ = 73.3 $\pm$ 1.4 (stat) $\pm$ 2.0 (sys) km/s/Mpc with the systematic dominated by apparent differences across NGC 4258 calibrating fields or their measures.
comment: 29 pages, 18 figures, 7 tables, submitted to ApJ
☆ Ultracool dwarfs in Gaia
The Gaia optical observations are not the most suitable spectral domain for studying the low-mass, faintest and reddest part of the main sequence. Nevertheless, the large number of objects observed with an unprecedented precision, including trigonometric parallax, makes it an unrivaled dataset for studying the stellar-substellar boundary. In this paper, I review the contribution of the successive catalogues offered by the Gaia mission to study the low-mass, ultra-cool objetcs. I also present further characterisations and scientific exploitations of the Gaia sample.
comment: Evry Schatzman School 2023: Stellar physics with Gaia
☆ A comparison of the turbulent dynamo in weakly-collisional and collisional plasmas: from subsonic to supersonic turbulence
Weakly-collisional plasmas, such as the solar wind or the intra-cluster medium (ICM) of galaxy clusters, evolve in the presence of dynamically strong magnetic fields. The turbulent dynamo can amplify magnetic fields to such levels by converting turbulent kinetic energy into magnetic energy. While extensively studied in collisional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations, the weakly-collisional regime has only been explored recently. Here, we determine the properties of the weakly-collisional turbulent dynamo in the exponential ``kinematic" growth phase in both the subsonic and the previously unexplored supersonic regime of turbulence, using hybrid particle-in-cell (HPIC) and MHD simulations. We conduct a large parameter study, fixing the magnetic Reynolds number, Rm = 500, and the initial ratio of the magnetic to kinetic energy, $(E_{\rm{mag}}/E_{\rm{kin}})_{0} = 10^{-10}$, and then vary the kinetic Reynolds number, Re = 500, 50, and 5, for the MHD simulations. In the HPIC runs, only Rm = 500 is controlled, while Re emerges self-consistently from wave-particle interactions. We find that the velocity and magnetic field structures, probability distribution functions, and power spectra of the HPIC runs are similar to that of the MHD dynamo with Re ~ 50-500 and Re ~ 500 in the subsonic and supersonic regimes, respectively. Using MHD scaling relations, we infer $\text{Re}_{\rm inferred}=480^{+170}_{-250}$ and $690^{+360}_{-360}$ in the subsonic and supersonic weakly-collisional plasma, respectively. Overall, we find that the turbulent dynamo shares similar physical properties in both weakly-collisional and collisional plasmas. Our results of the weakly-collisional turbulent dynamo may have relevant applications to the solar wind, weakly-collisional shocks, and the hot ICM.
comment: 16 pages, 13 figures, Submitted to Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
♻ ☆ Testing Cotton gravity as dark matter substitute with weak lensing
Harada proposed a modified theory of gravity called Cotton gravity, and argued that it successfully explains the rotation curves of $84$ galaxies without the need of dark matter. In this work we use galaxy-galaxy lensing technique to test whether the modification effect of Cotton gravity can indeed be a viable substitute for dark matter. Using the spherically symmetric solution of Cotton gravity, we obtain the deflection angle via Gauss-Bonnet theorem and the weak lensing shear. We use five galaxy catalogs divided in 5 stellar mass bins from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 (SDSS DR7), each of which is further divided into blue star forming galaxy and red passive galaxy sub-catalogs. We find that Cotton gravity on its own has significant deviation from the measured galaxy-galaxy lensing signals, thus it cannot replace the role of dark matter. If we consider the combination of dark matter and Cotton gravity, the modification is tightly constrained. Our analysis also applies to other modified gravity theories whose an additional linear term appears in the Schwarzschild solution.
comment: 16 pages, 3 figures
♻ ☆ Cooling rate and turbulence in the intracluster medium of the cool-core cluster Abell 2667
We present a detailed analysis of the thermal X-ray emission from the intracluster medium (ICM) in the cool-core galaxy cluster Abell 2667 ($z=0.23$). Our goal is to detect low-temperature ($<2$ keV) X-ray emitting gas, potentially associated to a cooling flow that connects the hot ICM reservoir to the cold gas phase responsible for star formation and supermassive black hole feeding. We use new deep XMM-Newton EPIC and RGS data, combined with archival Chandra data, to perform a spectral analysis for the core region. We find 1$\sigma$ upper limits to the cooling gas fraction of $\sim$40 $\rm M_{\odot}yr^{-1}$ and $\sim$50-60 $\rm M_{\odot}yr^{-1}$ in the temperature ranges 0.5-1 keV and 1-2 keV, respectively. The lack of OVII, FeXXI-FeXXII, and FeXVII emission lines in the RGS spectra suggest that the fraction of gas cooling below 1 keV is limited to a few tens of $\rm M_{\odot}yr^{-1}$ at most. However, we detect several lines (e.g. SiXIV, MgXII, FeXXIII/FeXXIV, NeX, OVIII$\alpha$) that allow us to estimate a 1$\sigma$ upper limit for turbulent broadening of $\sim$320 km $\rm s^{-1}$, higher that other cool-core clusters such as Abell 1835, implying mechanisms that boost turbulence in Abell 2667's atmosphere. Imaging analysis of Chandra data suggests the presence of a cold front, possibly lined to sloshing or ICM cavities. However, current data do not clearly identify the physical mechanism driving turbulence. These finding indicate that Abell 2667 is similar to other low-redshift cool-core clusters, though the large upper limit on turbulence hints at significant ICM heating, which may suppress cooling for extended periods and contribute to future condensation events.
♻ ☆ Exploring Active Galactic Nuclei and Little Red Dots with the Obelisk simulation
The James Webb Space telescope has discovered an abundant population of broad line emitters, typical signposts for Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). Many of these sources have red colors and a compact appearance that has led to naming them `Little Red Dots'. In this paper we develop a detailed framework to estimate the photometry of AGN embedded in galaxies extracted from the \Obelisk{} cosmological simulation to understand the properties of color-selected Little Red Dots (cLRDs) in the context of the full AGN and massive black hole population. We find that using realistic spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and attenuation for AGN we can explain the shape of the cLRD SED as long as galaxies host a sufficiently luminous AGN that is not too much or too little attenuated. When attenuation is too low or too high, AGN do not enter the cLRD selection, because the AGN dominates over the host galaxy too much in blue filters, or it does not contribute to photometry anywhere, respectively. cLRDs are also characterized by high Eddington ratios, possibility super-Eddington, and/or high ratios between black hole and stellar mass.
comment: Accepted for publication in A&A
♻ ☆ The JWST/NIRSpec view of the nuclear region in the prototypical merging galaxy NGC 6240
Merger events are thought to be an important phase in the assembly of massive galaxies. At the same time, Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) play a fundamental role in the evolution of their star formation histories. Both phenomena can be observed at work in NGC 6240, a local prototypical merger, classified as an UltraLuminous InfraRed Galaxy (ULIRG) thanks to its elevated infrared luminosity. Interestingly, NGC 6240 hosts two AGN separated by 1.5''(~ 735 pc), detected in both X-ray and radio band. Taking advantage of the unprecedented sensitivity and wavelength coverage provided by the Integral Field Unit (IFU) of the NIRSpec instrument onboard JWST, we observed the nuclear region of NGC 6240 in a FoV of 3.7'' x 3.7''(1.9 x 1.9 kpc^2), to investigate gas kinematics and InterStellar Medium (ISM) properties with a high spatial resolution of ~ 0.1'' (or ~ 50 pc). We separated the different gas kinematic components through multi-Gaussian fitting and studied the excitation properties of the ISM from the NIR diagnostic diagram based on the H_2 1-0 S(1)/BrGamma and [Fe II]1.257micron/PaBeta lines ratios. We isolated the ionization cones of the two nuclei, and detected coronal lines emission from both of them. Using H_2 line ratios, we found that the molecular hydrogen gas is excited mostly by thermal processes. We computed a hot molecular gas mass of 1.3 x 10^5 M_sun and an ionized gas mass in the range of 10^5 - 10^7 M_sun. We studied with unprecedented spatial resolution and sensitivity the kinematics of the molecular and ionized gas phases. We revealed the complex structure of the molecular gas and found a blueshifted outflow near the Southern nucleus, together with filaments connecting a highly redshifted H_2 cloud with the two nuclei. We speculate on the possible nature of this H_2 cloud and propose two possible scenarios: either outflowing gas, or a tidal cloud falling onto the nuclei.
comment: 27 pages, 25 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A on 03/01/2025
♻ ☆ AGN Feedback in Quiescent Galaxies at Cosmic Noon Traced by Ionized Gas Emission
We analyze ionized gas emission lines in deep rest-frame optical spectra of 16 quiescent galaxies at redshift $1.7
comment: 20 pages, 18 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ
♻ ☆ Dependence of Multi-band Absolute Magnitudes and Color Indexes of the Tip of Red Giant Branch Stars on Metallicity in the Galactic Globular Clusters
The tip of red giant branch (TRGB) stars have attracted intensive attention in recent years because their $I$-band absolute magnitudes, $M_\rm I$, are often used for distance calibration in the Hubble constant measurements because of its almost independence on metallicity ([Fe/H]). However, a discrepancy exists between various studies and the theoretical stellar model predicts dependence of their luminosity on [Fe/H]. Here we present a careful study of the dependence of absolute magnitudes and color indexes on metallicity in optical and near-infrared bands. With the TRGB stars identified in 33 Galactic globular clusters by the reddest color in the $G_{\rm BP}-G_{\rm RP}$ vs. $G_{\rm RP}$ diagram, it is confirmed that $M_\rm I$ is almost constant of $-4.017 \pm 0.036 \pm 0.027$ mag when $[\rm Fe/H]<-1.2$, which would give $H_0=70.86\pm 1.2\pm0.9$ $\rm kms^{-1} Mp c^{-1}$ with this updated luminosity calibration for type Ia supernovae. However, for $[\rm Fe/H]>-1.2$, $M_\rm I$ is found to become fainter with lower metallicity, which would lead to a larger Hubble constant. In the optical $G_{\rm BP}, G_{\rm RP}$ and $V$ bands, the absolute magnitude of TRGB stars tends to increase with metallicity, while in the infrared $J, H$, and $K_{\rm S}$ bands, the variation with metallicity shows an inverse tendency. In addition, the analytical relations of the color indexes with metallicity are presented, which have smaller dispersion than those derived for the corresponding absolute magnitudes.
♻ ☆ NGDEEP: The Star Formation and Ionization Properties of Galaxies at $1.7 < z < 3.4$
We use JWST/NIRISS slitless spectroscopy from the Next Generation Deep Extragalactic Exploratory Public (NGDEEP) Survey to investigate the physical condition of star-forming galaxies at $1.7 < z < 3.4$. At these redshifts, the deep NGDEEP NIRISS slitless spectroscopy covers the [O II]$\lambda\lambda$3726,3729, [O III]$\lambda\lambda$4959,5007, H$\beta$ and H$\alpha$ emission features for galaxies with stellar masses $\log(\mathrm{M_\ast/M_\odot}) \gtrsim 7$, nearly a factor of a hundred lower than previous studies. We focus on the [O III]/[O II] (O$_{32}$) ratio which is primarily sensitive to the ionization state and with a secondary dependence on the gas-phase metallicity of the interstellar medium. We find significant ($\gtrsim5\sigma$) correlations between the O$_{32}$ ratio and galaxy properties as O$_{32}$ increases with decreasing stellar mass, decreasing star formation rate (SFR), increasing specific SFR (sSFR$\equiv \mathrm{SFR}/M_*$), and increasing equivalent width (EW) of H$\beta$ and H$\alpha$. These trends suggest a tight connection between the ionization parameter and these galaxy properties. Galaxies at $z\sim2-3$ exhibit a higher O$_{32}$ than local normal galaxies with the same stellar masses and SFRs, indicating that they have a higher ionization parameter and lower metallicity than local normal galaxies. In addition, we observe a mild evolutionary trend in the O$_{32}$ -- EW(H$\beta$) relation from $z\sim0$ to $z\gtrsim5$, where higher redshift galaxies show increased O$_{32}$ and EW, with possibly higher O$_{32}$ at fixed EW. We argue that both the enhanced recent star formation activity and the higher star formation surface density may contribute to the increase in O$_{32}$ and the ionization parameter.
comment: 31 pages, 12 figures
♻ ☆ Impacts of UV Radiation from an AGN on Planetary Atmospheres and Consequences for Galactic Habitability
We present a study of the effects of ultraviolet (UV) emission from active galactic nuclei (AGN) on the atmospheric composition of planets and potential impact on life. It is expected that all supermassive black holes, which reside at galactic centers, have gone through periods of high AGN activity in order to reach their current masses. We examine potential damaging effects on lifeforms on planets with different atmosphere types and receiving different levels of AGN flux, using data on the sensitivity of various species' cells to UV radiation to determine when radiation becomes "dangerous". We also consider potential chemical changes to planetary atmospheres as a result of UV radiation from AGN, using the PALEO photochemical model. We find the presence of sufficient initial oxygen (surface mixing ratio $\geq 10^{-3} \rm\, mol/mol$) in the planet's atmosphere allows a thicker ozone layer to form in response to AGN radiation, which reduces the level of dangerous UV radiation incident on the planetary surface from what it was in absence of an AGN. We estimate the fraction of solar systems in galaxies that would be affected by AGN UV radiation, and find that the impact is most pronounced in compact galaxies such as "red nugget relics", as compared to typical present-day ellipticals and spirals (using M87 and the Milky Way as examples).
comment: 22 pages, 8 figures; Accepted for publication in ApJ
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 22
☆ Emission from multiple molecular isotopologues in a high-inclination protoplanetary disk
We present a MIRI-MRS spectrum of the high-inclination protoplanetary disk around the solar-mass (K0) star MY Lup, obtained as part of the JWST Disk Infrared Spectral Chemistry Survey (JDISCS). The spectrum shows an unusually weak water emission spectrum for a disk around a star of its spectral type, but strong emission from CO$_2$, HCN, and isotopologues of both molecules. This includes the first ever detection of C$^{18}$O$^{16}$O and H$^{13}$CN in an inner disk, as well as tentative detections of C$^{17}$O$^{16}$O and HC$^{15}$N. Slab modeling provides molecular temperatures, column densities and emitting areas of the detected molecules. The emitting molecular gas is cold compared to that of other observed protoplanetary disk spectra. We estimate the isotopologue ratios of CO$_2$ and HCN, albeit with significant uncertainty. We suggest that the unusual spectrum of MY Lup arises from a combination of inner disk clearing, which removes emission from warm water, and its nearly edge-on inclination, which enhances line-of-sight column densities, although unusual chemistry may also be required. MY Lup's spectrum highlights the potential to detect and measure trace isotopologues to study isotopic fractionation in protoplanetary disks; observations at higher spectral resolving power is needed to constrain the isotopologue ratios to greater precision.
comment: 20 pages, 18 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal
☆ Impact of radiative accelerations on the stellar characterization of FGK-type stars using spectroscopic and seismic constraints
Chemical transport mechanisms are fundamental processes in stellar evolution models. They are responsible for the chemical distribution, and their impact determines how accurately we can characterize stars. Radiative accelerations are one of these processes. They allow the accumulation of elements at different depths in the star. We aim to assess the impact of radiative accelerations on the modeling of FGK-type stars and their impact on the prediction of surface abundances. To reduce the cost of the computation of radiative accelerations, we implemented the single-valued parameters (SVP) method in the stellar evolution code MESA. The SVP method is more efficient in calculating radiative accelerations, which enables computations of large enough grids of models for stellar characterization. Compared to models that include atomic diffusion (with only gravitational settling), the inclusion of radiative accelerations has a small effect on the inference of fundamental properties, with an impact of 2\%, 0.7\%, and 5\% for mass, radius, and age. However, the treatment of radiative accelerations is necessary to predict the chemical composition of and accurately characterize stars.
comment: 12 pafes,13 figures, 1 table
☆ ALMA reveals thermal and non-thermal desorption of methanol ice in the HD 100546 protoplanetary disk
Methanol (CH$_3$OH) and formaldehyde (H$_2$CO) are chemically coupled organic molecules proposed to act as an intermediate step between simple molecules and more complex prebiotic compounds. Their abundance distributions across disks regulate the prebiotic potential of material at different disk radii. We present observations of multiple methanol and formaldehyde transitions toward the Herbig Ae disk HD 100546 obtained with ALMA, building upon the previous serendipitous detection of methanol in this source. We find that methanol has a higher rotational temperature ($T_\mathrm{rot}$) than formaldehyde towards both the centrally concentrated emission component in the inner disk ($0-110$ au) and a radially separate dust ring farther out in the disk ($180-260$ au). $T_\mathrm{rot}$ decreases for methanol and formaldehyde from the inner ($152^{+35}_{-27}$ K and $76^{+9}_{-8}$ K) to the outer disk ($52^{+8}_{-6}$ K and $31^{+2}_{-2}$ K), suggesting that we are tracing two different chemical environments. $T_\mathrm{rot}$ for both species in the inner disk is consistent with thermal desorption as the origin, while the outer disk reservoir is driven by non-thermal desorption. The CH$_3$OH/H$_2$CO column density ratio decreases from 14.6$^{+5.2}_{-4.6}$ in the inner disk to $1.3^{+0.3}_{-0.2}$ in the outer disk, consistent with modelling predictions. The CH$_3$OH/H$_2$CO column density ratio for the inner disk is consistent with the median value in the range of column density ratios compiled from Solar System comets which would have formed at a similar distance. This supports the notion that interstellar ice is inherited and preserved by protoplanetary disks around solar-mass and intermediate-mass stars as we are seeing 'fresh' ice sublimation, as well as providing more evidence for the presence of prebiotic precursor molecules in planet-forming regions.
comment: 35 pages, 16 figures
☆ Starspot distribution and flare events in two young low-mass stars using TESS data
Wide-field high-precision photometric observations such as \textit{Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)} allowed the investigation of the stellar magnetic activity of cool stars. M-dwarf's starspots and stellar flares are the main indicators of magnetic activity. The present study focuses on modeling light curves (LCs) to analyze the distribution and characteristics of starspots e.g., location, temperature, and spot size. The \textit{TESS} light curves of two selected young M-dwarfs i.e. GJ~182 and 2MASS~J05160212+2214528 were reconstructed using the \textsc{BASSMAN} software, obtaining a three-spot model for GJ~182 and two-spot model for 2MASS~J05160212+2214528, describing their light curves. For GJ~182, the mean spot temperature was estimated to be approximately 3279~K, covering 5-8.5\% of the stellar surface while for 2MASS~J05160212+2214528 the average spot temperature was approximately 2631~K, with a mean spottedness of about 5.4\%. Using the 2-min cadence LC data, we identified and analyzed 48 flare events from GJ~182, while no flares were detected in 2MASS~J05160212+2214528. The estimated bolometric flare energy ranged from $10^{32} - 10^{35}$ erg, and 10$^{31}$ - 10$^{33}$ erg in the TESS bandpass. We derived the power-law index of -1.53 $\pm$ 0.12 and -1.86 $\pm$ 0.22 for flare frequency distribution in sectors 5 and 32 respectively in the flare energy 10$^{33}$ to 10$^{35}$ erg, consistent with previous studies for M-dwarfs. A positive linear correlation between flare energy and duration was found with a slope of $0.67 \pm 0.02$, suggesting a similar mechanism followed by stellar superflares and solar flares. By assuming the similarities with solar flares, we also estimated the lower limit of the magnetic field strength around 12 - 232~G to produce such superflare events.
☆ The First In-depth Photometric Study of the Four Delta Scuti Stars Using TESS Data
The first in-depth photometric study of four Delta Scuti stars was performed. We used time series data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) that is available in different sectors. According to the extracted maxima from TESS space-based observations, we calculated an ephemeris for each star. We estimated the physical parameters of the target stars based on the Gaia Data Release 3 (DR3) parallax method. The results obtained for the surface gravity of the stars are consistent with the reports of the TESS Input Catalog and Gaia DR3. We estimated the pulsating constant based on the physical parameters and period of the stars. Therefore, we found that the stars 2MASS 15515693-7759002 and 2MASS 07513202+0526526 belong to the fundamental, while 2MASS 00044615+4936439 and 2MASS 10215638-3326137 relate to the first overtone. The Fourier analysis using the Period04 program was done for each star. As we showed in the Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram, the stars are located in the instability strip of the Delta Scuti stars region. Four target stars were found to be of the low-amplitude Delta Scuti star type.
comment: Accepted by the Astrophysics Journal
☆ Solar flares as electron accelerators: toward a resolution of the acceleration efficiency issue
A major open issue concerning the active Sun is the effectiveness with which magnetic reconnection accelerates electrons in flares. A paper published by {\em{Nature}} in 2022 used microwave observations to conclude that the Sun is an almost ideal accelerator, energizing nearly all electrons within a coronal volume to nonthermal energies. Shortly thereafter, a paper published in {\em{Astrophysical Journal Letters}} used hard X-ray measurements \emph{of the same event} to reach the contradictory conclusion that less than 1\% of the available electrons were accelerated. Here we address this controversy by using spatially resolved observations of hard X-ray emission and a spectral inversion method to determine the evolution of the electron spectrum throughout the flare. So we estimated the density of the medium where electrons accelerate and, from this, the ratio of accelerated to ambient electron densities. Results show that this ratio never exceeds a percent or so in the cases analyzed.
☆ Observations of Transition from Imbalanced to Balanced Kinetic Alfvénic Turbulence
We report observations of solar wind turbulence derived from measurements by the Parker Solar Probe. Our findings reveal the emergence of finite magnetic helicity within the transition range of the turbulence, aligning with signatures of kinetic Alfv\'en waves (KAWs). Notably, as the wave scale transitions from super-ion to sub-ion scales, the ratio of KAWs with opposing signs of magnetic helicity initially increases from approximately 1 to 6 before returning to 1. This observation provides, for the first time, compelling evidence for the transition from imbalanced kinetic Alfv\'enic turbulence to balanced kinetic Alfv\'enic turbulence.
comment: 7 pages, 3 figures
☆ Decretion disc evolution and neutron star accretion in short-period eccentric Be/X-ray binaries
We examine Be star discs in highly eccentric Be/X-ray systems. We use a three-dimensional smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code to model the structure of the Be star disc and investigate its interactions with the secondary star over time. We use system parameters consistent with the eccentric, short-period (P $\approx$ 16 d) Be/X-ray binary A0538-66 as the basis for our models. We explore a range of system geometries by incrementally varying the misalignment angle of the neutron star's orbital plane with respect to the primary star's equatorial plane to cover a complete range from coplanar prograde to coplanar retrograde. For all simulations, we follow the evolution of the disc's total mass and angular momentum as well as the average eccentricity and inclination with respect to the equatorial planes of both the primary and secondary. We also determine the neutron star accretion rates. We find that the high eccentricity of the binary orbit causes all calculated disc parameters to vary with orbital phase in all models. The amplitude of these variations is negatively correlated with misalignment angle for models with misalignment angles less than 90{\deg}, and positively correlated for models with misalignment angles greater than 90{\deg}. Accretion rates are affected by the number of particles the neutron star interacts with as well as the length of the interaction time between the particles and the neutron star. We find that accretion rates are largest for models with misalignment angles less than 90{\deg}, and smaller for models with those greater than 90{\deg}.
comment: 20 pages, 19 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ Modelling the impact of circumbinary disk accretion on post-AGB binary evolution and surface chemistry
Post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) binaries are surrounded by dusty circumbinary disks, and exhibit unexpected orbital properties resulting from poorly understood binary interaction processes. Re-accreted gas from the circumbinary disk alters the photospheric chemistry of the post-AGB star, producing a characteristic underabundance of refractory elements that correlates with condensation temperature $\unicode{x2013}$a phenomenon known as chemical depletion. This work investigates how re-accretion from a disk drives chemical depletion, and the impact accreted matter has on post-AGB evolution. We used the MESA code to evolve 0.55 and 0.60 M$_{\odot}$ post-AGB stars with the accretion of refractory element-depleted gas from a circumbinary disk. Our study adopts observationally-constrained initial accretion rates and disk masses to reproduce the chemical depletion patterns of six well-studied post-AGB binary stars: EP Lyr, HP Lyr, IRAS 17038-4815, IRAS 09144-4933, HD 131356, and SX Cen. We find high accretion rates ($>\,$10$^{-7}$ M$_{\odot}$yr$^{-1}$) and large disk masses ($\geq\,$10$^{-2}$ M$_{\odot}$) necessary to reproduce observed depletion, particularly in higher-mass, hotter post-AGB stars (T$_{\textrm{eff}}\geq$ 6000 K). A slower evolution (lower core mass) is required to reproduce cooler (T$_{\textrm{eff}}\leq$ 5000 K) depleted post-AGB stars. Rapid accretion significantly impacts post-AGB evolution, stalling stars at cooler effective temperatures and extending post-AGB lifetimes by factors of around 3 to 10. Despite this, extended post-AGB timescales remain within or below the planetary nebula (PN) visibility timescale, suggesting accretion cannot account for the observed lack of ionised PNe in post-AGB binaries. Our findings constrain accretion-flow parameters and advance our understanding of disk-binary interactions in post-AGB systems.
comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, 5 tables
☆ The Gas-to-Dust Ratio Investigation in the Massive Star-Forming region M17
M17 is a well-known massive star-forming region, and its Gas-to-Dust Ratio (GDR) may vary significantly compared to the other areas. The mass of gas can be traced by the ${\rm CO}$ emission observed in the \emph{Milky Way Imaging Scroll Painting (MWISP) project}. The dust mass can be traced by analyzing the interstellar extinction magnitude obtained from the \emph{United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT)}. We computed the ratio ${W({\rm CO})/A_V}$: for ${A_V \le }$ 10 mag, ${{ W(^{12}{\rm CO})/ A_V}= (6.27 \pm 0.19)}$ ${\mathrm{{K \cdot km/s} \cdot mag^{-1}}}$ and ${{ W(^{13}{\rm CO})/ A_V} = (0.75 \pm 0.72)}$ ${ \mathrm{{K \cdot km/s} \cdot mag^{-1}}}$; whereas for ${{A_V} \ge 10}$ mag, ${{ W(^{12}{\rm CO})/ A_V} = (15.8 \pm 0.06) }$ ${\mathrm{{K \cdot km/s} \cdot mag^{-1}}}$ and ${{ W(^{13}{\rm CO})/ A_V} = (3.11 \pm 0.25)}$ ${ \mathrm{{K \cdot km/s} \cdot mag^{-1}}}$. Then, we converted the ${W({\rm CO})/A_V}$ into ${N(\rm H)/A_V}$. Using the WD01 model, we derived the GDR: for ${A_V \le }$ 10 mag, the GDRs were ${118 \pm 9}$ for ${^{12}{\rm CO}}$ and ${83 \pm 62}$ for ${^{13}{\rm CO}}$, comparable to those of the Milky Way; however, for ${A_V \ge }$ 10 mag, the GDRs increased significantly to ${296 \pm 3}$ for ${^{12}{\rm CO}}$ and ${387 \pm 40}$ for ${^{13}{\rm CO}}$, approximately three times higher than those of the Milky Way. In the discussion, we compared the results of this work with previous studies and provided a detailed discussion of the influence of massive stars and other factors on GDR.
comment: 10 pages, 14 figures, 2 tables, Accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ Intermittent, Reflection-Driven, Strong Imbalanced MHD Turbulence
We develop a phenomenological model of strong imbalanced magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence that accounts for intermittency and the reflection of Alfven waves by spatial variations in the Alfven speed. Our model predicts the slopes of the inertial-range Elsasser power spectra, the scaling exponents of the higher-order Elsasser structure functions, and the way in which the parallel (to the magnetic field) length scale of the fluctuations varies with the perpendicular length scale. These predictions agree reasonably well with measurements of solar-wind turbulence from the Parker Solar Probe (PSP). In contrast to previous models of intermittency in balanced MHD turbulence, we find that intermittency in reflection-driven MHD turbulence increases the parallel wave numbers of the energetically dominant fluctuations at small perpendicular length scales. This, like the PSP measurements with which our model agrees, suggests that turbulence in the solar wind and solar corona may lead to more ion cyclotron heating than previously realized.
comment: 16 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in the Journal of Plasma Physics
☆ On the Orbit of the Binary Brown Dwarf Companion GL229 Ba and Bb
The companion GL229B was recently resolved by Xuan et al. (2024) as a tight binary of two brown dwarfs (Ba and Bb) through VLTI-GRAVITY interferometry and VLT-CRIRES+ RV measurements. Here, we present Bayesian models of the interferometric and RV data in additional detail, along with an updated outer orbit of the brown dwarf pair about the primary. To create a model of the inner orbit with robust uncertainties, we apply kernel phases to the GRAVITY data to address baseline redundancy in the raw closure phases. Using parallel tempering, we constrain the binary's orbit using only VLTI-GRAVITY data, despite each epoch having low visibility-plane coverage and/or SNR. We demonstrate very agreement the VLTI-GRAVITY and CRIRES+ datasets and find that the inner binary has a period of 12.1346$\pm$0.0011 days, eccentricity of 0.2317$\pm$0.0025, and total mass of 71.0$\pm$0.4 Mjup, with Ba and Bb having masses of 37.7$\pm$1.1Mjup and 33.4$\pm$1.0Mjup respectively. With new Keck/NIRC2 astrometry, we update the outer orbit GL229B around the primary. We find a semi-major axis of 42.9+3.0-2.4AU, eccentricity of 0.736$\pm$0.014, and a total mass for B of 71.7$\pm$0.6Mjup, consistent with that derived from the inner orbit. We find a mutual inclination of 31$\pm$2.5deg, below the threshold for Kozai-Lidov oscillations. The agreement on the mass of Ba+Bb between the inner and outer orbits is an important test of our ability to model RV, astrometry, and Hipparcos-Gaia proper motion anomaly. Our methodological advances in handling interferometric data with low SNR and sparse UV-coverage will benefit future observations of rapidly-orbiting companions with VLTI-GRAVITY.
comment: Resubmitted to AJ
☆ Deep Generative model that uses physical quantities to generate and retrieve solar magnetic active regions
Deep generative models have shown immense potential in generating unseen data that has properties of real data. These models learn complex data-generating distributions starting from a smaller set of latent dimensions. However, generative models have encountered great skepticism in scientific domains due to the disconnection between generative latent vectors and scientifically relevant quantities. In this study, we integrate three types of machine learning models to generate solar magnetic patches in a physically interpretable manner and use those as a query to find matching patches in real observations. We use the magnetic field measurements from Space-weather HMI Active Region Patches (SHARPs) to train a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN). We connect the physical properties of GAN-generated images with their latent vectors to train Support Vector Machines (SVMs) that do mapping between physical and latent spaces. These produce directions in the GAN latent space along which known physical parameters of the SHARPs change. We train a self-supervised learner (SSL) to make queries with generated images and find matches from real data. We find that the GAN-SVM combination enables users to produce high-quality patches that change smoothly only with a prescribed physical quantity, making generative models physically interpretable. We also show that GAN outputs can be used to retrieve real data that shares the same physical properties as the generated query. This elevates Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) from a means-to-produce artificial data to a novel tool for scientific data interrogation, supporting its applicability beyond the domain of heliophysics.
comment: 9 pages, 6 figures
☆ Light curves and spectra for stellar collisions between main-sequence stars in galactic nuclei
High-velocity stellar collisions in galactic nuclei produce ejecta that generate potentially observable electromagnetic radiation, making them promising nuclear transients. However, the photometric and spectroscopic properties of these collisions, which would more frequently involve main-sequence stars, remain largely unexplored. Here, using 3D hydrodynamics and 1D radiation-transfer simulations, we investigate the properties and observables of the debris produced in high-velocity collisions between terminal-age main-sequence stars, covering a wide range of collision configurations. The ejecta produce bright UV flares with bolometric luminosities typically peaking at $\gtrsim10^{43}$ erg s$^{-1}$, declining steeply as $t^{-2}-t^{-4}$ to reach $\gtrsim10^{41}-10^{42}$ erg s$^{-1}$ at 0.5\,d, and leveling off on a plateau at $10^{39}-10^{41.5}$ erg s$^{-1}$ ($M_V$ between $-$10 to $-$15\,mag) after a few days. Their spectra evolve considerably during the first few days, morphing from UV- to optical-dominated. The UV range shows numerous resonance transitions from metals like C, N, and O, whereas the optical primarily shows H{\,\sc i}\ Balmer lines. These properties are qualitatively similar to those observed, as well as obtained in models of Type II supernovae. Observables from these events exhibit clear correlations with collision configurations, including impact parameter, relative velocity, and stellar masses. We provide fitting formulae to describe these correlations. Detecting these flares requires sub-day cadence surveys such as ULTRASAT, combined with spectroscopic observations to disentangle degeneracies and infer collision characteristics.
comment: 20 page, 19 figures, 2 tables, submitted to A&A. Comments welcome!
☆ Limits on New Lorentz-violating Bosons
We obtain novel constraints on new scalar fields interacting with Standard Model fermions through Lorentz-violating couplings, bridging searches for scalar particles and Lorentz-symmetry tests. These constraints arise from torsion-balance experiments, magnetometer searches, and an excessive energy loss in Red Giant stars. Torsion-balance experiments impose stringent constraints, benefitting from large macroscopic sources such as the Earth, Moon, and Sun. Magnetometer-based searches, which detect pseudo-magnetic fields through spin precession, offer additional limiting power to low-mass scalar fields. Meanwhile, observations of Red Giant stars place strong limits on additional energy loss mechanisms, extending these constraints to higher scalar mass ranges and a wider range of Lorentz-violating couplings. Combining data from laboratory experiments and astrophysical observations, this approach strengthens constraints on Lorentz-violating interactions and paves the way for future investigations into physics beyond the Standard Model.
comment: 29 pages, 3 figures
☆ Ultracool dwarfs in Gaia
The Gaia optical observations are not the most suitable spectral domain for studying the low-mass, faintest and reddest part of the main sequence. Nevertheless, the large number of objects observed with an unprecedented precision, including trigonometric parallax, makes it an unrivaled dataset for studying the stellar-substellar boundary. In this paper, I review the contribution of the successive catalogues offered by the Gaia mission to study the low-mass, ultra-cool objetcs. I also present further characterisations and scientific exploitations of the Gaia sample.
comment: Evry Schatzman School 2023: Stellar physics with Gaia
♻ ☆ Generalized Fluid Models of the Braginskii Type. Part 2. The Boltzmann Operator
In our previous paper (Hunana et al. 2022) we have employed the Landau collisional operator together with the moment method of Grad and considered various generalizations of the Braginskii model, such as a multi-fluid formulation of the 21- and 22-moment models valid for general masses and temperatures, where all of the considered moments are described by their evolution equations (with fully non-linear left-hand-sides). Here we consider the same models, however, we employ the Boltzmann operator and calculate the collisional contributions via expressing them through the Chapman-Cowling collisional integrals. These ``integrals'' just represent a useful mathematical technique/notation introduced roughly 100 years ago, which (in the usual semi-linear approximation) allows one to postpone specifying the particular collisional process and finish all of the calculations with the Boltzmann operator. We thus consider multi-fluid 21- and 22-moment models which are valid for a large class of elastic collisional processes describable by the Boltzmann operator. Reduction into the 13-moment approximation recovers the models of Schunk and Burgers. We only focus on the particular cases of hard spheres, Coulomb collisions, purely repulsive inverse power force $|K|/r^\nu$ and attractive force $-|K|/r^\nu$ with repulsive rigid core (or potential $V(r)=\delta(r)- |c|/r^n$, so that the particles bounce from each other when they meet), but other cases can be found in the literature. In the Appendix, we introduce the Boltzmann operator in a way suitable for newcomers and we discuss a surprisingly simple recipe how to calculate the collisional contributions with analytic software.
comment: Accepted to ApJ Supplement Series, 28/01/2025. The References are now JPP style and contain titles of papers. Three minor (but important) misprints with W_0 -> W_a were corrected as well
♻ ☆ Flaring Activities of Fast Rotating Stars have Solar-like Latitudinal Distribution
The dynamo theory has always been one of the biggest mysteries in stellar physics. One key reason for its uncertainty is poor knowledge of the dynamo process on stars except the Sun. The most important observation feature of solar dynamo is that active regions only appear at low latitudes, which provides a crucial constraint to the dynamo theory, while Doppler imaging, the current technique to spatially resolve stellar hemisphere, is difficult to distinguish the equatorial region . Hence, the latitudinal distribution of active regions (LDAR) of stars is ambiguous and controversial, mainly due to the limit of the current technique for spatially resolving the stellar surface. Fast rotating stars, which are young and active, are thought to operate with a different dynamo process than the Sun. We study their LDAR and compare them with the Sun to reveal the underlying dynamo process. Flares are drastic and observational activity events, which occur in active regions. Here, we propose a new method to study how the apparent flaring activity varies with respect to the inclination to determine the LDAR of fast rotating stars.We find that the LDAR of fast rotating stars is consistent with that of the Sun, contrary to expectations. Our results provide a crucial constraint to stellar dynamo, indicating that the solar-like dynamo also applies to fast rotating stars, even spanning different stages of their evolution.
comment: 12 pages,10 figures, accepted by A&A
♻ ☆ Dependence of Multi-band Absolute Magnitudes and Color Indexes of the Tip of Red Giant Branch Stars on Metallicity in the Galactic Globular Clusters
The tip of red giant branch (TRGB) stars have attracted intensive attention in recent years because their $I$-band absolute magnitudes, $M_\rm I$, are often used for distance calibration in the Hubble constant measurements because of its almost independence on metallicity ([Fe/H]). However, a discrepancy exists between various studies and the theoretical stellar model predicts dependence of their luminosity on [Fe/H]. Here we present a careful study of the dependence of absolute magnitudes and color indexes on metallicity in optical and near-infrared bands. With the TRGB stars identified in 33 Galactic globular clusters by the reddest color in the $G_{\rm BP}-G_{\rm RP}$ vs. $G_{\rm RP}$ diagram, it is confirmed that $M_\rm I$ is almost constant of $-4.017 \pm 0.036 \pm 0.027$ mag when $[\rm Fe/H]<-1.2$, which would give $H_0=70.86\pm 1.2\pm0.9$ $\rm kms^{-1} Mp c^{-1}$ with this updated luminosity calibration for type Ia supernovae. However, for $[\rm Fe/H]>-1.2$, $M_\rm I$ is found to become fainter with lower metallicity, which would lead to a larger Hubble constant. In the optical $G_{\rm BP}, G_{\rm RP}$ and $V$ bands, the absolute magnitude of TRGB stars tends to increase with metallicity, while in the infrared $J, H$, and $K_{\rm S}$ bands, the variation with metallicity shows an inverse tendency. In addition, the analytical relations of the color indexes with metallicity are presented, which have smaller dispersion than those derived for the corresponding absolute magnitudes.
♻ ☆ Successful $νp$-process in neutrino-driven outflows in core-collapse supernovae
The origin of the solar system abundances of several proton-rich isotopes, especially $^{92,94}$Mo and $^{96,98}$Ru, has been an enduring mystery in nuclear astrophysics. An attractive proposal to solve this problem is the $\nu p$-process, which can operate in neutrino-driven outflows in a core-collapse supernova after the shock is launched. Years of detailed studies, however, have cast doubt over the ability of this process to generate sufficiently high absolute and relative amounts of various $p$-nuclei. The $\nu p$-process is also thought to be excluded by arguments based on the long-lived radionuclide $^{92}$Nb.Here, we present explicit calculations, in which both the abundance ratios and the absolute yields of the $p$-nuclei up to $A\lesssim 105$ are successfully reproduced, even when using the modern (medium enhanced) triple-$\alpha$ reaction rates. The process is also shown to produce the necessary amounts of $^{92}$Nb. The models are characterized by subsonic outflows and by the protoneutron star masses in the $\gtrsim 1.7 M_\odot$ range. This suggests that the Mo and Ru $p$-nuclides observed in the Solar System were made in CCSN explosions characterized by an extended accretion stage.
comment: 22 pages, 8 figures. Clarifications and figures added, results unchanged. Updated to match the journal version
♻ ☆ Short-Term Balmer Line Emission Variability in M Dwarfs
M Dwarfs make up the majority of stars, offering an avenue for discovering exoplanets due to their smaller sizes. However, their magnetic activity poses challenges for exoplanet detection, characterization, and planetary habitability. Understanding its magnetic activity, including surface starspots and internal dynamos, is crucial for exoplanet research. In this study, we present short-term variability in four Balmer emission lines \ha, \hb, \hg, and \hd\ for a sample of 77 M dwarfs of varying spectral types, and binarity. Stars were observed using the MDM Observatory's Ohio State Multi-Object Spectrograph on the 2.4m Telescope and the Modular Spectrograph on the 1.3 m Telescope. These data are combined with TESS photometry to explore the connection between spectroscopic and photometric variability. We observe sporadic short-term variability in Balmer lines for some stars, on timescale $\gtrsim$ 15-min, but much shorter than the stellar rotation period. We calculate periods for stars lacking those measurements, re-evaluated the relationship between amplitude (\rvar)-activity relation for the \ha \ line from \citet{garcia_soto_contemporaneous_2023}, and extended our analysis to the \hb, \hg \ and \hd \ lines, which indicates that the relation becomes increasingly dispersed for higher-order Balmer lines. This is consistent with increased intrinsic variability from lower to higher order lines. Additionally, we compute the Balmer decrement, using \hb \ as the fiducial, for stars where we could measure \hg \ and/or \hd. The Balmer decrement can show distinct patterns during white-light flares, with significant differences even for the same star. We also find evidence for dark spots on \object{TIC 283866910}.
comment: 19 Pages (3 are references), 10 Figures
♻ ☆ Solar Particle Acceleration
High-energy particles may be accelerated widely in stellar coronae; probably by the same processes we find in the Sun. Here, we have learned of two physical mechanisms that dominate the acceleration of solar energetic particles (SEPs). The highest energies and intensities are produced in "gradual" events at shock waves driven from the Sun by fast, wide coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Smaller, but more numerous, "impulsive" events with unusual particle composition are produced during magnetic reconnection in solar jets and flares. Jets provide open magnetic field lines where SEPs escape; closed magnetic loops contain this energy to produce bright, hot flares, perhaps even contributing to heating the low corona in profuse nanoflares. Streaming protons amplify Alfven waves upstream of the shocks. These waves scatter and trap SEPs and, in large events, modify the element abundances and flatten the low-energy spectra upstream. Shocks also reaccelerate residual ions from earlier impulsive events, when available, that characteristically dominate the energetic heavy-ion abundances. The large CME-driven shock waves develop an extremely wide longitude span, filling much of the inner heliosphere with energetic particles.
comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Astronomy
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena 39
☆ Discovery and Timing of 49 Pulsars from the Arecibo 327-MHz Drift Survey
We present 18 pulsar discoveries from the AO327 pulsar survey, along with their timing solutions and those for an additional 31 AO327-discovered pulsars. Timing solutions were constructed using observations from a follow-up timing campaign taken between the periods of 2013 -- 2019 using the Arecibo Observatory's 327-MHz receiver. Aside from PSR J0916+0658, an isolated pulsar that shows evidence for partial recycling, the remaining discoveries are non-recycled pulsars. We present a brief census of emission features for all pulsars with the following standouts. PSR~J1942+0142 is found to exhibit the very rare phenomenon of subpulse bi-drifting and PSR~J0225+1727 has an interpulse. We also report distance estimates using the NE2001 and YMW16 Galactic electron density models, and identify at least 10 sources where either one or both models underestimate the maximum Galactic line of sight dispersion measure.
comment: 30 pages, 19 figures, submitted to ApJ
☆ A search for the anomalous events detected by ANITA using the Pierre Auger Observatory
A dedicated search for upward-going air showers at zenith angles exceeding $110^\circ$ and energies $E>0.1$ EeV has been performed using the Fluorescence Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The search is motivated by two "anomalous" radio pulses observed by the ANITA flights I and III which appear inconsistent with the Standard Model of particle physics. Using simulations of both regular cosmic ray showers and upward-going events, a selection procedure has been defined to separate potential upward-going candidate events and the corresponding exposure has been calculated in the energy range [0.1-33] EeV. One event has been found in the search period between 1 Jan 2004 and 31 Dec 2018, consistent with an expected background of $0.27 \pm 0.12$ events from mis-reconstructed cosmic ray showers. This translates to an upper bound on the integral flux of $(7.2 \pm 0.2) \times 10^{-21}$ cm$^{-2}$ sr$^{-1}$ y$^{-1}$ and $(3.6 \pm 0.2) \times 10^{-20}$ cm$^{-2}$ sr$^{-1}$ y$^{-1}$ for an $E^{-1}$ and $E^{-2}$ spectrum, respectively. An upward-going flux of showers normalized to the ANITA observations is shown to predict over 34 events for an $E^{-3}$ spectrum and over 8.1 events for a conservative $E^{-5}$ spectrum, in strong disagreement with the interpretation of the anomalous events as upward-going showers.
comment: 10+5 Pages of Manuscript plus Supplemental Material, 3+8 figures, Accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters
☆ Clash of the Titans: ultra-high energy KM3NeT event versus IceCube data
KM3NET has reported the detection of a remarkably high-energy through-going muon. Lighting up about a third of the detector, this muon could originate from a neutrino exceeding 10 PeV energy. The crucial question we need to answer is where this event comes from and what its source is. Intriguingly, IceCube has been running with a much larger effective area for a much longer time, and yet it has not reported neutrinos above 10 PeV. We quantify the tension between the KM3NeT event with the absence of similar high-energy events in IceCube. Through a detailed analysis, we determine the most likely neutrino energy to be in the range 23-2400 PeV. We find a $3.8\sigma$ tension between the two experiments assuming the neutrino to be from the diffuse isotropic neutrino background. Alternatively, assuming the event is of cosmogenic origin and considering three representative models, this tension still falls within 3.2-3.9$\sigma$. The least disfavored scenario is a steady or transient point source, though still leading to $2.9\sigma$ and $2.1\sigma$ tensions, respectively. The lack of observation of high-energy events in IceCube seriously challenges the explanation of this event coming from any known diffuse fluxes. Our results indicate the KM3NeT event is likely the first observation of a new astrophysical source.
comment: 7 pages, 6 figures
☆ Observations of Holographic Quantum-Foam Blurring
The "foamy" nature of spacetime at the Planck scale was an idea first introduced by John Wheeler in the 1950s. And for the last twenty years or so it has been debated whether those inherent uncertainties in time and path-length might also accumulate in transiting electromagnetic wavefronts, resulting in measurable blurring for images of distant galaxies and quasars. A confusing aspect is that "pointlike" objects will always be blurred out somewhat by the optics of a telescope, especially in the optical. But it turns out that Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are more useful to test this, and have been observed by a host of ground-based and space-based telescopes, including by the Fermi observatory for well over a decade. And a recent one was unprecedented: GRB221009A was extremely bright, allowing follow-up from the infrared through the ultraviolet to X-rays and gamma-rays, including a first association with photons at high TeV energies. I will discuss how that observation is in direct tension with the calculus of how spacetime "foaminess" can add up in an image of a pointsource at cosmological distances, which at high-enough energy could spread these out over the whole sky without resulting in photon loss. A simple multiwavelength average of foam-induced blurring consistent with holographic quantum gravity is described, analogous to atmospheric seeing from the ground. This fits with measured instrumental point-spread functions and with the highest-energy localization of GRB221009A, resolving the observational issues and pointing to a key physical implication: spacetime does not look smooth.
comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Conference Proceedings of IARD 2024 in Helsinki
☆ Momentum and Matter Matter for Axion Dark Matter Matters on Earth
We investigate the implications of matter effects to searches for axion Dark Matter on Earth. The finite momentum of axion Dark Matter is crucial to elucidating the effects of Earth on both the axion Dark Matter field value and its gradient. We find that experiments targeting axion couplings compatible with canonical solutions of the strong CP puzzle are likely not affected by Earth's matter effects. However, experiments sensitive to lighter axions with stronger couplings can be significantly affected, with a significant part of the parameter space suffering from a reduced axion field value, and therefore decreased experimental sensitivity. In contrast, the spatial gradient of the axion field can be enhanced along Earth's radial direction, with important implications for ongoing and planned experiments searching for axion Dark Matter.
comment: 35 pages, 10 figures
☆ The Evolution of Hypervelocity Supernova Survivors and the Outcomes of Interacting Double White Dwarf Binaries
The recent prediction and discovery of hypervelocity supernova survivors has provided strong evidence that the "dynamically driven double-degenerate double-detonation" (D6) Type Ia supernova scenario occurs in Nature. In this model, the accretion stream from the secondary white dwarf in a double white dwarf binary strikes the primary white dwarf violently enough to trigger a helium shell detonation, which in turn triggers a carbon/oxygen core detonation. If the secondary white dwarf survives the primary's explosion, it will be flung away as a hypervelocity star. While previous work has shown that the hotter observed D6 stars can be broadly understood as secondaries whose outer layers have been heated by their primaries' explosions, the properties of the cooler D6 stars have proven difficult to reproduce. In this paper, we show that the cool D6 stars can be explained by the Kelvin-Helmholtz contraction of helium or carbon/oxygen white dwarfs that underwent significant mass loss and core heating prior to and during the explosion of their white dwarf companions. We find that the current population of known D6 candidates is consistent with ~2% of Type Ia supernovae leaving behind a hypervelocity surviving companion. We also calculate the evolution of hot, low-mass oxygen/neon stars and find reasonable agreement with the properties of the LP 40-365 class of hypervelocity survivors, suggesting that these stars are the kicked remnants of near-Chandrasekhar-mass oxygen/neon white dwarfs that were partially disrupted by oxygen deflagrations. We use these results as motivation for schematic diagrams showing speculative outcomes of interacting double white dwarf binaries, including long-lived merger remnants, Type Ia supernovae, and several kinds of peculiar transients.
comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ
☆ ZTF SN Ia DR2: High-velocity components in the Si II $λ$6355
The ZTF SN Ia Data Release 2 provides a perfect opportunity to perform a thorough search for, and subsequent analysis of, high-velocity components in the Si II $\lambda$6355 feature in the pre-peak regime. The source of such features remains unclear, with potential origins in circumstellar material or density/abundance enhancements intrinsic to the SN ejecta. Therefore, they may provide clues to the elusive progenitor and explosion scenarios of SNe Ia. We employ a MCMC fitting method followed by BIC testing to classify single and double Si II $\lambda$6355 components in the DR2. The detection efficiency of our classification method is investigated through the fitting of simulated features, allowing us to place cuts upon spectral quality required for reliable classification. These simulations were also used to perform an analysis of the recovered parameter uncertainties and potential biases in the measurements. Within the 329 spectra sample that we investigate, we identify 85 spectra exhibiting Si II $\lambda$6355 HVFs. We find that HVFs decrease in strength with phase relative to their photospheric counterparts - however, this decrease can occur at different phases for different objects. HVFs with larger velocity separations from the photosphere are seen to fade earlier leaving only the double components with smaller separations as we move towards maximum light. Our findings suggest that around three quarters of SN Ia spectra before -11 d show high-velocity components in the Si II $\lambda$6355 with this dropping to around one third in the six days before maximum light. We observe no difference between the populations of SNe Ia that do and do not form Si II $\lambda$6355 HVFs in terms of SALT2 light-curve parameter x1, peak magnitude, decline rate, host mass, or host colour, supporting the idea that these features are ubiquitous across the SN Ia population.
comment: 28 pages, 20 figures
☆ Probing Spin-Orbit Resonances with the Binary Black Hole Population
Measurements of the binary black hole spin distribution from the growing catalog of gravitational-wave observations can help elucidate the astrophysical processes shaping the formation and evolution of these systems. Spin-orbit resonances are one process of interest, in which the component spin vectors and the orbital angular momentum align into a common plane and jointly precess about the total angular momentum of the system. These resonances, which occur preferentially in systems formed via isolated binary evolution with strong tidal effects, lead to excesses in the distribution of the azimuthal angle between the projections of the component spin vectors onto the orbital plane at $\phi_{12}=0,\pm\pi$. Previous analyses have demonstrated that this parameter is particularly difficult to constrain for individual binaries. In this work, we conduct the first hierarchical analysis modeling the population-level distribution of $\phi_{12}$ simultaneously with the other mass and spin parameters for simulated binary black hole populations to determine whether spin-orbit resonances can be reliably constrained. While we are unlikely to find definitive evidence for spin-orbit resonances with a population of the size expected by the end of the ongoing LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA fourth observing run, we correctly recover the various $\phi_{12}$ distributions we simulate within uncertainties. We find that we can place meaningful constraints on the relative excesses at $\phi_{12}=0,\pm\pi$, which encodes information about mass transfer in the formation of the binary. We can also distinguish between fully isotropic spin angle distributions and those with features in the spin azimuth and tilt distributions. Thus, we show that population-level measurements of the $\phi_{12}$ distribution offer a reliable, novel way to probe binary formation channels, dynamics, and mass transfer with gravitational-wave observations.
comment: 26 pages, 5 tables, 20 figures
☆ Fundamental Oscillation Modes in Neutron Stars with Hyperons and Delta Baryons
For a new parameterization of the modified effective chiral model, developed primarily to regulate the density content of the symmetry energy and its higher order terms, equations of state (EoSs) for hyperon-rich matter ($H$) and delta baryon matter ($\Delta$) were obtained. The models were used to investigate the emission of gravitational waves (GWs) through $f$-mode oscillations in the corresponding neutron stars. We obtained the stellar structure, $f$-mode frequency and tidal deformability $\Lambda$ for our models. We report that the $\Delta$ EoS is stiffer compared to the $H$ EoS. We also analyzed the velocity of sound in these media. The corresponding mass--radius relationships were obtained and compared with various observations. We studied the dependence of $f$-mode frequencies on the stellar mass, redshift and tidal deformability. We employed the well known Cowling approximation to obtain the $f$-mode frequencies for $l=2,\,3$ and $4$ modes of oscillation. We found that the $f$-mode frequencies of the $H$ and $\Delta$ EoSs were almost the same in the lower mass region, while we observed a substantial difference between them in the high-mass region. We also obtained an empirical relation for the EoSs considered. The various attributes obtained for our models showed close agreement with various observational constraints from pulsars and GW events.
☆ Exploring the limits of nucleonic metamodelling using different relativistic density functionals
In this work, we explore two classes of density dependent relativistic mean-field models, their predictions of proton fractions at high densities and neutron star structure. We have used a metamodelling approach to these relativistic density functionals. We have generated a large ensemble of models with these classes and then applied constraints from theoretical and experimental nuclear physics and astrophysical observations. We find that both models produce similar equations of state and neutron star mass-radius sequences. But, their underlying compositions, denoted by the proton fraction in this case, are vastly different. This reinstates previous findings that information on composition gets masqueraded in $\beta$-equilibrium. Additional observations of non-equilibrium phenomena are necessary to pin it down.
☆ Searching for Internal Absorption Signatures in High-Redshift Blazars
The gamma-ray emission from Flat Spectrum Radio Quasars (FSRQs), a sub-class of blazars, is believed to be generated through interactions of high-energy leptons and/or hadrons in the jet with the ambient photon fields, including those from the accretion disk, the broad line region (BLR), and the dusty torus. However, these same photon fields can also attenuate gamma-rays through internal photon-photon (gamma-gamma) absorption, imprinting characteristic spectral features. Investigating the internal absorption is crucial for unraveling the complex structure of FSRQs and constraining the poorly known location of the gamma-ray emission region. In this study, we select a sample of gamma-ray detected FSRQs with high redshift (z >= 3), to search for absorption features appearing at lower photon energies due to a substantial redshift. We extract the Fermi-LAT gamma-ray spectra of these sources and perform physical modeling using a detailed gamma-gamma opacity model, assuming that the BLR photon field dominates the absorption and focusing on the energy range ~25 GeV/(1+z), where the absorption feature due to Ly{\alpha} photons is expected. Our analysis reveals a hint of internal absorption for one source (the lowest redshift object in our sample, z~3) and provides constraints on the location of its gamma-ray emitting region along the jet. For the remaining, higher-redshift sources, the limited photon statistics prevent a reliable detection of internal opacity features.
comment: 10 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ
☆ Can a secluded self-interacting dark sector generate detectable gravitational waves?
In this work we study the possibility to detect the gravitational waves generated by a secluded self-interacting dark sector. ``Secluded'' means that the dark sector has almost no portal to the visible sector and thus its entropy is conserved by itself, and ``self-interacting'' means that dark matter in this model has a significant interaction to itself, making it consistent with the small-scale structure observations. A spontaneously broken $U(1)'$ is introduced for the interactions in the dark sector, and nearly massless dark radiation is also introduced to avoid the over-closure problem. Through a parameter space scan, we find that this model is highly constrained by the current observed effective number of neutrinos ($N_{\text{eff}}$) and the large-scale structure observable Lyman-$\alpha$. Combined together, these two constraints make such a secluded self-interacting dark sector almost impossible to generate gravitational waves accessible at future projects like SKA or LISA.
comment: 30 pages, 5 figures
☆ AT 2018dyk: tidal disruption event or active galactic nucleus? Follow-up observations of an extreme coronal line emitter with the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument
We present fresh insights into the nature of the tidal disruption event (TDE) candidate AT 2018dyk. AT 2018dyk has sparked a debate in the literature around its classification as either a bona-fide TDE or as an active galactic nucleus (AGN) turn-on state change. A new follow-up spectrum taken with the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, in combination with host-galaxy analysis using archival SDSS-MaNGA data, supports the identification of AT 2018dyk as a TDE. Specifically, we classify this object as a TDE that occurred within a gas-rich environment, which was responsible for both its mid-infrared (MIR) outburst and development of Fe coronal emission lines. Comparison with the known sample of TDE-linked extreme coronal line emitters (TDE-ECLEs) and other TDEs displaying coronal emission lines (CrL-TDEs) reveals similar characteristics and shared properties. For example, the MIR properties of both groups appear to form a continuum with links to the content and density of the material in their local environments. This includes evidence for a MIR colour-luminosity relationship in TDEs occurring within such gas-rich environments, with those with larger MIR outbursts also exhibiting redder peaks.
comment: 44 pages, 16 total figures. Submitted to MNRAS
☆ Fundamental Oscillations of Massive Boson Stars -- II
Boson Stars (BSs) are macroscopic self-gravitating configurations made of complex scalar fields. These exotic compact objects (ECO) would manifest as dark Boson stars and can contribute to a certain fraction of the dark matter (DM) in the universe. In this work, we study the fundamental non-radial oscillations ($f$-modes) of massive BSs and the associated gravitational wave (GW) emission. We consider massive scalar BSs having the potential of the form $V(\phi) = \frac{1}{2}m^2|\phi|^2 + \frac{1}{4}\lambda |\phi|^4$, restricting to the strong-coupling regime ($\lambda \gg m^2/M_{Pl}^2$) where solutions resembling fermionic stars are known to exist. We first review the available parameter space for scalar DM that can form massive BSs and enlist various constraints. We fit and provide simple analytical relations connecting various macroscopic observables for BSs, which can be directly incorporated into future studies of massive BSs throughout the strong coupling regime without requiring any numerical computation. We then solve for the non-radial $l=2$ fundamental quasinormal modes ($f$-modes) for massive BSs. Scaling relations for $f$-mode equations have been reported in another work. Using these, we perform a complete study of these oscillations spanning the entire available parameter space of massive BSs and provide analytical fits for the $f$-mode characteristics. We further study the universal relations for BSs and reveal the parameter space that is sensitive to the current and future planned GW detectors. We find that different parts of the parameters space can, in principle, be probed by the LISA, LIGO, and NEMO detectors. Finally, we briefly discuss the detectability of $f$-modes from BSs that have not been explored before.
comment: 37 pages, 15 figures
☆ Fundamental Oscillations of Massive Boson Stars and Distinguishability
Massive Boson Stars are self-gravitating configurations of self-interacting scalar fields. The equation of state of massive boson stars and their masses, radii, modeled by a self-interacting scalar field with potential of the form $V(\phi) = \frac{1}{2}m^2|\phi|^2 + \frac{1}{4}\lambda |\phi|^4$ are known to follow scaling relations. The non-radial fundamental oscillations of such massive BSs have been studied only for a few select model parameters so far. In this work, we demonstrate for the first time that the $f$-mode characteristics also follow a scaling in the strong interaction limit ($\lambda \gg m^2/M_{Pl}^2$). This opens up the outstanding prospect of studying the $f$-modes of massive BSs throughout the scalar DM parameter space. We study the implications of this finding by carrying out a detailed study of massive BS $f$-modes in a separate work. Here, having introduced this scaling, we use it to compare boson star oscillations with the neutron star and black hole quasinormal modes, thus providing a smoking gun for the distinguishability of BSs using gravitational waves.
comment: 10 pages, 3 figures
☆ Nonextensive entropic behavior observed in Quasar 3C 273
We investigate the flux intensities spanning from radio waves to X-rays across 39 light curves of Quasar 3C 273, utilizing publicly available data collected by the Integral Science Data Centre (ISDC) database. Our results suggest that Quasar 3C 273 exhibits nonextensive behavior. Furthermore, we calculate the $q$ entropic indices for these light curves using the $q$-Gaussian distribution with a predominant observation of cases where $q>1$. Based on this index, we estimate the non-extensive entropy ($S_{q}$) and explore its correlation with the energy (in eV). In this context, we identify two jump-like increases in entropy, particularly evident in the infrared (IR) and X-ray wavebands. The peak in the far-IR band, around 0.34 eV, results from synchrotron flares evolving from higher to lower energies and thermal radiation emitted by hot dust near the sublimation radius. However, the second entropic peak in the hard X-ray range lacks statistical robustness due to limited data or large measurement uncertainties.
comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, 1 table, submitted to EPL
☆ Modeling fast X-ray variability around an accreting black hole
X-ray inter-band time lags are observed during the outbursts of black hole X-ray binaries (BHXRBs). Timing analysis of fast variability in low Fourier frequency bands shows that high-energy photons lag behind low-energy photons, a phenomenon referred to as hard lag. Conversely, in high Fourier frequency bands, low-energy photons lag behind high-energy photons, known as soft lag. This frequency-dependent lag spectrum suggests that the lags arise from different physical processes. Notably, a trend has been observed wherein the lags shift towards shorter timescales during the rising hard state, indicating an evolution in the inner accretion flow. In this study, we simulate these inter-band lags by conducting Monte Carlo simulations of the rapid variability within the geometry of a jet base corona. We consider both inward propagating accretion rate fluctuations and reverberation (light crossing) delays in our simulations. We successfully reproduce both low-frequency hard lags and high-frequency soft lags in a self-consistent manner. We replicate the observed evolution of the frequency-dependent lag spectra by varying the geometrical scale of the corona and the viscous frequency of the disc. Finally, we discuss the potential of a spherical corona and emphasize that polarization observations from the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) and the enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry mission (eXTP) will be crucial for distinguishing the corona's geometry in future studies.
comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, submitted to ApJ
☆ Axisymmetric stability of neutron stars as extreme rotators in massive scalar-tensor theory
Differentially rotating scalarized neutron stars, mimickers of binary merger remnants, can possess an enormous angular momentum larger than what could possibly be sustained in a neutron star in general relativity by about one order of magnitude. A natural question to ask is whether these solutions are stable and thus can realize in a binary coalescence. With this motivation in mind, we examine the criterion of dynamical stability against axisymmetric perturbations for these ultra-rotators by numerically tracking their nonlinear evolution in an axisymmetric setup. We demonstrate that the turning-point criterion still serves as a sufficient condition for asymmetric (in)stability. Our findings open an interesting question of whether the merger of two scalarized neutron stars can produce (possibly short-lived) ultra-highly rotating merger remnants.
comment: 12 pages, 6 figures
☆ An Elaborate Search for Coherent Pulsations from Intermittent-AMXPs
We present a detailed systematic pulse search for three Intermittent-Accreting Millisecond X-ray Pulsars (Intermittent-AMXPs), HETE J1900.1-2455, SAX J1748.9-2021 & Aql X-1, via Z$_1^2$ and maximum likelihood (ML) techniques by using 16 years data of Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer/Proportional Counter Array (RXTE/PCA) in the energy range of 3.0 - 13.0 keV. We first performed a pulse scan using the Z$_1^2$ technique in millisecond sensitivities for every 25 s time interval with 1 s shifts to cover all data set around the detected frequencies given in the literature. We tracked the Z$_1^2$ power over time and flagged the time intervals exceeding defined threshold levels for each source as \textit{pulse candidates}. The detected pulse list throughout our scan has new discoveries while covering the pulsed regions presented in the literature. For a deeper search, using the pulses obtained from the Z$_1^2$ method as a probability density function as an input parameter, we re-scanned the time intervals centered on the detected pulse via ML. The detected pulse-on duration via ML is slightly longer than the one via Z$_1^2$ method. This phenomenon allows us to argue for the existence of the smooth transition between pulse-on and pulse-off stages. For SAX J1748.9-2021, we also obtained orbital period by using the systematic pulse arrival phase patterns throughput of ML to be 8.76 hours.
comment: Accepted for publication in New Astronomy, 23 Pages, 9 Figures, 2 Tables
☆ pyEFPE: An improved post-Newtonian waveform model for inspiralling precessing-eccentric compact binaries
The measurement of spin-precession and orbital eccentricity in gravitational-wave (GW) signals is a key priority in GW astronomy, as these effects not only provide insights into the astrophysical formation and evolution of compact binaries but also, if neglected, could introduce significant biases in parameter estimation, searches, and tests of General Relativity. Despite the growing potential of upcoming LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA observing runs and future detectors to measure eccentric-precessing signals, accurately and efficiently modeling them remains a challenge. In this work, we present pyEFPE, a frequency-domain post-Newtonian (PN) waveform model for the inspiral of precessing-eccentric compact binaries. pyEFPE improves upon previous models by introducing analytical expressions for the Fourier mode amplitudes, enhancing the numerical stability of the multiple scale analysis framework, and adding recently derived PN corrections, critical to accurately describe signals in GW detectors. Additionally, we simplify the numerical implementation and introduce a scheme to interpolate the amplitudes, achieving a speedup of up to ~O(20) in the waveform computations, making the model practical for data analysis applications. We thoroughly validate pyEFPE by comparing it to other waveform models in the quasi-circular and eccentric-spin-aligned limits, finding good agreement. Additionally, we demonstrate pyEFPE's capability to analyze simulated GW events, accurately recovering the parameters of signals described by both pyEFPE and IMRPhenomXP. While pyEFPE still lacks important physical effects, such as higher-order PN corrections, higher-order modes, mode asymmetries, tidal interactions or the merger-ringdown phase, it represents a significant step towards more complete waveform models, offering a flexible and efficient framework that can be extended in future work to incorporate these effects.
comment: The code repository is currently private, but will be made public after peer review
☆ VERITAS and multiwavelength observations of the Blazar B3 2247+381 in response to an IceCube neutrino alert
While the sources of the diffuse astrophysical neutrino flux detected by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory are still largely unknown, one of the promising methods used towards understanding this is investigating the potential temporal and spatial correlations between neutrino alerts and the electromagnetic radiation from blazars. We report on the multiwavelength target-of-opportunity observations of the blazar B3 2247+381, taken in response to an IceCube multiplet alert for a cluster of muon neutrino events compatible with the source location between May 20, 2022 and November 10, 2022. B3 2247+381 was not detected with VERITAS during this time period. The source was found to be in a low-flux state in the optical, ultraviolet and gamma-ray bands for the time interval corresponding to the neutrino event, but was detected in the hard X-ray band with NuSTAR during this period. We find the multiwavelength spectral energy distribution is well described using a simple one-zone leptonic synchrotron self-Compton radiation model. Moreover, assuming the neutrinos originate from hadronic processes within the jet, the neutrino flux would be accompanied by a photon flux from the cascade emission, and the integrated photon flux required in such a case would significantly exceed the total multiwavelength fluxes and the VERITAS upper limits presented here. The lack of flaring activity observed with VERITAS, combined with the low multiwavelength flux levels, and given the significance of the neutrino excess is at 3$\sigma$ level (uncorrected for trials), makes B3 2247+381 an unlikely source of the IceCube multiplet. We conclude that the neutrino excess is likely a background fluctuation.
comment: 26 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal (ApJ)
☆ Properties of the emission region in pulsars with opposite subpulse drift directions in different profile components
We investigate properties of the emission region as revealed by drifting subpulses of opposite drift directions at different parts of a pulse profile by using the rotating carousel model in an obliquely rotating pulsar magnetosphere of multiple emission states. Subpulse emission is assumed coming from m discrete emission areas that are distributed around the magnetic axis on a rotating carousel. The flow rate of the emission areas is determined by the E x B drift in an emission state, designated by the parameter y, in which E and the associated flow rate are dependent on y. In this model, subpulses appear to drift in an emission state if a relative speed exists between the plasma flow and corotation, and the diversity in the drift rates and directions corresponds to the relative speed being different in different parts of a profile. We apply the model to three pulsars that exhibit drifting subpulses of opposite drift directions to identify the emission states and the values of m. Our results show that different drifting subpulses correspond to particular values of m and y, and the latter implies that different emission states can coexist and operate concurrently in an emission region. We find that m does not show clear dependency on either the obliquity angle or emission state. We demonstrate that subpulse arrangement may vary across an emission region meaning that it is not always uniform on a carousel. We discuss drifting subpulses of opposite drift directions and subpulse drift-rate switching in terms of different emission states in our model, and speculate that they may be two manifestations of the same underlying mechanism.
comment: 13 pages, 4 figures
☆ Optimizing Bayesian model selection for equation of state of cold neutron stars
We introduce a computational framework, Bayesian Evidence calculation fOr Model Selection (BEOMS) to evaluate multiple Bayesian model selection methods in the context of determining the equation of state (EOS) for cold neutron star (NS), focusing on their performance with current and next-generation gravitational wave (GW) observatories. We conduct a systematic comparison of various EOS models by using posterior distributions obtained from EOS-agnostic Bayesian inference of binary parameters applied to GWs from a population of binary neutron star (BNS) mergers. The cumulative evidence for each model is calculated in a multi-dimensional parameter space characterized by neutron star masses and tidal deformabilities. Our findings indicate that Bayesian model selection is most effective when performed in the two-dimensional subspace of component mass and tidal deformability, requiring fewer events to distinguish between EOS models with high confidence. Furthermore, we establish a relationship between the precision of tidal deformability measurements and the accuracy of model selection, taking into account the evolving sensitivities of current and planned GW observatories. BEOMS offers computational efficiency and can be adapted to execute model selection for gravitational wave data from other sources.
comment: LVK PnP approved, 22 Page, 14 figures
☆ Unveiling the emission properties of three long-period pulsars using FAST
We detail the emission behaviors of three long-period pulsars detected using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) during the CRAFTS survey. Their rotational periods range from 1.83 s to 4.75 s, and the null fractions measure between 28% and 53%. PSR J1945+1211 and PSR J2323+1214 exhibited quasi-periodic nulls, with duration of around 57 seconds. The longest null was observed in PSR J1945+1211, lasting 76 seconds. PSR J2323+1214 displayed varying null fractions between its leading and trailing components. For the first time in PSR J2323+1214, we detected five dwarf pulses, which are much weaker and narrower pulses than typical burst pulses. In addition, we investigate the microstructure of PSR J1900-0134 for the first time, revealing intricate pulses of up to 2.05 milliseconds and noting its complex emission characteristics. Bright pulses occur in all of these sources at different rates. These observations suggest complex magnetospheric processes, potentially related to magnetic reconnections, and provide insights into the origins of bright and microstructure pulses, as well as their distinctions from ordinary pulses.
comment: 36 pages, 23 figures
☆ The GeV $γ$-ray emission from the composite SNR CTB 87
We report the GeV $\gamma$-ray emission around the composite supernova remnant (SNR) CTB 87 with more than 16 yrs PASS 8 data recorded by the Fermi Large Area Telescope. Two separate point sources with the different GeV spectra are identified in this region: one has a soft $\gamma$-ray spectrum, likely due to interactions between the SNR shock and molecular clouds (MCs); and another source with a hard GeV $\gamma$-ray spectrum aligns with the TeV spectrum of VER J2016+371, suggesting it as the GeV counterpart. Considering the observations of CTB 87 in the radio and X-ray bands, VER J2016+371 is proposed to originate from the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) associated with PSR J2016+3711. A leptonic model with a broken power-law electron distribution could explain the multi-wavelength data of VER J2016+371, with fitted parameters matching typical $\gamma$-ray PWNe. Deeper searching for the SNR shock of CTB 87 in other bands and the future TeV observations by LHAASO and CTA are crucial to reveal the nature of CTB 87.
comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publicaton in ApJ
♻ ☆ Confronting the dark matter capture rate with a continuous gravitational wave probe of local neutron stars
Continuous gravitational waves (CGWs) from various astrophysical sources are one of the many future probes of upcoming gravitational wave (GW) search missions. Neutron stars (NSs) with deformity are one of the leading sources of CGW emissions. In this work, for the first time, a novel attempt to estimate the dark matter (DM) capture rate is performed using CGW as the probe to the local NS population. Competitive bounds on DM capture from the local NS population are reported when compared with DM direct search experiments and other astrophysical observations.
comment: 19 pages, 1 table, 5 figures
♻ ☆ Pseudo-Dirac Neutrinos and Relic Neutrino Matter Effect on the High-energy Neutrino Flavor Composition
We show that if neutrinos are pseudo-Dirac, they can potentially affect the flavor ratio predictions for the high-energy astrophysical neutrino flux observed by IceCube. In this context, we point out a novel matter effect induced by the cosmic neutrino background (C$\nu$B) on the flavor ratio composition. Specifically, the active-sterile neutrino oscillations over the astrophysical baseline lead to an energy-dependent flavor ratio at Earth due to the C$\nu$B matter effect, which is in principle distinguishable from the vacuum oscillation effect, provided there is an asymmetry between the neutrino and antineutrino number densities, as well as a local C$\nu$B overdensity. Considering the projected precision of the 3-neutrino oscillation parameter measurements and improved flavor triangle measurements, we show that the next-generation neutrino telescopes, such as KM3NeT and IceCube-Gen2, can in principle probe the pseudo-Dirac neutrino hypothesis and the C$\nu$B matter effect.
comment: 16 pages, 6 figures; matches published version
♻ ☆ Cherenkov emission by a fast-moving uncharged Schwarzschild black hole
We demonstrate that in the presence of an external magnetic field, an uncharged classical Schwarzschild black hole moving superluminally in a dielectric with permittivity $\epsilon > 1$ produces Cherenkov emission. This is a new physical effect: classical (non-quantum) emission of electromagnetic waves by a completely charge-neutral ``particle''. The governing equations (involving General Relativity, electromagnetism, and the physics of continuous media) have no external electromagnetic source - it is the distortion of the initial electromagnetic fields by the gravity of the black hole that plays the role of a superluminally moving source. The effect relies on nonzero values of both the magnetic field and the gravitational radius, as well as on the usual Cherenkov condition on the velocity, $v/c > 1/\sqrt{\epsilon}$. Unlike Cherenkov emission by a point charge, the effective source in this case is spatially distributed, with emission generated along the single Cherenkov emission cone. The emitted spectrum is red-dominated, with power $\propto dk_z /|k_z|$ for wave numbers $|k_z| \leq 1/R_G$, where $R_G$ is the Schwarzschild radius. We comment on possible observability of this process during black hole -- neutron star mergers.
♻ ☆ Optical evolution of AT 2024wpp: the high-velocity outflows in Cow-like transients are consistent with high spherical symmetry
We present the analysis of optical data of a bright and extremely-rapidly evolving transient, AT2024wpp, whose properties are similar to the enigmatic AT2018cow (aka the Cow). AT2024wpp rose to a peak brightness of c=-21.9mag in 4.3d and remained above the half-maximum brightness for only 6.7d. The blackbody fits to the multi-band photometry show that the event remained persistently hot (T>20000K) with a rapidly receding photosphere (v~11500km/s) until the end of the photometric dataset at +16.1d post-discovery. This behaviour mimics that of AT2018cow, albeit with a several times larger photosphere. The spectra are consistent with blackbody emission throughout our spectral sequence ending at +21.9d, showing a tentative, very broad emission feature at 5500{\AA} -- implying that the optical photosphere is likely within a near-relativistic outflow. Furthermore, reports of strong X-ray and radio emission cement the nature of AT2024wpp as a likely Cow-like transient. AT2024wpp is only the second event of the class with optical polarimetry. Our BVRI observations obtained from +6.1 to +14.4d show a low polarisation of P<0.5% across all bands, similar to AT2018cow that was consistent with P~0% during the same outflow-driven phase. In the absence of evidence for a preferential viewing angle, it is unlikely that both events would have shown low polarisation in the case that their photospheres were aspherical. As such, we conclude that the near-relativistic outflows launched in these events are likely highly spherical, but polarimetric observations of further events are crucial to constrain their ejecta geometry and stratification in detail.
comment: 13 pages, 7 figures. Accepted to MNRAS
♻ ☆ Where is the Super-virial Gas? II: Insight from the Survey of Galactic Sightlines
Recent observations have revealed a super-virial temperature gas phase at log(T/K) $\sim7$ in the Milky Way, challenging existing galaxy-formation models. This hot gas phase was discovered toward extragalactic absorption sightlines and blank-sky emission fields, both at high galactic latitudes. The location of this hot component is unknown; is it in the extended circumgalactic medium (CGM) or in the interstellar medium (ISM) instead? We analyzed X-ray spectra from Chandra's High-Energy Transmission Grating (HETG) observations of 27 Galactic X-ray binaries (XRBs) to investigate whether the hot gas component is present in the ISM. We searched for absorption lines of SXVI K$\alpha$, SiXIV K$\alpha$, and NeX K$\alpha$, which are the tell-tale signatures of the hot gas and which have been detected toward extragalactic sightlines. Of the 27 targets, these lines were detected in the spectra of only 7, with two sources displaying broad line features likely intrinsic to the XRB systems. Additionally, most of the detected lines are time-variable, reinforcing their likely association with the XRBs. Our results suggest that the super-virial temperature gas is not a widespread component of the ISM but may instead be located in extraplanar regions or the extended CGM, in line with some recent simulation results.
comment: Accepted in the Astrophysical Journal (ApJ), 4 Figures and 4 tables
♻ ☆ Neutrino flux sensitivity to the next galactic core-collapse supernova in COSINUS
While neutrinos are often treated as a background for many dark matter experiments, these particles offer a new avenue for physics: the detection of core-collapse supernovae. Supernovae are extremely energetic, violent and complex events that mark the death of massive stars. During their collapse stars emit a large number of neutrinos in a short burst. These neutrinos carry 99\% of the emitted energy which makes their detection fundamental in understanding supernovae. This paper illustrates how COSINUS (Cryogenic Observatory for SIgnatures seen in Next-generation Underground Searches), a sodium iodide (NaI) based dark matter search, will be sensitive to the next galactic core-collapse supernova. The experiment is composed of two separate detectors which will be sensitive to far and nearby supernovae. The inner core of the experiment will consist of NaI crystals operating as scintillating calorimeters, mainly sensitive to the Coherent Elastic Scattering of Neutrinos (CE$\nu$NS) against the Na and I nuclei. The low mass of the cryogenic detectors gives the experiment a sensitivity to close supernovae below 1kpc without pileup. They will see up to hundreds of CE$\nu$NS events from a supernova happening at 200pc. The crystals reside at the center of a cylindrical 230T water tank, instrumented with 30 photomultipliers. This tank acts as a passive and active shield able to detect the Cherenkov radiation induced by impinging charged particles from ambient and cosmogenic radioactivity. A supernova near the Milky Way Center (10kpc) will be easily detected inducing $\sim$60 measurable events, and the water tank will have a 3$\sigma$ sensitivity to supernovae up to 22kpc, seeing $\sim$10 events. This paper shows how, even without dedicated optimization, modern dark matter experiments will also play their part in the multi-messenger effort to detect the next galactic core-collapse supernova.
♻ ☆ Measurement of the Depth of Maximum of Air-Shower Profiles with energies between $\mathbf{10^{18.5}}$ and $\mathbf{10^{20}}$ eV using the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory and Deep Learning
We report an investigation of the mass composition of cosmic rays with energies from 3 to 100 EeV (1 EeV=$10^{18}$ eV) using the distributions of the depth of shower maximum $X_\mathrm{max}$. The analysis relies on ${\sim}50,000$ events recorded by the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory and a deep-learning-based reconstruction algorithm. Above energies of 5 EeV, the data set offers a 10-fold increase in statistics with respect to fluorescence measurements at the Observatory. After cross-calibration using the Fluorescence Detector, this enables the first measurement of the evolution of the mean and the standard deviation of the $X_\mathrm{max}$ distributions up to 100 EeV. Our findings are threefold: (1.) The evolution of the mean logarithmic mass towards a heavier composition with increasing energy can be confirmed and is extended to 100 EeV. (2.) The evolution of the fluctuations of $X_\mathrm{max}$ towards a heavier and purer composition with increasing energy can be confirmed with high statistics. We report a rather heavy composition and small fluctuations in $X_\mathrm{max}$ at the highest energies. (3.) We find indications for a characteristic structure beyond a constant change in the mean logarithmic mass, featuring three breaks that are observed in proximity to the ankle, instep, and suppression features in the energy spectrum.
comment: Version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. D, 29 pages, 19 figures, 5 tables
♻ ☆ Inference of the Mass Composition of Cosmic Rays with energies from $\mathbf{10^{18.5}}$ to $\mathbf{10^{20}}$ eV using the Pierre Auger Observatory and Deep Learning
We present measurements of the atmospheric depth of the shower maximum $X_\mathrm{max}$, inferred for the first time on an event-by-event level using the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. Using deep learning, we were able to extend measurements of the $X_\mathrm{max}$ distributions up to energies of 100 EeV ($10^{20}$ eV), not yet revealed by current measurements, providing new insights into the mass composition of cosmic rays at extreme energies. Gaining a 10-fold increase in statistics compared to the Fluorescence Detector data, we find evidence that the rate of change of the average $X_\mathrm{max}$ with the logarithm of energy features three breaks at $6.5\pm0.6~(\mathrm{stat})\pm1~(\mathrm{sys})$ EeV, $11\pm 2~(\mathrm{stat})\pm1~(\mathrm{sys})$ EeV, and $31\pm5~(\mathrm{stat})\pm3~(\mathrm{sys})$ EeV, in the vicinity to the three prominent features (ankle, instep, suppression) of the cosmic-ray flux. The energy evolution of the mean and standard deviation of the measured $X_\mathrm{max}$ distributions indicates that the mass composition becomes increasingly heavier and purer, thus being incompatible with a large fraction of light nuclei between 50 EeV and 100 EeV.
comment: Version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett., 9 pages, 3 figures, 1 table
♻ ☆ Theoretical Modelling of Gamma-Ray Burst 090510
Gamma-ray bursts detected at high energies provide valuable insights into the emission mechanisms behind these still puzzling enigmatic events. In this study, we focus on GRB 090510, which is an unusual short GRB exhibiting plateau emission observed by the Fermi-LAT. Using the general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic code (HARM), we aim to infer the key properties of this GRB, such as the jet opening angle, the energetics, the Lorentz Gamma factor, the jet structure and its variability, and the progenitor parameters of the compact binary system. We explored both the 2D and 3D models and estimated the variability timescales. Our findings show that the predicted jet opening angle is within $88\%$ of the observed upper limit from observations, and the energetics are in general agreement with observed values when accounting for the evolution of jet opening angle with redshift. This work establishes the foundation for ongoing exploration, which will further align the theoretical model simulations with observational data.
comment: accepted in the Proceedings of the MarcellGrossmann
♻ ☆ SMILE: Discriminating milli-lens systems in a VLBI pilot project
Dark Matter (DM) remains poorly probed on critical, sub-galactic scales, where predictions from different models diverge in terms of abundance and density profiles of halos. Gravitational lens systems on milli-arcsecond scales (milli-lenses) are expected for a population of dense DM halos (free-floating or sub-halos) and free-floating supermassive black holes in the mass range of $10^6$ to $10^9\,M_\odot$. In this paper, we aim to look for milli-lens systems via a systematic search in a large sample of radio-loud AGN observed with very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI). We present the observational strategy to discriminate milli-lenses from contaminant objects mimicking a milli-lens morphology. In a pilot project, we have investigated VLBI images from 13,828 sources from the Astrogeo VLBI image database and reduced the number of candidates to 40 in a first step. We present here the images and analysis of new sensitive follow-up observations with the EVN at 5 and 22 GHz and streamline our analysis to reject milli-lens candidates. By using constraints such as the surface brightness ratio, conservation of spectral shape, stability of flux ratios over time, and changes in morphology, we can confidently discriminate between milli-lenses and contaminant objects that mimick them. Using the above constraints, we rule out 31 out of our initial 40 candidates of milli-lens systems, demonstrating the power of our approach. Also, we found many new candidate compact symmetric objects, which are thought to be primarily short-lived jetted radio sources. This serves as a pathfinder for the final sample used for the Search for MIlli-LEnses (SMILE) project, which will allow us to constrain DM models by comparing the results to theoretical predictions. This SMILE sample will consist of $\sim$5,000 sources based on the VLA CLASS survey, including many observations obtained for this project specifically.
comment: 43 pages, 41 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics
♻ ☆ Observability of dynamical tides in merging eccentric neutron star binaries
While dynamical tides only become relevant during the last couple of orbits for circular inspirals, orbital eccentricity can increase their impact during earlier phases of the inspiral by exciting tidal oscillations at each close encounter. We investigate the effect of dynamical tides on the orbital evolution of eccentric neutron star binaries using post-Newtonian numerical simulations and construct an analytic stochastic model that reproduces the numerical results. Our study reveals a strong dependence of dynamical tides on the pericenter distance, with the fractional energy transferred to dynamical tides over that dissipated in gravitational waves (GWs) exceeding $\sim1\%$ at separations $r_\mathrm{p}\lesssim50$ km for large eccentricities. We demonstrate that the effect of dynamical tides on orbital evolution can manifest as a phase shift in the GW signal. We show that the signal-to-noise ratio of the GW phase shift can reach the detectability threshold of $8$ with a single aLIGO detector at design densitivity for eccentric neutron star binaries at a distance of $40$ Mpc. This requires a pericenter distance of $r_\mathrm{p0}\lesssim68$ km ($r_\mathrm{p0}\lesssim76$ km) at binary formation with eccentricity close to $1$ for a reasonable tidal deformability and f-mode frequency of $500$ and $1.73$ kHz ($700$ and $1.61$ kHz), respectively. The observation of the phase shift will enable measuring the f-mode frequency of neutron stars independently from their tidal deformability, providing significant insights into neutron star seismology and the properties of the equation of state. We also explore the potential of distinguishing between equal-radius and twin-star binaries, which could provide an opportunity to reveal strong first-order phase transitions in the nuclear equation of state.
comment: 24 pages, 15 figures, published in Phys. Rev. D
♻ ☆ Dark matter in compact stars
White dwarfs and neutron stars are far-reaching and multi-faceted laboratories in the hunt for dark matter. We review detection prospects of wave-like, particulate, macroscopic and black hole dark matter that make use of several exceptional properties of compact stars, such as ultra-high densities, deep fermion degeneracies, low temperatures, nucleon superfluidity, strong magnetic fields, high rotational regularity, and significant gravitational wave emissivity. Foundational topics first made explicit in this document include the effect of the ``propellor phase" on neutron star baryonic accretion, and the contribution of Auger and Cooper pair breaking effects to neutron star heating by dark matter capture.
comment: 72 pages with 17 figures, 1 table, 509 references; v3 fixes typos and adds section on microlensing, revisions to text on WD explosions, more text on pulsar mechanism, new references
♻ ☆ Distinctive GWBs from eccentric inspiraling SMBH binaries with a DM spike
Recent detections of a low-frequency gravitational wave background (GWB) from various pulsar-timing-array (PTA) observations have renewed the interest in the inspiraling supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs), whose population is believed to be the most promising candidate with possible generalizations from including either orbital eccentricity or dark matter (DM) spike. In this paper, we show that the inclusion of both can further display distinctive features detectable in future PTA observations. With a typical initial eccentricity $e_0\sim\mathcal{O}(0.1)$ for the inspiraling SMBHBs, even a shallow DM spike can easily drive the orbital eccentricity close to $1$, leaving behind a large turnover eccentricity when GWs begin to dominate the orbital circularization. In particular, the DM spike index $\gamma_\mathrm{sp}$ universally manifests itself in the characteristic strain by $h_c\sim f^{7/6-\gamma_\mathrm{sp}/3}$ in the far infrared and features a novel oscillation structure at low frequencies. Future PTA detection of such characteristics would be the smoking gun for the DM spike and even reveal the nature of DM.
comment: v5, 22 pages, 8 figures, accepted version for publication in JCAP
♻ ☆ The FAST Galactic Plane Pulsar Snapshot survey: VIII. 116 binary pulsars
Finding pulsars in binaries are important for measurements of the masses of neutron stars, for tests of gravity theories, and for studies of star evolution. We are carrying out the Galactic Plane Pulsar Snapshot survey (GPPS) by using the the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). Here we present the Keplerian parameters for 116 newly discovered pulsars in the FAST GPPS survey, and obtain timing solutions for 29 pulsars. Companions of these pulsars are He white dwarfs, CO/ONe white dwarfs, neutron stars, main sequence stars and ultra light objects or even planets. Our observations uncover eclipses of 8 binary systems. The optical counterpart for the companion of PSR J1908+1036 is identified. The Post-Keplerian parameter $\dot{\omega}$ for the double neutron star systems PSR J0528+3529 and J1844-0128 have been measured, with which the total masses of the binary systems are determined.
comment: 19+16 pages, 11+3 figures, 7+1 tables, published in RAA
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics 21
☆ An Alternate Method for Minimizing $χ^2$ SP
In this paper, we describe an algorithm and associated software package (sfit_minimize) for maximizing the likelihood function of a set of parameters by minimizing $\chi^2$. The key element of this method is that the algorithm estimates the second derivative of the $\chi^2$ function using first derivatives of the function to be fitted. These same derivatives can also be used to calculate the uncertainties in each parameter. We test this algorithm against several standard minimization algorithms in SciPy.optimize.minimize() by fitting point lens models to light curves from the 2018 Korea Microlensing Telescope Network event database. We show that for fitting microlensing events, SFit works faster than the Nelder-Mead simplex method and is more reliable than the BFGS gradient method; we also find that the Newton-CG method is not effective for fitting microlensing events.
comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables. Submitted to PASP. The associated software package can be found at https://github.com/jenniferyee/sfit_minimizer
☆ Debris disks around M dwarfs: The Herschel DEBRIS survey
The Herschel open-time key program Disc Emission via a Bias-free Reconnaissance in the Infrared and Sub-millimeter (DEBRIS) is an unbiased survey of the nearest ~100 stars for each stellar type A-M observed with a uniform photometric sensitivity to search for cold debris disks around them. The analysis of the Photoconductor Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) photometric observations of the 94 DEBRIS M dwarfs of this program is presented in this paper, following upon two companion papers on the DEBRIS A-star and FGK-star subsamples. In the M-dwarf subsample, two debris disks have been detected, around the M3V dwarf GJ581 and the M4V dwarf FomalhautC (LP876-10). This result gives a disk detection rate of 2.1^{+2.7}_{-0.7}% at the 68% confidence level, significantly less than measured for earlier stellar types in the DEBRIS program. However, we show that the survey of the DEBRIS M-dwarf subsample is about ten times shallower than the surveys of the DEBRIS FGK subsamples when studied in the physical parameter space of the disk's fractional dust luminosity versus blackbody radius. Furthermore, had the DEBRIS K-star subsample been observed at the same shallower depth in this parameter space, its measured disk detection rate would have been statistically consistent with the one found for the M-dwarf subsample. Hence, the incidence of debris disks does not appear to drop from the K subsample to the M subsample of the DEBRIS program, when considering disks in the same region of physical parameter space. An alternative explanation is that the only two bright disks discovered in the M-dwarf subsample would not, in fact, be statistically representative of the whole population.
comment: 12 pages, long Table 3 included, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics
☆ Planet Masses, Radii, and Orbits from NASA's K2 Mission
We report the masses, sizes, and orbital properties of 86 planets orbiting 55 stars observed by NASA's K2 Mission with follow-up Doppler measurements by the HIRES spectrometer at the W. M. Keck Observatory and the Automated Planet Finder at Lick Observatory. Eighty-one of the planets were discovered from their transits in the K2 photometry, while five were found based on subsequent Doppler measurements of transiting planet host stars. The sizes of the transiting planets range from Earth-size to larger than Jupiter (1-3 REarth is typical), while the orbital periods range from less than a day to a few months. For 32 of the planets, the Doppler signal was detected with significance greater than 5-sigma (51 were detected with >3-sigma significance). An important characteristic of this catalog is the use of uniform analysis procedures to determine stellar and planetary properties. This includes the transit search and fitting procedures applied to the K2 photometry, the Doppler fitting techniques applied to the radial velocities, and the spectral modeling to determine bulk stellar parameters. Such a uniform treatment will make the catalog useful for statistical studies of the masses, densities, and system architectures of exoplanetary systems. This work also serves as a data release for all previously unpublished RVs and associated stellar activity indicators obtained by our team for these systems, along with derived stellar and planet parameters.
comment: 156 pages, 86 planets, 55 stars, 104 figures, 48 tables. Accepted to ApJS
☆ Multi-fidelity emulator for large-scale 21 cm lightcone images: a few-shot transfer learning approach with generative adversarial network
Emulators using machine learning techniques have emerged to efficiently generate mock data matching the large survey volume for upcoming experiments, as an alternative approach to large-scale numerical simulations. However, high-fidelity emulators have become computationally expensive as the simulation volume grows to hundreds of megaparsecs. Here, we present a {\it multi-fidelity} emulation of large-scale 21~cm lightcone images from the epoch of reionization, which is realized by applying the {\it few-shot transfer learning} to training generative adversarial networks (GAN) from small-scale to large-scale simulations. Specifically, a GAN emulator is first trained with a huge number of small-scale simulations, and then transfer-learned with only a limited number of large-scale simulations, to emulate large-scale 21~cm lightcone images. We test the precision of our transfer-learned GAN emulator in terms of representative statistics including global 21~cm brightness temperature history, 2D power spectrum, and scattering transform coefficients. We demonstrate that the lightcone images generated by the transfer-learned GAN emulator can reach the percentage level precision in most cases on small scales, and the error on large scales only increases mildly to the level of a few tens of per cent. Nevertheless, our multi-fidelity emulation technique saves a significant portion of computational resources that are mostly consumed for generating training samples for GAN. On estimate, the computational resource by training GAN completely with large-scale simulations would be one to two orders of magnitude larger than using our multi-fidelity technique. This implies that our technique allows for emulating high-fidelity, traditionally computationally prohibitive, images in an economic manner.
comment: 20 pages, 16 figures. Comments welcome. Text overlap with arXiv:2307.04976
☆ Diffusion-based mass map reconstruction from weak lensing data
Diffusion models have been used in cosmological applications as a generative model for fast simulations and to reconstruct underlying cosmological fields or astrophysical images from noisy data. These two tasks are often treated as separate: diffusion models trained for one purpose do not generalize to perform the other task. In this paper, we develop a single diffusion model that can be used for both tasks. By using the Diffusion Posterior Sampling (DPS) approach, we use a diffusion model trained to simulate weak lensing maps for the inverse problem of reconstructing mass maps from noisy weak lensing data. We find that the standard DPS method leads to biased inference but we correct this bias by down weighting the likelihood term at early sampling time steps of the diffusion. Our method give us a way to reconstruct accurate high-resolution (sub-arcminute) mass maps that have the correct power spectrum and a range of non-Gaussian summary statistics. We discuss several applications enabled by the computational efficiency and accuracy of our model. These include generation of simulation quality mass maps, aiding covariance estimation for higher order statistics, and for finding filaments, voids and clusters from noisy lensing shear data.
comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, Comments welcome
☆ $\tt GrayHawk$: A public code for calculating the Gray Body Factors of massless fields around spherically symmetric Black Holes
We introduce and describe $\tt GrayHawk$, a publicly available Mathematica-based tool designed for the efficient computation of gray-body factors for spherically symmetric and asymptotically flat black holes. This program provides users with a rapid and reliable means to compute gray-body factors for massless fields with spin \(s = 0, 1/2, 1, 2\) in modes specified by the angular quantum number \(l\), given a black hole metric and the associated parameter values. $\tt GrayHawk$ is preloaded with seven different black hole metrics, offering immediate applicability to a variety of theoretical models. Additionally, its modular structure allows users to extend its functionality easily by incorporating alternative metrics or configurations. This versatility makes $\tt GrayHawk$ a powerful and adaptable resource for researchers studying black hole physics and Hawking radiation. The codes described in this work are publicly available at https://github.com/marcocalza89/GrayHawk.
☆ A Cloud-native Agile approach to cyber platform prototyping and integration for astronomy: the ENGAGE SKA case
The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Observatory is gearing up the formal construction of its two radio interferometers in Australia and South Africa after the end of design and pre-construction phases. Agile methodologies, the Cloud native Computing technologies and the DevOps software ideas are influencing the design of compute infrastructures that will be key to reduce the operational costs of SKA while improving the control and monitoring of the SKA antennas and ancillary systems, Correlators, HPC facilities or related data centre tiered systems. These tools will likely include advanced power metering technologies and efficient distribution automation and Network Operation Centres (NOC). SKA will become the world's largest radio telescope and is expected to achieve its first science by 2026. To cope with this dimension and complexity, a key part of this distributed Observatory is the overall software control and monitoring system embodied in the Observatory Management and Control (OMC) and the Services Teams that requires specialized Agile Teams to assist in software and cyber infrastructure building using an Agile development environment that includes test automation, Continuous Integration, and Continuous Deployment. To manage such a large and distributed machine, the Agile approach was adopted for the core software package of the SKA Telescope aimed at scheduling observations, controlling their execution, monitoring the telescope status and ensuring scalability and reliability. Here, we report on the ENGAGE SKA ciberinfrastructure prototyping support to the SKA Agile Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
comment: 21 pages, 6 figures. Submitted as Technical Report article to the The Journal of Instrumentation (JINST )
☆ Time delay interferometry with minimal null frequencies and shortened time span
In Paper I, we introduced an alternative second-generation time-delay interferometry (TDI) configuration, hybrid Relay, designed to minimize null frequencies and enhance data analysis for massive binary black hole (MBBH). In Paper II, we further improved its performance in noise characterization by replacing its null stream with a specialized stable channel, $C^{12}_3$. In this work, we propose a novel TDI configuration, labeled PD4L, which features minimal null frequencies and a reduced time span. Unlike the hybrid Relay or the second-generation Michelson, which require a maximum delay of $7L$ (where $L$ is the ranging time of interferometric arm), the PD4L synthesizes data only within $3L$ delay. This shorter time span brings several advantages: 1) reducing margins at boundaries of data segments, 2) mitigating frequency aliasing in the high frequency band, and 3) shortening the tail at the end of a signal. To assess its effectiveness in data analysis, we perform parameter inference for a rapidly chirping gravitational wave signal from a MBBH. As a more compact TDI structure, PD4L achieves more accurate parameters estimation in the frequency-domain compared to the hybrid Relay. Additionally, PD4L's null stream exhibits minimal null frequencies, identical to its science channels, while maintaining a more stable noise spectrum than the $C^{12}_3$. We further evaluate its capability in noise characterization. The results demonstrate that although the stability of noise spectra in science channels is slightly lower compared to that of hybrid Relay, PD4L can still reliably infer noise parameters for data durations of up to four months. These investigations and comparisons suggest that PD4L is a promising TDI scheme, particularly for the higher frequency band.
comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, A follow-up to the works arXiv:2403.01490 and arXiv:2406.11305
☆ Performance Analysis of Digital Flux-locked Loop Circuit with Different SQUID $V$-$φ$ Transfer Curves for TES Readout System
A superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID), functioning as a nonlinear response device, typically requires the incorporation of a flux-locked loop (FLL) circuit to facilitate linear amplification of the current signal transmitted through a superconducting transition-edge sensor (TES) across a large dynamic range. This work presents a reasonable model of the SQUID-FLL readout system, based on a digital proportional-integral-differential (PID) flux negative feedback algorithm. This work investigates the effect of $V$-$\phi$ shape on the performance of digital FLL circuits. Such as the impact factors of bandwidth, design limits of slew rate of the system and the influence of the shapes of SQUID $V$-$\phi$ curve. Furthermore, the dynamic response of the system to X-ray pulse signals with rise time ranging from $4.4{\sim}281$ $\mathrm{{\mu}s}$ and amplitudes ranging from $6{\sim}8$ $\mathrm{\phi_0}$ was simulated. All the simulation results were found to be consistent with the existing mature theories, thereby validating the accuracy of the model. The results also provide a reliable modelling reference for the design of digital PID flux negative feedback and multiplexing SQUID readout electronic systems.
comment: 9 pages, 11 figures
☆ pyEFPE: An improved post-Newtonian waveform model for inspiralling precessing-eccentric compact binaries
The measurement of spin-precession and orbital eccentricity in gravitational-wave (GW) signals is a key priority in GW astronomy, as these effects not only provide insights into the astrophysical formation and evolution of compact binaries but also, if neglected, could introduce significant biases in parameter estimation, searches, and tests of General Relativity. Despite the growing potential of upcoming LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA observing runs and future detectors to measure eccentric-precessing signals, accurately and efficiently modeling them remains a challenge. In this work, we present pyEFPE, a frequency-domain post-Newtonian (PN) waveform model for the inspiral of precessing-eccentric compact binaries. pyEFPE improves upon previous models by introducing analytical expressions for the Fourier mode amplitudes, enhancing the numerical stability of the multiple scale analysis framework, and adding recently derived PN corrections, critical to accurately describe signals in GW detectors. Additionally, we simplify the numerical implementation and introduce a scheme to interpolate the amplitudes, achieving a speedup of up to ~O(20) in the waveform computations, making the model practical for data analysis applications. We thoroughly validate pyEFPE by comparing it to other waveform models in the quasi-circular and eccentric-spin-aligned limits, finding good agreement. Additionally, we demonstrate pyEFPE's capability to analyze simulated GW events, accurately recovering the parameters of signals described by both pyEFPE and IMRPhenomXP. While pyEFPE still lacks important physical effects, such as higher-order PN corrections, higher-order modes, mode asymmetries, tidal interactions or the merger-ringdown phase, it represents a significant step towards more complete waveform models, offering a flexible and efficient framework that can be extended in future work to incorporate these effects.
comment: The code repository is currently private, but will be made public after peer review
☆ Optimizing Bayesian model selection for equation of state of cold neutron stars
We introduce a computational framework, Bayesian Evidence calculation fOr Model Selection (BEOMS) to evaluate multiple Bayesian model selection methods in the context of determining the equation of state (EOS) for cold neutron star (NS), focusing on their performance with current and next-generation gravitational wave (GW) observatories. We conduct a systematic comparison of various EOS models by using posterior distributions obtained from EOS-agnostic Bayesian inference of binary parameters applied to GWs from a population of binary neutron star (BNS) mergers. The cumulative evidence for each model is calculated in a multi-dimensional parameter space characterized by neutron star masses and tidal deformabilities. Our findings indicate that Bayesian model selection is most effective when performed in the two-dimensional subspace of component mass and tidal deformability, requiring fewer events to distinguish between EOS models with high confidence. Furthermore, we establish a relationship between the precision of tidal deformability measurements and the accuracy of model selection, taking into account the evolving sensitivities of current and planned GW observatories. BEOMS offers computational efficiency and can be adapted to execute model selection for gravitational wave data from other sources.
comment: LVK PnP approved, 22 Page, 14 figures
☆ Classification of Solar Radio Spectrum Based on Swin Transformer
Solar radio observation is a method used to study the Sun. It is very important for space weather early warning and solar physics research to automatically classify solar radio spectrums in real time and judge whether there is a solar radio burst. As the number of solar radio burst spectrums is small and uneven, this paper proposes a classification method for solar radio spectrums based on the Swin transformer. First, the method transfers the parameters of the pretrained model to the Swin transformer model. Then, the hidden layer weights of the Swin transformer are frozen, and the fully connected layer of the Swin transformer is trained on the target dataset. Finally, pa-rameter tuning is performed. The experimental results show that the method can achieve a true positive rate of 100%, which is more accurate than previous methods. Moreover, the number of our model parameters is only 20 million, which is 80% lower than that of the traditional VGG16 con-volutional neural network with more than 130 million parameters.
Self-Supervised Learning for Solar Radio Spectrum Classification
Solar radio observation is an important way to study the Sun. Solar radio bursts contain important information about solar activity. Therefore, real-time automatic detection and classification of solar radio bursts are of great value for subsequent solar physics research and space weather warnings. Traditional image classification methods based on deep learning often require consid-erable training data. To address insufficient solar radio spectrum images, transfer learning is generally used. However, the large difference between natural images and solar spectrum images has a large impact on the transfer learning effect. In this paper, we propose a self-supervised learning method for solar radio spectrum classification. Our method uses self-supervised training with a self-masking approach in natural language processing. Self-supervised learning is more conducive to learning the essential information about images compared with supervised methods, and it is more suitable for transfer learning. First, the method pre-trains using a large amount of other existing data. Then, the trained model is fine-tuned on the solar radio spectrum dataset. Experiments show that the method achieves a classification accuracy similar to that of convolutional neural networks and Transformer networks with supervised training.
comment: 13 pages, 8 figures
☆ Drone Beam Mapping of the TONE Radio Dish Array
Drone-based beam measurements are a promising avenue to tackle the critical challenge of calibration for 21 cm cosmology telescopes. In this paper, we introduce a new drone-based calibration system for 400-800 MHz radio observatories, describing its instrumentation and first deployment. We discuss measurements of the TONE array, a CHIME/FRB outrigger pathfinder, and present results, including full 2D high spatial resolution beam maps in both co- and cross-polarization, as well as comparisons to simulations. The polarized beam maps cover a 70 degree by 70 degree grid, capturing the first two sidelobes and measuring the TONE main beam and first sidelobe with 7-9% statistical errors. We investigate polarization angle alignment with frequency, finding significant polarization leakage in the TONE antennas at frequencies above 600 MHz, and a polarization axis rotation with frequency. We describe statistical and systematic errors, as well as measurements of radio frequency interference from the drone and equipment. Our drone system is the first to incorporate a broad-band switched calibration source in the drone payload, enabling background subtraction and direct measurements of the RFI emitted by the drone. The results presented are the first drone-based 2D measurements of cross-polar beam structure and of polarization alignment of an array. The high frequency and spatial resolution achieved with this system have revealed the rich structure of the beam of each antenna, and enabled comparisons between individual dishes and to electromagnetic simulations.
comment: Submitted to ApJ
☆ Electron-induced CO2 and hydrocarbon sputtering of functionalized hydrocarbons in icy planetary analogs
CO2 has been detected in both the tenuous exosphere and surface chaos regions of Europa, but it is still unclear whether this CO2 is generated in situ by radiolysis or whether it is directly delivered by the ocean. In this work, we study the radiolysis pathway, and explore the possibility that organics upwelled from the subsurface oceans could be contributing to this signature on the surface and in the exosphere. Specifically, we report here on the evolution of carbon-containing byproducts generated by electron-induced sputtering of organics with different functional groups -- hexanoic acid, hexanol, and hexane -- in water ice. We found that, upon electron irradiation in vacuum, the acid-functionalized molecules generated a factor of over 10x more CO2 than either the non-functionalized or alcohol-functionalized molecules, but that all three species produced CO2 to some extent. The amount of CO2 produced was found to depend upon temperature. CO2 was the dominant product for ices at 100 K and 120 K, and production of CO2 was 3x higher at 100 and 120 K than at 80 K. Sputtering of long chain molecules such as pentane was a factor of 100x higher in the hexanoic acid-containing ice than in the hexane/hexanol ice, suggesting that organics with carboxylic acid (COOH) functional groups may be also more likely to produce volatile species that can be ejected into the exosphere.
comment: 27 pages, 13 figures; submitted to The Astrophysical Journal
☆ Debris disks around M dwarfs: The Herschel DEBRIS survey
The Herschel open-time key program Disc Emission via a Bias-free Reconnaissance in the Infrared and Sub-millimeter (DEBRIS) is an unbiased survey of the nearest ~100 stars for each stellar type A-M observed with a uniform photometric sensitivity to search for cold debris disks around them. The analysis of the Photoconductor Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) photometric observations of the 94 DEBRIS M dwarfs of this program is presented in this paper, following upon two companion papers on the DEBRIS A-star and FGK-star subsamples. In the M-dwarf subsample, two debris disks have been detected, around the M3V dwarf GJ581 and the M4V dwarf FomalhautC (LP876-10). This result gives a disk detection rate of 2.1^{+2.7}_{-0.7}% at the 68% confidence level, significantly less than measured for earlier stellar types in the DEBRIS program. However, we show that the survey of the DEBRIS M-dwarf subsample is about ten times shallower than the surveys of the DEBRIS FGK subsamples when studied in the physical parameter space of the disk's fractional dust luminosity versus blackbody radius. Furthermore, had the DEBRIS K-star subsample been observed at the same shallower depth in this parameter space, its measured disk detection rate would have been statistically consistent with the one found for the M-dwarf subsample. Hence, the incidence of debris disks does not appear to drop from the K subsample to the M subsample of the DEBRIS program, when considering disks in the same region of physical parameter space. An alternative explanation is that the only two bright disks discovered in the M-dwarf subsample would not, in fact, be statistically representative of the whole population.
comment: 12 pages, long Table 3 included, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics
♻ ☆ Neutrino flux sensitivity to the next galactic core-collapse supernova in COSINUS
While neutrinos are often treated as a background for many dark matter experiments, these particles offer a new avenue for physics: the detection of core-collapse supernovae. Supernovae are extremely energetic, violent and complex events that mark the death of massive stars. During their collapse stars emit a large number of neutrinos in a short burst. These neutrinos carry 99\% of the emitted energy which makes their detection fundamental in understanding supernovae. This paper illustrates how COSINUS (Cryogenic Observatory for SIgnatures seen in Next-generation Underground Searches), a sodium iodide (NaI) based dark matter search, will be sensitive to the next galactic core-collapse supernova. The experiment is composed of two separate detectors which will be sensitive to far and nearby supernovae. The inner core of the experiment will consist of NaI crystals operating as scintillating calorimeters, mainly sensitive to the Coherent Elastic Scattering of Neutrinos (CE$\nu$NS) against the Na and I nuclei. The low mass of the cryogenic detectors gives the experiment a sensitivity to close supernovae below 1kpc without pileup. They will see up to hundreds of CE$\nu$NS events from a supernova happening at 200pc. The crystals reside at the center of a cylindrical 230T water tank, instrumented with 30 photomultipliers. This tank acts as a passive and active shield able to detect the Cherenkov radiation induced by impinging charged particles from ambient and cosmogenic radioactivity. A supernova near the Milky Way Center (10kpc) will be easily detected inducing $\sim$60 measurable events, and the water tank will have a 3$\sigma$ sensitivity to supernovae up to 22kpc, seeing $\sim$10 events. This paper shows how, even without dedicated optimization, modern dark matter experiments will also play their part in the multi-messenger effort to detect the next galactic core-collapse supernova.
♻ ☆ Measurement of the Depth of Maximum of Air-Shower Profiles with energies between $\mathbf{10^{18.5}}$ and $\mathbf{10^{20}}$ eV using the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory and Deep Learning
We report an investigation of the mass composition of cosmic rays with energies from 3 to 100 EeV (1 EeV=$10^{18}$ eV) using the distributions of the depth of shower maximum $X_\mathrm{max}$. The analysis relies on ${\sim}50,000$ events recorded by the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory and a deep-learning-based reconstruction algorithm. Above energies of 5 EeV, the data set offers a 10-fold increase in statistics with respect to fluorescence measurements at the Observatory. After cross-calibration using the Fluorescence Detector, this enables the first measurement of the evolution of the mean and the standard deviation of the $X_\mathrm{max}$ distributions up to 100 EeV. Our findings are threefold: (1.) The evolution of the mean logarithmic mass towards a heavier composition with increasing energy can be confirmed and is extended to 100 EeV. (2.) The evolution of the fluctuations of $X_\mathrm{max}$ towards a heavier and purer composition with increasing energy can be confirmed with high statistics. We report a rather heavy composition and small fluctuations in $X_\mathrm{max}$ at the highest energies. (3.) We find indications for a characteristic structure beyond a constant change in the mean logarithmic mass, featuring three breaks that are observed in proximity to the ankle, instep, and suppression features in the energy spectrum.
comment: Version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. D, 29 pages, 19 figures, 5 tables
♻ ☆ Inference of the Mass Composition of Cosmic Rays with energies from $\mathbf{10^{18.5}}$ to $\mathbf{10^{20}}$ eV using the Pierre Auger Observatory and Deep Learning
We present measurements of the atmospheric depth of the shower maximum $X_\mathrm{max}$, inferred for the first time on an event-by-event level using the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. Using deep learning, we were able to extend measurements of the $X_\mathrm{max}$ distributions up to energies of 100 EeV ($10^{20}$ eV), not yet revealed by current measurements, providing new insights into the mass composition of cosmic rays at extreme energies. Gaining a 10-fold increase in statistics compared to the Fluorescence Detector data, we find evidence that the rate of change of the average $X_\mathrm{max}$ with the logarithm of energy features three breaks at $6.5\pm0.6~(\mathrm{stat})\pm1~(\mathrm{sys})$ EeV, $11\pm 2~(\mathrm{stat})\pm1~(\mathrm{sys})$ EeV, and $31\pm5~(\mathrm{stat})\pm3~(\mathrm{sys})$ EeV, in the vicinity to the three prominent features (ankle, instep, suppression) of the cosmic-ray flux. The energy evolution of the mean and standard deviation of the measured $X_\mathrm{max}$ distributions indicates that the mass composition becomes increasingly heavier and purer, thus being incompatible with a large fraction of light nuclei between 50 EeV and 100 EeV.
comment: Version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett., 9 pages, 3 figures, 1 table
♻ ☆ Influence of a continuous plane gravitational wave on Gaia-like astrometry
A gravitational wave (GW) passing through an astrometric observer causes periodic shifts of the apparent star positions measured by the observer. For a GW of sufficient amplitude and duration, and of suitable frequency, these shifts might be detected with a Gaia-like astrometric telescope. This paper aims to analyse in detail the effects of GWs on an astrometric solution based on Gaia-like observations, which are one-dimensional, strictly differential between two widely separated fields of view and following a prescribed scanning law. We present a simple geometric model for the astrometric effects of a plane GW in terms of the time-dependent positional shifts. Using this model, the general interaction between the GW and a Gaia-like observation is discussed. Numerous Gaia-like astrometric solutions are made, taking as input simulated observations that include the effects of a continuous plain GW with constant parameters and periods ranging from ~50 days to 100 years. The resulting solutions are analysed in terms of the systematic errors on astrometric and attitude parameters, as well as the observational residuals. It is found that a significant part of the GW signal is absorbed by the astrometric parameters, leading to astrometric errors of a magnitude (in radians) comparable to the strain parameters. These astrometric errors are in general not possible to detect, because the true (unperturbed) astrometric parameters are not known to corresponding accuracy. The astrometric errors are especially large for specific GW frequencies that are linear combinations of two characteristic frequencies of the scanning law. Nevertheless, for all GW periods smaller than the time span covered by the observations, significant parts of the GW signal also go into the astrometric residuals. This fosters the hope for a GW detection algorithm based on the residuals of standard astrometric solutions.
comment: Update on v1: added very minor changes to text, tweaked some figures. This will be published in Astronomy & Astrophysics
♻ ☆ Spectuner: A Framework for Automated Line Identification of Interstellar Molecules
Interstellar molecules, which play an important role in astrochemistry, are identified using observed spectral lines. Despite the advent of spectral analysis tools in the past decade, the identification of spectral lines remains a tedious task that requires extensive manual intervention, preventing us from fully exploiting the vast amounts of data generated by large facilities such as ALMA. This study aims to address the aforementioned issue by developing a framework of automated line identification. We introduce a robust spectral fitting technique applicable for spectral line identification with minimal human supervision. Our method is assessed using published data from five line surveys of hot cores, including W51, Orion-KL, Sgr B2(M), and Sgr B2(N). By comparing the identified lines, our algorithm achieves an overall recall of ~ 74% - 93%, and an average precision of ~ 78% - 92%. Our code, named Spectuner, is publicly available on GitHub.
comment: 28 pages, 24 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJS
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 31
☆ Observations of Holographic Quantum-Foam Blurring
The "foamy" nature of spacetime at the Planck scale was an idea first introduced by John Wheeler in the 1950s. And for the last twenty years or so it has been debated whether those inherent uncertainties in time and path-length might also accumulate in transiting electromagnetic wavefronts, resulting in measurable blurring for images of distant galaxies and quasars. A confusing aspect is that "pointlike" objects will always be blurred out somewhat by the optics of a telescope, especially in the optical. But it turns out that Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are more useful to test this, and have been observed by a host of ground-based and space-based telescopes, including by the Fermi observatory for well over a decade. And a recent one was unprecedented: GRB221009A was extremely bright, allowing follow-up from the infrared through the ultraviolet to X-rays and gamma-rays, including a first association with photons at high TeV energies. I will discuss how that observation is in direct tension with the calculus of how spacetime "foaminess" can add up in an image of a pointsource at cosmological distances, which at high-enough energy could spread these out over the whole sky without resulting in photon loss. A simple multiwavelength average of foam-induced blurring consistent with holographic quantum gravity is described, analogous to atmospheric seeing from the ground. This fits with measured instrumental point-spread functions and with the highest-energy localization of GRB221009A, resolving the observational issues and pointing to a key physical implication: spacetime does not look smooth.
comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Conference Proceedings of IARD 2024 in Helsinki
☆ Challenges and Opportunities for time-delay cosmography with multi-messenger gravitational lensing
Strong gravitational lensing of variable sources, such as quasars or supernovae, can be used to constrain cosmological parameters through a technique known as "time-delay cosmography''. Competitive constraints on the Hubble constant have been achieved with electromagnetic observations of lensed quasars and lensed supernovae. Gravitational wave (GW) astronomy may open up a new channel for time-delay cosmography with GW signal replacing the electromagnetic (EM) one. We highlight the similarities of using GW signals to be applied to time-delay cosmography compared to EM signal. We then discuss key differences between GW and EM signals and their resulting advantages and inconveniences from the angle of the current state-of-the-art using quasars and lensed supernovae for time-delay cosmography. We identify the astrometric precision requirement of the images as a key challenge to overcome and highlight the potentially significant impact that near-perfect time-delay measurements of lensed GWs can bring to the table.
comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, accepted to be published in Philosophical Transactions A
☆ Correspondence between Myrzakulov $F(R,Q)$ gravity and Tsallis cosmology
We investigate the correspondence between Myrzakulov $F(R,Q)$ gravity and Tsallis cosmology. The former is a modified gravity that uses both curvature and nonmetricity, while the latter is a modified cosmology arising from the gravity-thermodynamics conjecture, employing Tsallis entropy instead of the Bekenstein-Hawking one. By appropriately identifying the functional dependencies and the model parameters, we demonstrate that both frameworks can give identical background evolution, reproducing the standard cosmological sequence of matter and dark energy domination. However, their perturbation behavior exhibits differences, since the growth of density fluctuations and the effective Newton constant deviate between the two scenarios, indicating that perturbative observables, such as structure formation and weak-lensing ones, could serve as distinguishing factors between them.
comment: 14 pages, 4 figures
☆ Enhanced Axion-wind near Earth's Surface
Several detection strategies for wave-like dark matter make use of gradients in the dark matter field, e.g. searches for spin-dependent derivative interactions in CASPEr-wind or experiments looking for oscillating forces. These gradients are usually suppressed by the local dark matter velocity $\sim 10^{-3}$. In this note we investigate how these gradients are modified in the presence of additional quadratic interactions of the dark matter field with ordinary matter. In this case the dark matter density and field are modified in the vicinity of Earth, affecting the detection sensitivity due to the change in the local field value at the Earth's surface but also due to the gradient of the field profile itself. We also use this opportunity to present results on the expected field profiles in presence of a non-vanishing relative velocity of the dark matter with respect to Earth. We also comment how this ameliorates the divergences that appear for certain attractive coupling values.
comment: 28 pages, 8 figures
☆ KiDS-1000: Detection of deviations from a purely cold dark-matter power spectrum with tomographic weak gravitational lensing
Model uncertainties in the nonlinear structure growth limit current probes of cosmological parameters. To shed more light on the physics of nonlinear scales, we reconstruct the finely binned three-dimensional power-spectrum from lensing data of the Kilo-Degree Survey (KiDS), relying solely on the background cosmology, source redshift distributions, and the intrinsic alignment (IA) amplitude of sources (and their uncertainties). The adopted Tikhonov regularisation stabilises the deprojection, enabling a Bayesian reconstruction in separate $z$-bins. Following a detailed description of the algorithm and performance tests with mock data, we present our results for the power spectrum as relative deviations from a $\Lambda\rm CDM$ reference spectrum that includes only structure growth by cold dark matter. Averaged over the full range $z\lesssim1$, a \emph{Planck}-consistent reference then requires a significant suppression on nonlinear scales, $k=0.05$--$10\,h\,\rm Mpc^{-1}$, of up to $20\%$--$30\%$ to match KiDS-1000 ($68\%$ credible interval, CI). Conversely, a reference with a lower $S_8\approx0.73$ avoids suppression and matches the KiDS-1000 spectrum within a $20\%$ tolerance. When resolved into three $z$-bins, however, and regardless of the reference, we detect structure growth only between $z\approx0.4$--$0.13$, but not between $z\approx0.7$--$0.4$. This could indicate spurious systematic errors in KiDS-1000, inaccuracies in the intrinsic alignment (IA) model, or potentially a non-standard cosmological model with delayed structure growth. In the near future, analysing data from stage-IV surveys with our algorithm promises a substantially more precise reconstruction of the power spectrum.
comment: 14 pages main text plus 8 pages Appendix, 15 figures, submitted to A&A
☆ Higgs-Induced Gravitational Waves: the Interplay of Non-Minimal Couplings, Kination and Top Quark Mass
We explore a minimal scenario where the sole Standard-Model Higgs is responsible for reheating the Universe after inflation, produces a significant background of gravitational waves and maintains the full classical stability of the electroweak vacuum. As the Higgs self-coupling runs toward negative values at high energy scales, a non-minimal interaction with curvature during a stiff background expansion era drives the Higgs fluctuations closer to the instability scale. This curvature-induced tachyonic instability leads to an intense production of Higgs particles, accompanied by a stochastic gravitational-wave background. The characteristic features of such signal can be directly correlated to the inflationary scale, the non-minimal coupling parameter and the top quark Yukawa coupling. We distinguish between three possible scenarios: absolute stability with low top quark masses, potential vacuum instability, and absolute stability with new physics above the instability scale. Our findings suggest that the detection of a peaked background of gravitational waves together with its inflationary tail has the potential to unveil the features of the Higgs effective potential at very high energy scales while providing a minimal explanation for the reheating phase and the emergence of the Standard-Model plasma in the early Universe. Unlike other studies in the literature, the generation of gravitational waves in our scenario does not depend on the quantum instability of the Standard Model vacuum.
comment: 20 pages, 7 figures
☆ Page Time of Primordial Black Holes: Standard Model and Beyond
The Page time marks the moment when the von Neumann entropy of the emitted Hawking radiation equals the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of an evaporating black hole, which is assumed to quantify its degrees of freedom as seen from the outside. Beyond this point, from unitarity we would expect that the entropy of the radiation begins to decrease, ensuring that information is eventually recovered. In this work, we investigate the dependence of the Page time on black hole properties and the particle content of nature. Specifically, we analyze its sensitivity to the Standard Model (SM) and potential Beyond-the-SM degrees of freedom, incorporating the effects of particle masses. We find that a Schwarzschild primordial black hole (PBH) with an initial mass of $6.23\times 10^{14}~{\rm g}$ would have a Page time equal to the age of the Universe, assuming emission of SM particles only. We further explore the impact of a non-negligible PBH angular momentum, finding that light spin-2 particles are predominantly emitted before the Page time for Kerr black holes. For For initial angular momenta values exceeding $a_\star > 0.5$, approximately $70\%$ of the total graviton emission occurs prior to the Page time for PBHs with an initial mass $M_{\rm BH} \lesssim 10^{10}~{\rm g}$. Finally, we discuss the implications for PBH phenomenology, particularly regarding potential constraints from $\Delta N_{\rm eff}$ measurements.
comment: 12 pages, 6 figures
☆ Searching for coupled, hyperlight scalars across cosmic history
Cosmological scalar fields coupled to the Standard Model drive temporal variations in the fundamental constants that grow with redshift, positioning the early Universe as a powerful tool to study such models. We investigate the dynamics and phenomenology of coupled scalars from the early Universe to the present to consistently leverage the myriad searches for time-varying constants and the cosmological signatures of scalars' gravitational effects. We compute the in-medium contribution from Standard Model particles to the scalar's dynamics and identify only a limited range of couplings for which the scalar has an observable impact on the fundamental constants without either evolving before recombination or gravitating nonnegligibly. We then extend existing laboratory and astrophysical bounds to the hyperlight scalar regime. We present joint limits from the early and late Universe, specializing to hyperlight, quadratically coupled scalars that modulate the mass of the electron or the strength of electromagnetism and make up a subcomponent of the dark matter today. Our dedicated analysis of observations of the cosmic microwave background, baryon acoustic oscillations, and type Ia supernovae provides the most stringent constraints on quadratically coupled scalars with masses from $10^{-28.5}$ to $\sim 10^{-31}~\mathrm{eV}$, below which quasar absorption spectra yield stronger bounds. These results jointly limit hyperlight scalars that comprise a few percent of the current dark matter density to near- or subgravitational couplings to electrons or photons.
comment: 44+17 pages, 10 figures
☆ Searching for Inflationary Physics with the CMB Trispectrum: 1. Primordial Theory & Optimal Estimators
The primordial four-point function encodes a wealth of information about the inflationary Universe. Despite extensive theoretical work, most models of four-point physics have never been compared to data. In this series, we conduct a detailed analysis of Cosmic Microwave Background temperature and polarization trispectra, searching for a wide variety of phenomena including local effects, self-interactions, curvatons, DBI inflation, gauge fields, solid inflation, scalar field exchange, spinning massive field exchange, chiral physics, point sources, and gravitational lensing. After presenting a suite of separable primordial templates, we derive thirteen quasi-optimal estimators that directly estimate the underlying template amplitudes. These are unbiased, minimum variance, mask-deconvolved, and account for correlations between templates (including with lensing). Each estimator can be efficiently implemented using spherical harmonic transforms, Monte Carlo methods, and optimization techniques, and asymptotes to standard forms in certain limits. In Paper 2, we implement these estimators in public code, and in Paper 3, use them to constrain primordial trispectra with Planck data. This enables a wide variety of tests of inflation, including some of the first direct constraints on cosmological collider physics.
comment: 56 pages, 2 tables, 226 equations, submitted to Phys. Rev. D
☆ Finding Pegasus: Enhancing Unsupervised Anomaly Detection in High-Dimensional Data using a Manifold-Based Approach
Unsupervised machine learning methods are well suited to searching for anomalies at scale but can struggle with the high-dimensional representation of many modern datasets, hence dimensionality reduction (DR) is often performed first. In this paper we analyse unsupervised anomaly detection (AD) from the perspective of the manifold created in DR. We present an idealised illustration, "Finding Pegasus", and a novel formal framework with which we categorise AD methods and their results into "on manifold" and "off manifold". We define these terms and show how they differ. We then use this insight to develop an approach of combining AD methods which significantly boosts AD recall without sacrificing precision in situations employing high DR. When tested on MNIST data, our approach of combining AD methods improves recall by as much as 16 percent compared with simply combining with the best standalone AD method (Isolation Forest), a result which shows great promise for its application to real-world data.
comment: 21 pages, 14 figures
☆ CMB-S4: Foreground-Cleaning Pipeline Comparison for Measuring Primordial Gravitational Waves
We compare multiple foreground-cleaning pipelines for estimating the tensor-to-scalar ratio, $r$, using simulated maps of the planned CMB-S4 experiment within the context of the South Pole Deep Patch. To evaluate robustness, we analyze bias and uncertainty on $r$ across various foreground suites using map-based simulations. The foreground-cleaning methods include: a parametric maximum likelihood approach applied to auto- and cross-power spectra between frequency maps; a map-based parametric maximum-likelihood method; and a harmonic-space internal linear combination using frequency maps. We summarize the conceptual basis of each method to highlight their similarities and differences. To better probe the impact of foreground residuals, we implement an iterative internal delensing step, leveraging a map-based pipeline to generate a lensing $B$-mode template from the Large Aperture Telescope frequency maps. Our results show that the performance of the three approaches is comparable for simple and intermediate-complexity foregrounds, with $\sigma(r)$ ranging from 3 to 5 $\times 10^{-4}$. However, biases at the $1-2\sigma$ level appear when analyzing more complex forms of foreground emission. By extending the baseline pipelines to marginalize over foreground residuals, we demonstrate that contamination can be reduced to within statistical uncertainties, albeit with a pipeline-dependent impact on $\sigma(r)$, which translates to a detection significance between 2 and 4$\sigma$ for an input value of $r = 0.003$. These findings suggest varying levels of maturity among the tested pipelines, with the auto- and cross-spectra-based approach demonstrating the best stability and overall performance. Moreover, given the extremely low noise levels, mutual validation of independent foreground-cleaning pipelines is essential to ensure the robustness of any potential detection.
comment: 25 pages, 14 figures
☆ Multi-fidelity emulator for large-scale 21 cm lightcone images: a few-shot transfer learning approach with generative adversarial network
Emulators using machine learning techniques have emerged to efficiently generate mock data matching the large survey volume for upcoming experiments, as an alternative approach to large-scale numerical simulations. However, high-fidelity emulators have become computationally expensive as the simulation volume grows to hundreds of megaparsecs. Here, we present a {\it multi-fidelity} emulation of large-scale 21~cm lightcone images from the epoch of reionization, which is realized by applying the {\it few-shot transfer learning} to training generative adversarial networks (GAN) from small-scale to large-scale simulations. Specifically, a GAN emulator is first trained with a huge number of small-scale simulations, and then transfer-learned with only a limited number of large-scale simulations, to emulate large-scale 21~cm lightcone images. We test the precision of our transfer-learned GAN emulator in terms of representative statistics including global 21~cm brightness temperature history, 2D power spectrum, and scattering transform coefficients. We demonstrate that the lightcone images generated by the transfer-learned GAN emulator can reach the percentage level precision in most cases on small scales, and the error on large scales only increases mildly to the level of a few tens of per cent. Nevertheless, our multi-fidelity emulation technique saves a significant portion of computational resources that are mostly consumed for generating training samples for GAN. On estimate, the computational resource by training GAN completely with large-scale simulations would be one to two orders of magnitude larger than using our multi-fidelity technique. This implies that our technique allows for emulating high-fidelity, traditionally computationally prohibitive, images in an economic manner.
comment: 20 pages, 16 figures. Comments welcome. Text overlap with arXiv:2307.04976
☆ The DESI 2024 hint for dynamical dark energy is biased by low-redshift supernovae
Recently, a $\sim3.9\sigma$ preference for dynamical dark energy from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) collaboration inspired hot debates on new physics or systematics. In this letter, we reveal this significant preference is dominated by an external low-redshift supernova (low-$z$ SN) sample that combines with the Dark Energy Survey SN program (DES-SN) in their Year 5 data release (DESY5). Further implementing the $a_B$ (the intercept of the SN magnitude-redshift relation) diagnosis between low-$z$ and DES-SN samples, we find large dispersions in the low-$z$ SN sample with a $\sim0.043$ magnitude discrepancy in $-5a_B$ from the high-$z$ DES-SN sample, suggesting potential systematics in DESY5. Correcting for this low-$z$ systematics or directly ignoring the low-$z$ sample can largely reduce the preference for dynamical DE to be $<2\sigma$. Therefore, the DESI preference for dynamical DE might be a mirage of low-$z$ SN systematics with a mismatch intercept. Our additional test demonstrates the currently available data cannot provide decisive evidence for dynamical DE.
comment: 5 pages + references, 3 figures, 1 table
☆ The Merging Galaxy Cluster Environment Affects the Morphology of Radio-AGN
It has previously been found that the galaxy cluster environment can affect the fueling and evolution of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). This work examines the effect of the merging cluster environment on the properties of radio-AGN by comparing the radio morphology of cluster members in a sample of four merging and eight relaxed galaxy clusters at low redshift (z<0.2). Using 144-MHz data from the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) and Zooniverse, we classify the radio morphology of the radio-detected cluster members using the following morphology classes: compact, compact extended, extended, jetted, and disturbed. We find that the merging cluster environment has a statistically significant, higher population proportion of disturbed (bent and head tail) sources, indicating that the merging environment can affect the morphology of cluster radio-AGN. We also investigate the number of AGN that are detected in the radio data only, and the number that are detected in both the radio and optical data in mergers and non-mergers. We find that the merging cluster environment has a higher population proportion of AGN that are identified only as radio-AGN compared to AGN that are identified as both radio and optical AGN. Overall, we find that the merging environment affects certain radio-AGN (disturbed and only radio identified AGN), but not all.
comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. Table 4 is included as FITS and CSV as an ancillary file and is named `RickelMoravec+25_table4`; corresponding README is also provided. Rickel and Moravec are co-first authors. 20 pages and 3 figures
☆ Diffusion-based mass map reconstruction from weak lensing data
Diffusion models have been used in cosmological applications as a generative model for fast simulations and to reconstruct underlying cosmological fields or astrophysical images from noisy data. These two tasks are often treated as separate: diffusion models trained for one purpose do not generalize to perform the other task. In this paper, we develop a single diffusion model that can be used for both tasks. By using the Diffusion Posterior Sampling (DPS) approach, we use a diffusion model trained to simulate weak lensing maps for the inverse problem of reconstructing mass maps from noisy weak lensing data. We find that the standard DPS method leads to biased inference but we correct this bias by down weighting the likelihood term at early sampling time steps of the diffusion. Our method give us a way to reconstruct accurate high-resolution (sub-arcminute) mass maps that have the correct power spectrum and a range of non-Gaussian summary statistics. We discuss several applications enabled by the computational efficiency and accuracy of our model. These include generation of simulation quality mass maps, aiding covariance estimation for higher order statistics, and for finding filaments, voids and clusters from noisy lensing shear data.
comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, Comments welcome
☆ $\tt GrayHawk$: A public code for calculating the Gray Body Factors of massless fields around spherically symmetric Black Holes
We introduce and describe $\tt GrayHawk$, a publicly available Mathematica-based tool designed for the efficient computation of gray-body factors for spherically symmetric and asymptotically flat black holes. This program provides users with a rapid and reliable means to compute gray-body factors for massless fields with spin \(s = 0, 1/2, 1, 2\) in modes specified by the angular quantum number \(l\), given a black hole metric and the associated parameter values. $\tt GrayHawk$ is preloaded with seven different black hole metrics, offering immediate applicability to a variety of theoretical models. Additionally, its modular structure allows users to extend its functionality easily by incorporating alternative metrics or configurations. This versatility makes $\tt GrayHawk$ a powerful and adaptable resource for researchers studying black hole physics and Hawking radiation. The codes described in this work are publicly available at https://github.com/marcocalza89/GrayHawk.
☆ Exploring generalized Starobinsky Model of Inflation: Observational Constraints SP
We examine the power-law Starobinsky model, a generalized version of the Starobinsky inflation model, characterized by a power-law correction to Einstein gravity. Employing the $f(R)$ formalism, the scalar and tensor power spectra were numerically computed as functions of the dimensionless parameters $M$ and $\beta$. A Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) analysis was conducted using Planck-2018, BICEP3 and BAO observational data, yielding precise constraints on $\beta = 1.987^{+0.013}_{-0.016},\, 95\%\, C.\, L.$. and $ \log_{10}M = -4.72^{+0.21}_{-0.20}$. The derived scalar spectral index $n_s=0.9676^{+0.0069}_{-0.0068}$ and tensor-to-scalar ratio $r=0.0074^{+0.0061}_{-0.0044}$ lie within the bounds set by Planck observations. We analyse a general reheating scenario while keeping the number of e-folds during inflation, $N_{pivot}$, fixed. The analysis confirms that deviations from the Starobinsky $R^2$ model are observationaly viable, with implications for high-energy physics and supergravity-based inflationary models.
comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, Contribution to the conference proceedings of BCVSPIN 2024: Particle Physics and Cosmology in the Himalayas, December 9-13, 2024, Kathmandu, Nepal
☆ Drone Beam Mapping of the TONE Radio Dish Array
Drone-based beam measurements are a promising avenue to tackle the critical challenge of calibration for 21 cm cosmology telescopes. In this paper, we introduce a new drone-based calibration system for 400-800 MHz radio observatories, describing its instrumentation and first deployment. We discuss measurements of the TONE array, a CHIME/FRB outrigger pathfinder, and present results, including full 2D high spatial resolution beam maps in both co- and cross-polarization, as well as comparisons to simulations. The polarized beam maps cover a 70 degree by 70 degree grid, capturing the first two sidelobes and measuring the TONE main beam and first sidelobe with 7-9% statistical errors. We investigate polarization angle alignment with frequency, finding significant polarization leakage in the TONE antennas at frequencies above 600 MHz, and a polarization axis rotation with frequency. We describe statistical and systematic errors, as well as measurements of radio frequency interference from the drone and equipment. Our drone system is the first to incorporate a broad-band switched calibration source in the drone payload, enabling background subtraction and direct measurements of the RFI emitted by the drone. The results presented are the first drone-based 2D measurements of cross-polar beam structure and of polarization alignment of an array. The high frequency and spatial resolution achieved with this system have revealed the rich structure of the beam of each antenna, and enabled comparisons between individual dishes and to electromagnetic simulations.
comment: Submitted to ApJ
☆ Radio emission from little red dots may reveal their true nature
The unprecedented sensitivity of the \textit{James Webb Space Telescope} (\textit{JWST}) has revolutionized our understanding of the early universe. Among the most intriguing \textit{JWST} discoveries are red, very compact objects showing broad line emission features nicknamed as little red dots (LRDs). The discovery of LRDs has triggered great interest about their origin as either extremely starbursting galaxies or highly-obscured active galactic nuclei (AGN). Their exact nature still remains unknown. The goal of this work is to estimate the radio emission from LRDs and predict which radio surveys would detect them. To achieve these objectives, we employ the fundamental plane of black hole (BH) accretion to estimate radio emission from AGN and the stellar radio fluxes from their host galaxies. We assume a range of BH mass, X-ray luminosity ($\rm L_{X}$) and star formation rate (SFR) to bracket the likely properties of LRDs. Our findings suggest that BH radio fluxes from LRDs are 10-100 times higher than the stellar fluxes from their host galaxies, depending on BH mass, $\rm L_X$ and SFR. The detection of a $\sim$ 500 nJy signal above 2 GHz at $z \geq$ 5 or a $\sim$ 2000 nJy flux at $z =$ 3-4 would be a smoking gun for the presence of AGN provided that SFRs in the host galaxies are $\rm < 30~ M_{\odot} ~yr^{-1}$. We find that LRDs are most likely radio quiet AGN otherwise would have been already detected in the current radio surveys. Our findings suggest that LRDs can be detected with the upcoming radio observatories such as ngVLA and SKA with integration times of 10-100 hrs, respectively.
comment: Accepted to A&A letters
♻ ☆ Confronting the dark matter capture rate with a continuous gravitational wave probe of local neutron stars
Continuous gravitational waves (CGWs) from various astrophysical sources are one of the many future probes of upcoming gravitational wave (GW) search missions. Neutron stars (NSs) with deformity are one of the leading sources of CGW emissions. In this work, for the first time, a novel attempt to estimate the dark matter (DM) capture rate is performed using CGW as the probe to the local NS population. Competitive bounds on DM capture from the local NS population are reported when compared with DM direct search experiments and other astrophysical observations.
comment: 19 pages, 1 table, 5 figures
♻ ☆ AI-assisted super-resolution cosmological simulations IV: An emulator for deterministic realizations
Super-resolution (SR) models in cosmological simulations use deep learning (DL) to rapidly enhance low-resolution (LR) runs with statistically correct fine details. These models preserves large-scale structures by conditioning on an LR version of the simulation. On smaller scales, the generative process is inherently stochastic, producing multiple possible SR realizations with distinct small-scale structures. Validation of reconstructed SR runs from LR simulations requires ensuring that specific statistics of interest are accurately reproduced by comparing SR outputs with target high resolution (HR) runs. In this study, we develop an emulator designed to reproduce the small-scale structures of target HR simulation with high fidelity. By processing an SR realization alongside the high-resolution initial condition (HRIC), we transform the SR output to emulate the result of a full simulation with that HRIC. By comparing various metrics, from visualization to individual halo measurements, we demonstrate that the emulated SR runs closely align with the target HR simulation, even at length scales an order of magnitude smaller than the corresponding LR run. These results show the potential of this method for efficiently generating accurate simulations and mock observations for large galaxy surveys.
comment: 18 pages, 16 figures
♻ ☆ Pseudo-Dirac Neutrinos and Relic Neutrino Matter Effect on the High-energy Neutrino Flavor Composition
We show that if neutrinos are pseudo-Dirac, they can potentially affect the flavor ratio predictions for the high-energy astrophysical neutrino flux observed by IceCube. In this context, we point out a novel matter effect induced by the cosmic neutrino background (C$\nu$B) on the flavor ratio composition. Specifically, the active-sterile neutrino oscillations over the astrophysical baseline lead to an energy-dependent flavor ratio at Earth due to the C$\nu$B matter effect, which is in principle distinguishable from the vacuum oscillation effect, provided there is an asymmetry between the neutrino and antineutrino number densities, as well as a local C$\nu$B overdensity. Considering the projected precision of the 3-neutrino oscillation parameter measurements and improved flavor triangle measurements, we show that the next-generation neutrino telescopes, such as KM3NeT and IceCube-Gen2, can in principle probe the pseudo-Dirac neutrino hypothesis and the C$\nu$B matter effect.
comment: 16 pages, 6 figures; matches published version
♻ ☆ ADF22-WEB: A giant barred spiral starburst galaxy in the z = 3.1 SSA22 protocluster core
In the present-day universe, the most massive galaxies are ellipticals located in the cores of galaxy clusters, harboring the heaviest super-massive black holes (SMBHs). However the mechanisms that drive the early growth phase and subsequent transformation of these morphology and kinematics of galaxies remain elusive. Here we report (sub)kiloparsec scale observations of stars, gas, and dust in ADF22.A1, a bright dusty starburst galaxy at z=3.1, hosting a heavily obscured active galactic nucleus and residing in a proto-cluster core. ADF22.A1 is a giant spiral galaxy with the kinematics of a rotating disk with rotation velocity Vrot=530+/-10km/s and diameter larger than 30 kpc. The high specific stellar angular momentum of this system, j*=3400+/-600 kpc km/s, requires a mechanism to effectively spin-up ADF22.A1, indicating the importance of accretion from the cosmic web to supply both gas and angular momentum to galaxies in their early gas-rich starburst phase. In its inner region, gas flows along dust lanes in a bar connected with the bright dusty core and the estimated mass ratio of a bulge to SMBH matches the local relation, suggesting that bars are a key mechanism to shape the early co-evolution of these components. Comparison with cosmological simulations shows that ADF22.A1 will likely evolve into a massive elliptical at the present day, experiencing a significant reduction in angular momentum associated with subsequent galaxy mergers.
comment: 14 pages, 12 figures. accepted for publication in PASJ
♻ ☆ DESI Strong Lens Foundry I: HST Observations and Modeling with GIGA-Lens
We present the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Strong Lens Foundry. We discovered $\sim 3500$ new strong gravitational lens candidates in the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys using residual neural networks (ResNet). We observed a subset (51) of our candidates using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). All of them were confirmed to be strong lenses. We also briefly describe spectroscopic follow-up observations by DESI and Keck NIRES programs. From this very rich dataset, a number of studies will be carried out, including evaluating the quality of the ResNet search candidates and lens modeling. In this paper, we present our initial effort in these directions. In particular, as a demonstration, we present the lens model for DESI-165.4754-06.0423, with imaging data from HST, and lens and source redshifts from DESI and Keck NIRES, respectively. In this effort, we have applied a \emph{fully} forward-modeling Bayesian approach (GIGA-Lens), using \emph{multiple} GPUs, for the first time in both regards, to a strong lens with HST data, or any high resolution imaging.
comment: 32 pages, 9 figures, 5 tables. Submitted to The Astrophysical Journal
♻ ☆ SMILE: Discriminating milli-lens systems in a VLBI pilot project
Dark Matter (DM) remains poorly probed on critical, sub-galactic scales, where predictions from different models diverge in terms of abundance and density profiles of halos. Gravitational lens systems on milli-arcsecond scales (milli-lenses) are expected for a population of dense DM halos (free-floating or sub-halos) and free-floating supermassive black holes in the mass range of $10^6$ to $10^9\,M_\odot$. In this paper, we aim to look for milli-lens systems via a systematic search in a large sample of radio-loud AGN observed with very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI). We present the observational strategy to discriminate milli-lenses from contaminant objects mimicking a milli-lens morphology. In a pilot project, we have investigated VLBI images from 13,828 sources from the Astrogeo VLBI image database and reduced the number of candidates to 40 in a first step. We present here the images and analysis of new sensitive follow-up observations with the EVN at 5 and 22 GHz and streamline our analysis to reject milli-lens candidates. By using constraints such as the surface brightness ratio, conservation of spectral shape, stability of flux ratios over time, and changes in morphology, we can confidently discriminate between milli-lenses and contaminant objects that mimick them. Using the above constraints, we rule out 31 out of our initial 40 candidates of milli-lens systems, demonstrating the power of our approach. Also, we found many new candidate compact symmetric objects, which are thought to be primarily short-lived jetted radio sources. This serves as a pathfinder for the final sample used for the Search for MIlli-LEnses (SMILE) project, which will allow us to constrain DM models by comparing the results to theoretical predictions. This SMILE sample will consist of $\sim$5,000 sources based on the VLA CLASS survey, including many observations obtained for this project specifically.
comment: 43 pages, 41 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics
♻ ☆ Clustering of the extreme: A theoretical description of weak lensing critical points power spectra in the mildly nonlinear regime
In cosmic web analysis, complementary to traditional cosmological probes, the extrema (e.g. peaks and voids) two-point correlation functions (2PCFs) are of particular interest for the study of both astrophysical phenomena and cosmological structure formation. However most previous studies constructed those statistics via N-body simulations without a robust theoretical derivation from first principles. A strong motivation exists for analytically describing the 2PCFs of these local extrema, taking into account the nonlinear gravitational evolution in the late Universe. In this paper, we derive analytical formulae for the power spectra and 2PCFs of 2D critical points, including peaks (maxima), voids (minima) and saddle points, in mildly non-Gaussian weak gravitational lensing fields. We apply a perturbative bias expansion to model the clustering of 2D critical points. We successfully derive the power spectrum of weak lensing critical points up to the next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) in gravitational perturbation theory, where trispectrum configurations of the weak lensing field have to be included. We numerically evaluate those power spectra up to the next-to-leading order (NLO), which correspond to the inclusion of bispectrum configurations, and transform them to the corresponding 2PCFs. An exact Monte Carlo (MC) integration is performed assuming a Gaussian distributed density field to validate our theoretical predictions. Overall, we find similar properties in 2D compared to the clustering of 3D critical points previously measured from N-body simulations. Contrary to standard lensing power spectra analysis, we find distinct BAO features in the lensing peak 2PCFs due to the gradient and curvature constraints, and we quantify that non-Gaussianity makes for ~10% of the signal at quasi-linear scales which could be important for current stage-IV surveys.
comment: 26 pages, 11 figures. Comments are welcome
♻ ☆ Precision big bang nucleosynthesis with improved Helium-4 predictions
Primordial nucleosynthesis is one of the three historical evidences for the big bang model, together with the expansion of the universe and the cosmic microwave background. Now that the number of neutrino families and the baryonic densities have been fixed by laboratory measurements or CMB observations, the model has no free parameter and its predictions are rigid. Departure from its predictions could provide hints or constraints on new physics or astrophysics in the early universe. Precision on primordial abundances deduced from observations have recently been drastically improved and reach the percent level for both deuterium and helium-4. Accordingly, the BBN predictions should reach the same level of precision. For most isotopes, the dominant sources of uncertainty come from those on the laboratory thermonuclear reactions. This article focuses on helium-4 whose predicted primordial abundance depends essentially on weak interactions which control the neutron-proton ratio. The rates of the various weak interaction processes depend on the experimentally measured neutron lifetime, but also includes numerous corrections that we thoroughly investigate here. They are the radiative, zero-temperature, corrections, finite nucleon mass corrections, finite temperature radiative corrections, weak-magnetism, and QED plasma effects, which are for the first time all included and calculated in a self consistent way, allowing to take into account the correlations between them, and verifying that all satisfy detailed balance. The helium-4 predicted mass fraction is $0.24709\pm0.00017$. In addition, we provide a Mathematica code (PRIMAT) that incorporates, not only these corrections but also a full network of reactions, using the best available thermonuclear reaction rates, allowing the predictions of primordial abundances up to the CNO region.
comment: 56 pages, 31 figures
♻ ☆ Distinctive GWBs from eccentric inspiraling SMBH binaries with a DM spike
Recent detections of a low-frequency gravitational wave background (GWB) from various pulsar-timing-array (PTA) observations have renewed the interest in the inspiraling supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs), whose population is believed to be the most promising candidate with possible generalizations from including either orbital eccentricity or dark matter (DM) spike. In this paper, we show that the inclusion of both can further display distinctive features detectable in future PTA observations. With a typical initial eccentricity $e_0\sim\mathcal{O}(0.1)$ for the inspiraling SMBHBs, even a shallow DM spike can easily drive the orbital eccentricity close to $1$, leaving behind a large turnover eccentricity when GWs begin to dominate the orbital circularization. In particular, the DM spike index $\gamma_\mathrm{sp}$ universally manifests itself in the characteristic strain by $h_c\sim f^{7/6-\gamma_\mathrm{sp}/3}$ in the far infrared and features a novel oscillation structure at low frequencies. Future PTA detection of such characteristics would be the smoking gun for the DM spike and even reveal the nature of DM.
comment: v5, 22 pages, 8 figures, accepted version for publication in JCAP
♻ ☆ Bubbles kick off primordial black holes to form more binaries
Primordial black holes (PBHs) may form before cosmological first-order phase transitions, leading to inevitable collisions between PBHs and bubble walls. In this Letter, we have simulated for the first time the co-evolution of an expanding scalar wall passing through a black hole with full numerical relativity. This black hole-bubble wall collision yields multiple far-reaching phenomena including the PBH mass growth, gravitational wave radiations, and momentum recoil that endows PBHs with additional velocities, approximately doubling the formation rate for PBH binaries and hence strengthening the observational constraints on the PBH abundances.
comment: v1, 5 pages + supplemental material; v2, 5-page main text (peak frequency estimation for GWs from PBH-bubble collisions is added) + 8-page largely extended supplemental material with details in numerical simulations (including numerical methods, initial data, convergence tests, and long-term evolutions)
♻ ☆ Parity-breaking galaxy 4-point function from lensing by chiral gravitational waves
Recent searches for parity breaking in the galaxy four-point correlation function, as well as the prospects for greatly improved sensitivity to parity breaking in forthcoming surveys, motivate the search for physical mechanisms that could produce such a signal. Here we show that a parity-violating galaxy four-point correlation function may be induced by lensing by a chiral gravitational-wave background. We estimate the amplitude of a signal that would be detectable with a current galaxy survey, taking into account constraints to the primordial gravitational-wave-background amplitude. We find that this mechanism is unlikely to produce a signal large enough to be seen with a galaxy survey but note that it may come within reach with future 21cm observations.
comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, v2: minor changes, version published in PRD
♻ ☆ The TRGB-SBF Project. II. Resolving the Virgo Cluster with JWST
The Virgo Cluster is the nearest substantial cluster of galaxies to the Milky Way and a cornerstone of the extragalactic distance scale. Here, we present JWST/NIRCam observations that simultaneously cover the cores and halos of ten galaxies in and around the Virgo Cluster and are designed to perform simultaneous measurements of the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) and surface brightness fluctuations (SBF). Seven of the targets are within the Virgo Cluster and where we are able to resolve some of the cluster's substructure, while an additional three provide important constraints on Virgo infall. The seven galaxies within Virgo itself all have SBF measurements from the Advanced Camera for Surveys Virgo Cluster Survey (ACSVCS). After adjusting the ACSVCS measurements for the offset from our new JWST TRGB measurements, we determine a distance to the Virgo Cluster of d $=$ 16.17 $\pm$ 0.25 (stat) $\pm$ 0.47 (sys) Mpc. The work presented here is part of a larger program to develop a Population II distance scale through the TRGB and SBF that is completely independent of the prominent Cepheid + Type Ia supernova ladder. The TRGB distances to the galaxies presented here, when combined with future SBF measurements, will provide a crucial step forward for determining whether or not systematic errors can explain the well-known "Hubble tension'' or if there is significant evidence for cracks in the $\Lambda$CDM model.
comment: 18 pages, 9 figures, accepted to ApJ
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 13
☆ Compact protoplanetary discs can be produced by dead zones
Radially compact protoplanetary discs (<=50 au) are ubiquitous in nearby star-forming regions. Multiple mechanisms have been invoked to interpret various compact discs. In this paper, we propose that fragmentation of fragile dust grains in moderate turbulence, as expected beyond the dead zone, provides an effective alternative mechanism to form compact discs which are consistent with current observations. We run 1-D dust transport and collision models with DustPy and generate synthetic observations, and find that discs formed by this mechanism have sizes determined by the extent of their dead zones. Accounting for dust porosity, and considering less fragile dust, do not change disc sizes significantly. The smooth dust morphology can be altered only when pressure bumps are present in the dead zone. However, when present at small radii (<=10 au), pressure bumps cannot effectively trap dust. Dust in these bumps fragments and replenishes the inner discs, effectively hiding dust traps in the optically thick inner disc from observations. We note a striking resemblance in the radial intensity profile between our synthetic observations and some recent high-resolution observations of compact discs. We discuss how such observations can inform our understanding of the underlying disc physics.
comment: 17 pages, 14+1 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ A possible trail of dust from a young, highly-extincted brown dwarf in the outskirts of the Trapezium Cluster
We present the JWST discovery of a highly-extincted ($A_V\sim52$) candidate brown dwarf ($\sim0.018$M$_\odot$) in the outskirts of the Trapezium Cluster that appears to be coincident with the end of a $\sim 1700\,$au long, remarkably uniformly wide, dark trail that broadens only slightly at the end opposite the point source. We examine whether a dusty trail associated with a highly-extincted brown dwarf could plausibly be detected with JWST and explore possible origins. We show that a dusty trail associated with the brown dwarf could be observable if dust within it is larger than that in the ambient molecular cloud. For example, if the ambient cloud has a standard $\sim0.25$$\mu$m maximum grain size and the trail contains micron-sized grains, then the trail will have a scattering opacity over an order of magnitude larger compared to the surroundings in NIRCam short-wavelength filters. We use a simple model to show that a change in maximum grain size can reproduce the high $A_V$ and the multi-filter NIRCam contrast seen between the trail and its surroundings. We propose and explore two possible mechanisms that could be responsible for the trail: i) a weak FUV radiation-driven wind from the circum-brown dwarf disc due to the O stars in the region and ii) a Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton accretion wake. The former would be the most distant known case of the Trapezium stars' radiation driving winds from a disc, and the latter would be the first known example of ``late'' infall from the interstellar medium onto a low mass object in a high-mass star-forming region.
comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ Debris disks around M dwarfs: The Herschel DEBRIS survey
The Herschel open-time key program Disc Emission via a Bias-free Reconnaissance in the Infrared and Sub-millimeter (DEBRIS) is an unbiased survey of the nearest ~100 stars for each stellar type A-M observed with a uniform photometric sensitivity to search for cold debris disks around them. The analysis of the Photoconductor Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) photometric observations of the 94 DEBRIS M dwarfs of this program is presented in this paper, following upon two companion papers on the DEBRIS A-star and FGK-star subsamples. In the M-dwarf subsample, two debris disks have been detected, around the M3V dwarf GJ581 and the M4V dwarf FomalhautC (LP876-10). This result gives a disk detection rate of 2.1^{+2.7}_{-0.7}% at the 68% confidence level, significantly less than measured for earlier stellar types in the DEBRIS program. However, we show that the survey of the DEBRIS M-dwarf subsample is about ten times shallower than the surveys of the DEBRIS FGK subsamples when studied in the physical parameter space of the disk's fractional dust luminosity versus blackbody radius. Furthermore, had the DEBRIS K-star subsample been observed at the same shallower depth in this parameter space, its measured disk detection rate would have been statistically consistent with the one found for the M-dwarf subsample. Hence, the incidence of debris disks does not appear to drop from the K subsample to the M subsample of the DEBRIS program, when considering disks in the same region of physical parameter space. An alternative explanation is that the only two bright disks discovered in the M-dwarf subsample would not, in fact, be statistically representative of the whole population.
comment: 12 pages, long Table 3 included, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics
☆ Planet Masses, Radii, and Orbits from NASA's K2 Mission
We report the masses, sizes, and orbital properties of 86 planets orbiting 55 stars observed by NASA's K2 Mission with follow-up Doppler measurements by the HIRES spectrometer at the W. M. Keck Observatory and the Automated Planet Finder at Lick Observatory. Eighty-one of the planets were discovered from their transits in the K2 photometry, while five were found based on subsequent Doppler measurements of transiting planet host stars. The sizes of the transiting planets range from Earth-size to larger than Jupiter (1-3 REarth is typical), while the orbital periods range from less than a day to a few months. For 32 of the planets, the Doppler signal was detected with significance greater than 5-sigma (51 were detected with >3-sigma significance). An important characteristic of this catalog is the use of uniform analysis procedures to determine stellar and planetary properties. This includes the transit search and fitting procedures applied to the K2 photometry, the Doppler fitting techniques applied to the radial velocities, and the spectral modeling to determine bulk stellar parameters. Such a uniform treatment will make the catalog useful for statistical studies of the masses, densities, and system architectures of exoplanetary systems. This work also serves as a data release for all previously unpublished RVs and associated stellar activity indicators obtained by our team for these systems, along with derived stellar and planet parameters.
comment: 156 pages, 86 planets, 55 stars, 104 figures, 48 tables. Accepted to ApJS
☆ A New Spectral Library for Modeling the Surfaces of Hot, Rocky Exoplanets
JWST's MIRI LRS provides the first opportunity to spectroscopically characterize the surface compositions of close-in terrestrial exoplanets. Models for the bare-rock spectra of these planets often utilize a spectral library from R. Hu et al., which is based on room temperature reflectance measurements of materials that represent archetypes of rocky planet surfaces. Here we present an expanded library that includes hemispherical reflectance measurements for a greater variety of compositions, varying textures (solid slab, coarsely crushed, and fine powder), as well as high temperature (500-800 K) emissivity measurements for select samples. We incorporate this new library into version 6.3 of the retrieval package PLATON and use it to show that surfaces with similar compositions can have widely varying albedos and surface temperatures. We additionally demonstrate that changing the texture of a material can significantly alter its albedo, making albedo a poor proxy for surface composition. We identify key spectral features -- the 5.6 \textmu{m} olivine feature, the transparency feature, the Si-O stretching feature, and the Christiansen feature -- that indicate silicate abundance and surface texture. We quantify the number of JWST observations needed to detect these features in the spectrum of the most favorable super-Earth target, LHS 3844 b, and revisit the interpretation of its Spitzer photometry. Lastly, we show that temperature-dependent changes in spectral features are likely undetectable at the precision of current exoplanet observations. Our results illustrate the importance of spectroscopically-resolved thermal emission measurements, as distinct from surface albedo constraints, for characterizing the surface compositions of hot, rocky exoplanets.
comment: 28 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
☆ The Effects of Kinematic MHD on the Atmospheric Circulation of Eccentric Hot Jupiters
Hot Jupiters are typically considered to be tidally locked due to their short orbital periods. The extreme irradiation can result in atmospheric species becoming thermally ionized on the dayside, which then interact with the planet's magnetic field by resisting flow across magnetic field lines, shaping the atmospheric structure. However, an eccentric orbit results in temporally dependent irradiation and a non-permanent dayside, as the planet-star distance can change drastically during its orbit. In this paper, we present 3D atmospheric models of TOI-150b, an eccentric (e=0.26), Jupiter-mass 1.75 M_Jup planet whose equilibrium temperature varies from 1300K to 1700K. We conduct simulations for magnetic field strengths ranging from 0-30 Gauss using the kinematic magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) approach. When compared to simulations of the planet assuming a circular orbit, we find that the eccentric orbit results in a strengthened and narrowed equatorial jet, westward winds at mid-latitudes, and a phase-dependent thermal inversion. The strength and magnitude of these effects scale with the chosen global magnetic field strength. We also generate high-resolution (R=100,000) emission spectra to study net Doppler shifts and find inter-orbit spectroscopic variability at moderate magnetic field strengths, as well as decreased Doppler broadening as magnetic field strengths increase. This work represents the first time that the kinematic MHD approach has been applied to an eccentric hot Jupiter and highlights the importance of a locally calculated, temperature dependent magnetic drag prescription for predicting atmospheric structure and resulting spectra.
comment: 23 pages, 19 figures, resubmitted to ApJ after reviewer report
☆ From Planetesimals to Dwarf Planets by Pebble Accretion
The size distribution of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) in the Kuiper Belt provides crucial insights into the formation and evolution of the outer Solar System. Recent observational surveys, including OSSOS++, have revealed that dynamically cold and hot TNO populations exhibit similar size distributions for dimmer objects ($H_r > 5$), which are consistent with planetesimal formation by streaming instability (SI). However, the hot population contains a significantly larger number of massive bodies, including several dwarf planets. In this study, we investigate the role of pebble accretion in shaping the size distribution of hot TNOs, after their formation in the primordial disk (PB) between 20 and 30 au and before these bodies were dynamically implanted into their current orbits by a migrating Neptune. We find that pebble accretion grows the most massive bodies only, consistent with the flattening of the distribution brightwards of $H_r=5$. All results point to a correlation (degeneracy) between the pebble aerodynamic size and the intensity of the gas motions. Nevertheless, accretion from an inward-drifting stream of pebbles is unlikely, as it puts extreme demands on the mass budget of pebbles. In particular, the masses of the cold classicals are too low to trigger pebble accretion. Accretion in an environment where pebbles are entrained, as believed to be the case in ALMA rings, is preferable. Combining the constraints obtained from this study with ALMA imagery morphology fitting reveals a typical pebble aerodynamic size of $\tau_s \sim 10^{-2}$, a turbulent diffusivity parameter $\alpha_D\sim10^{-3}$, and a total accreted pebble mass of ${\sim}10\,m_\oplus$ in the primordial belt. Those TNOs formed through significant pebble accretion with masses exceeding ${\sim}10^{-4}\,m_\oplus$ are likely to satisfy the International Astronomical Union's "round shape" criterion for dwarf planets.
comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. 15 pages
☆ Electron-induced CO2 and hydrocarbon sputtering of functionalized hydrocarbons in icy planetary analogs
CO2 has been detected in both the tenuous exosphere and surface chaos regions of Europa, but it is still unclear whether this CO2 is generated in situ by radiolysis or whether it is directly delivered by the ocean. In this work, we study the radiolysis pathway, and explore the possibility that organics upwelled from the subsurface oceans could be contributing to this signature on the surface and in the exosphere. Specifically, we report here on the evolution of carbon-containing byproducts generated by electron-induced sputtering of organics with different functional groups -- hexanoic acid, hexanol, and hexane -- in water ice. We found that, upon electron irradiation in vacuum, the acid-functionalized molecules generated a factor of over 10x more CO2 than either the non-functionalized or alcohol-functionalized molecules, but that all three species produced CO2 to some extent. The amount of CO2 produced was found to depend upon temperature. CO2 was the dominant product for ices at 100 K and 120 K, and production of CO2 was 3x higher at 100 and 120 K than at 80 K. Sputtering of long chain molecules such as pentane was a factor of 100x higher in the hexanoic acid-containing ice than in the hexane/hexanol ice, suggesting that organics with carboxylic acid (COOH) functional groups may be also more likely to produce volatile species that can be ejected into the exosphere.
comment: 27 pages, 13 figures; submitted to The Astrophysical Journal
☆ Debris disks around M dwarfs: The Herschel DEBRIS survey
The Herschel open-time key program Disc Emission via a Bias-free Reconnaissance in the Infrared and Sub-millimeter (DEBRIS) is an unbiased survey of the nearest ~100 stars for each stellar type A-M observed with a uniform photometric sensitivity to search for cold debris disks around them. The analysis of the Photoconductor Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) photometric observations of the 94 DEBRIS M dwarfs of this program is presented in this paper, following upon two companion papers on the DEBRIS A-star and FGK-star subsamples. In the M-dwarf subsample, two debris disks have been detected, around the M3V dwarf GJ581 and the M4V dwarf FomalhautC (LP876-10). This result gives a disk detection rate of 2.1^{+2.7}_{-0.7}% at the 68% confidence level, significantly less than measured for earlier stellar types in the DEBRIS program. However, we show that the survey of the DEBRIS M-dwarf subsample is about ten times shallower than the surveys of the DEBRIS FGK subsamples when studied in the physical parameter space of the disk's fractional dust luminosity versus blackbody radius. Furthermore, had the DEBRIS K-star subsample been observed at the same shallower depth in this parameter space, its measured disk detection rate would have been statistically consistent with the one found for the M-dwarf subsample. Hence, the incidence of debris disks does not appear to drop from the K subsample to the M subsample of the DEBRIS program, when considering disks in the same region of physical parameter space. An alternative explanation is that the only two bright disks discovered in the M-dwarf subsample would not, in fact, be statistically representative of the whole population.
comment: 12 pages, long Table 3 included, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics
♻ ☆ Early Accretion of Large Amounts of Solids for Directly-Imaged Exoplanets
As the number of planetary mass objects (PMOs, $\lessapprox$13 M$_{\rm{Jupiter}}$) at wider separation ($\gtrapprox$10 AU) grows, there is emerging evidence that they form differently from their higher-mass brown-dwarf (BD) counterparts. Specifically, PMOs' atmospheres are often enriched by metals and show a large dispersion of metallicity, which is usually interpreted as a sign of solid accretion. {{As a first step toward a population-level study of the amount and timing of solid accretion, }}we analyze a sample of seven directly-imaged exoplanets with measured stellar and planetary chemical abundances (51 Eri b, $\beta$ Pic b, HIP 65426 b, HR 8799 c and e, AF Lep b, and YSES 1 c). Our analysis uses existing data of stellar and planetary atmospheric metallicities, and adopts a Bayesian framework that marginalizes the probabilities of disk conditions, formation locations, {{planetary interior structures}}, and accretion physics. We show that these PMOs accrete large amounts of solids {{regardless of whether they form via core accretion or disk instability}}. On average $\gtrapprox$50 M$_\oplus$ solids are accreted to enrich planet atmospheres. {{Individual planet accretes between 23.3 and 223.2 M$_\oplus$ of solid mass, more than 75\% of which is assumed to stay in the atmosphere and increase the observed metallicity.}} The result implies that the solid accretion process and therefore the planet formation process {{likely take place}} at an early stage {{($\lessapprox$2 Myr)}} when large amounts of solids are available in young {{massive}} protoplanetary disks.
comment: accepted to AAS Journals. Significant revision from the previous version
♻ ☆ Rapid hydrofracture of icy moon shells: insights from glaciology
Europa's surface exhibits many regions of complex topography termed 'chaos terrains'. One set of hypotheses for chaos terrain formation requires upward migration of liquid water from perched water bodies within the icy shell formed by convection and tidal heating. However, consideration of the behavior of terrestrial ice sheets suggests the upwards movement of water from englacial water bodies is uncommon. Instead, rapid downwards hydrofracture from supraglacial lakes - unbounded given a sufficient volume of water - can occur in relatively low tensile stress states given a sufficiently deep initial fracture due to the negative relative buoyancy of water. I suggest that downwards, not upwards, fracture may be more reasonable for perched water bodies but show that full hydrofracture is unlikely if the perched water body is located beneath a mechanically strong icy lid. However, full hydrofracture is possible in the event of lid break up over a perched water body and likely in the event of a meteor impact that generates sufficient meltwater and a tensile shock. This provides a possible mechanism for the transfer of biologically important nutrients to the subsurface ocean and the formation of chaos terrains.
♻ ☆ Magnetic disk winds in protoplanetary disks: Description of the model and impact on global disk evolution
Canonically, a protoplanetary disk is thought to undergo (gravito-)viscous evolution, wherein the angular momentum of the accreting material is transported outwards. However, several lines of reasoning suggest that the turbulent viscosity in a typical protoplanetary disk is insufficient to drive the observed accretion rates. An emerging paradigm suggests that radially extended magnetic disk winds may play a crucial role in the disk evolution. We propose a global model of magnetic wind-driven accretion for evolution of protoplanetary disks, based on the insights gained from local shearing box simulations. Here we develop this model and constrain its parameters with the help of theoretical expectations and comparison with observations. The magnetic wind is characterized with the associated loss of angular momentum and mass, which depend on the local disk conditions and stellar properties. We incorporate the disk winds self-consistently in the code FEOSAD and study formation and long-term evolution of protoplanetary disks. We include disk self-gravity and an adaptive turbulent alpha, while the co-evolution of dust is also considered. Synthetic observations are obtained via radiation thermo-chemical code ProDiMo. The models with inclusion of disk winds satisfy general expectations from both theory and observations. The disk wind parameters can be guided by observational constraints and the synthetic observations resulting from such a model compare favorably with the selected ALMA survey data of Class II disks. The proposed magnetic disk wind model is a significant step forward in the direction of representing a more complete disk evolution, wherein the disk experiences concurrent torques from viscous, gravitational, and magnetic wind processes.
comment: 24 pages, 8 figures, 5 tables, Accepted
♻ ☆ Photoevaporation from Inner Protoplanetary Disks Confronted with Observations
The decades-long explorations on the dispersal of protoplanetary disks involve many debates about photoevaporation versus magnetized wind launching mechanisms. This letter argues that the observed winds originating from the inner disk ($R\lesssim 0.3$ AU) cannot be explained by the photoevaporative mechanism. Energy conservation requires the presumed photoevaporative winds to be heated to $\gtrsim 10^5$ K when launched from inner disks. However, due to efficient thermal accommodation with dust grains and cooling processes at high densities, X-ray irradiation at energies above 1 keV cannot efficiently launch winds in the first place because of its high penetration. Some studies claiming X-ray wind launching have oversimplified the thermochemical couplings. Furthermore, heating the gas to escape velocity will over-ionize it, suppressing the species responsible for observed forbidden lines (e.g., [OI] 6300 $\r{A}$ ). Confirmed by semi-analytic integrations of thermochemical fluid structures, such high ionizations contradict the observed emission of neutral and singly-ionized atoms from the winds originating from the inner disks.
comment: 17 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication by the ApJ
Astrophysics of Galaxies 30
☆ Cloud-scale gas properties, depletion times, and star formation efficiency per free-fall time in PHANGS--ALMA
We compare measurements of star formation efficiency to cloud-scale gas properties across PHANGS-ALMA. Dividing 67 galaxies into 1.5 kpc scale regions, we calculate the molecular gas depletion time, tau_dep= Sigma_mol/Sigma_SFR, and the star formation efficiency per free-fall time, eff=tau_ff/tau_dep, for each region. Then we test how tau_dep and eff vary as functions of the regional mass-weighted mean molecular gas properties on cloud scales (60-150pc): gas surface density, , velocity dispersion, , virial parameter, , and gravitational free-fall time, . and tau_dep correlate positively, consistent with the expectation that gas density plays a key role in setting the rate of star formation. Our fiducial measurements suggest tau_dep \propto ^0.5 and eff \approx 0.34%, though the exact numbers depend on the adopted fitting methods. We also observe anti-correlations between tau_dep and and between tau_dep^mol and . All three correlations may reflect the same underlying link between density and star formation efficiency combined with systematic variations in the degree to which self-gravity binds molecular gas in galaxies. We highlight the tau_dep- relation because of the lower degree of correlation between the axes. Contrary to theoretical expectations, we observe an anti-correlation between tau_dep^mol and and no significant correlation between eff and . Our results depend sensitively on the adopted CO-to-H2 conversion factor, with corrections for excitation and emissivity effects in inner galaxies playing an important role. We emphasize that our simple methodology and clean selection allow easy comparison to numerical simulations and highlight this as a logical next direction.
comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. 35 pages, 16 figures, 9 tables. Full data tables available here: https://www.canfar.net/storage/vault/list/phangs/RELEASES/Leroy_etal_2025
☆ Observations of Holographic Quantum-Foam Blurring
The "foamy" nature of spacetime at the Planck scale was an idea first introduced by John Wheeler in the 1950s. And for the last twenty years or so it has been debated whether those inherent uncertainties in time and path-length might also accumulate in transiting electromagnetic wavefronts, resulting in measurable blurring for images of distant galaxies and quasars. A confusing aspect is that "pointlike" objects will always be blurred out somewhat by the optics of a telescope, especially in the optical. But it turns out that Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are more useful to test this, and have been observed by a host of ground-based and space-based telescopes, including by the Fermi observatory for well over a decade. And a recent one was unprecedented: GRB221009A was extremely bright, allowing follow-up from the infrared through the ultraviolet to X-rays and gamma-rays, including a first association with photons at high TeV energies. I will discuss how that observation is in direct tension with the calculus of how spacetime "foaminess" can add up in an image of a pointsource at cosmological distances, which at high-enough energy could spread these out over the whole sky without resulting in photon loss. A simple multiwavelength average of foam-induced blurring consistent with holographic quantum gravity is described, analogous to atmospheric seeing from the ground. This fits with measured instrumental point-spread functions and with the highest-energy localization of GRB221009A, resolving the observational issues and pointing to a key physical implication: spacetime does not look smooth.
comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Conference Proceedings of IARD 2024 in Helsinki
☆ The Blue supergiant problem and the main-sequence width
Using Gaia DR3 we derive new distances and luminosities for a sample of Galactic B supergiants which were thought to be post main-sequence (MS) objects from their HR diagram location beyond the terminal-age MS (TAMS). When applying the newer Gaia distances in addition to enhanced amounts of core-boundary mixing, aka convective overshooting, we show that these Galactic B supergiants are likely enclosed within the MS band, indicating an evolutionary stage of steady core hydrogen burning. We discuss the importance of considering enhanced overshooting and how vectors in the mass-luminosity plane (ML-plane) can be used to disentangle the effects of wind mass loss from interior mixing. We finish with the key message that any proposed solution to the BSG problem should consider not only an explanation for the sheer number of B supergiants inside the Hertzsprung gap, but should at the same time also account for the steep drop in rotation rates identified at spectral type B1 -- corresponding to an effective temperature of $\sim$21 kK, and for which two distinct families of solutions have been proposed.
comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, Comments welcome, Review in Circumstellar Matter in Hot Star Systems (for Galaxies)
☆ Enhancing the accuracy of observable distributions for galaxies classified in the Projected Phase Space Diagram
Studies of galaxy populations classified according to their kinematic behaviours and dynamical state using the Projected Phase Space Diagram (PPSD) are affected by misclassification and contamination, leading to systematic errors in determining the characteristics of the different galaxy classes. We propose a method to statistically correct the determination of galaxy properties' distributions accounting for the contamination caused by misclassified galaxies from other classes. Using a sample of massive clusters and galaxies in their surroundings taken from the MultiDark Planck 2 simulation combined with the semi-analytic model of galaxy formation SAG, we compute the confusion matrix associated to a classification scheme in the PPSD. Based on positions in the PPSD, galaxies are classified as cluster members, backsplash galaxies, recent infallers, infalling galaxies, and interlopers. This classification is determined using probabilities calculated by the code ROGER, along with a threshold criterion. By inverting the confusion matrix, we are able to get better determinations of distributions of galaxy properties such as colour. Compared to a direct estimation based solely on the predicted galaxy classes, our method provides better estimates of the mass-dependent colour distribution for the galaxy classes most affected by misclassification: cluster members, backsplash galaxies, and recent infallers. We apply the method to a sample of observed X-ray clusters and galaxies. Our method can be applied to any classification of galaxies in the PPSD, and to any other galaxy property besides colour, provided an estimation of the confusion matrix. Blue, low-mass galaxies in clusters are almost exclusively recent infaller galaxies that have not yet been quenched by the environmental action of the cluster. Backsplash galaxies are on average redder than expected.
comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in A&A
☆ 1000-10,000 M$_\odot$ Primordial Stars Created the Nitrogen Excess in the Galaxy GS 3073 at $z = 5.55$
The advent of the James Webb Space Telescope has revealed a wealth of new galaxies just a few hundred Myr after the Big Bang. Some of these galaxies exhibit unusual elemental abundances that are difficult to explain with stellar populations today. While Wolf-Rayet stars in multiple-burst populations, very massive or rapidly-rotating primordial stars, general relativistic explosions of metal-enriched supermassive stars, or the precursors of globular clusters can in principle account for the supersolar nitrogen to oxygen ratios in the galaxies GN-z11 and CEERS 1019, no known stars or supernovae can explain the far higher N/O ratio of 0.46 in GS 3073 at redshift $z =$ 5.55. Here we show that the extreme nitrogen abundances in GS 3073 can be produced by 1000 - 10,000 M$_{\odot}$ primordial (Pop III) stars. We find that these are the only candidates that can account for its large N/O ratios and its C/O and Ne/O ratios. GS 3073 is thus the first conclusive evidence in the fossil abundance record of the existence of supermassive Pop III stars at cosmic Dawn.
comment: 26 pages, 15 figures
☆ On the origin of the $Σ_1$-$M_\star$ quenching boundary
We have considered a phenomenologically motivated model in which galaxies are quenched when the energy output of the central black hole exceeds a hundred times the gravitational binding energy of the baryons in the host halo. The model reproduces the mass functions of star-forming and quiescent galaxies at 0
comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication on MNRAS
☆ The Young Ages of 70 μm-dark Clumps Inferred from Carbon Chain Chemistry
The physical conditions of the earliest environment of high-mass star formation are currently poorly understood. To that end, we present observations of the carbon chain molecules HC$_5$N , CCS, and HC$_7$N in the 22-25 GHz band towards 12 high-mass 70 micron-dark clumps (SMDC) with the Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). We detect HC$_5$N and CCS towards 11 of these SMDC sources. We calculate column densities and abundances relative to H$_2$ for HC$_5$N and CCS. We do not find any clear HC$_7$N detections in the 11 sources individually, but by stacking the HC$_7$N spectra, we do detect HC$_7$N on average in these sources. We also calculate the ratio of the column densities of HC$_5$N to HC$_7$N using the stacked spectra of both species. We compare our measured abundances of HC$_5$N and our measured ratio of HC$_5$N to HC$_7$N to the UMIST dark cloud chemistry models to constrain an age for the gas assuming a fixed volume density and temperature. The chemical models favor a chemical evolutionary age less than 1 Myr at densities of n(H2) = 2 x 10$^4$ cm$^{-3}$. The consistent carbon-chain detections and young model-derived ages support the conclusion that these 11 70 micron-dark clumps lack high mass protostars because they are young and not because they are inefficient and incapable of high mass star formation.
comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 10 Figures
☆ The Merging Galaxy Cluster Environment Affects the Morphology of Radio-AGN
It has previously been found that the galaxy cluster environment can affect the fueling and evolution of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). This work examines the effect of the merging cluster environment on the properties of radio-AGN by comparing the radio morphology of cluster members in a sample of four merging and eight relaxed galaxy clusters at low redshift (z<0.2). Using 144-MHz data from the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) and Zooniverse, we classify the radio morphology of the radio-detected cluster members using the following morphology classes: compact, compact extended, extended, jetted, and disturbed. We find that the merging cluster environment has a statistically significant, higher population proportion of disturbed (bent and head tail) sources, indicating that the merging environment can affect the morphology of cluster radio-AGN. We also investigate the number of AGN that are detected in the radio data only, and the number that are detected in both the radio and optical data in mergers and non-mergers. We find that the merging cluster environment has a higher population proportion of AGN that are identified only as radio-AGN compared to AGN that are identified as both radio and optical AGN. Overall, we find that the merging environment affects certain radio-AGN (disturbed and only radio identified AGN), but not all.
comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. Table 4 is included as FITS and CSV as an ancillary file and is named `RickelMoravec+25_table4`; corresponding README is also provided. Rickel and Moravec are co-first authors. 20 pages and 3 figures
☆ Asymmetry at Low Surface Brightness as an Indicator of Environmental Processes in the Fornax Cluster
Dwarf galaxies play an important role in studying the effects of the environment on galaxy formation and evolution. In this study, we aim to explore the relationship between the morphology, in particular the asymmetries of galaxies, and their distances to the cluster centre. For galaxies in the Fornax Deep Survey, we quantified the morphologies of dwarf galaxies using Asymmetry (A) and Smoothness (S). Unlike previous work, we use isophotal CAS-parameters, which are sensitive to the outer parts of galaxies. We constructed the A-r and S-r diagrams to investigate the relationship between morphology and distance. Additionally, we examined the effects of asymmetry on magnitude and colour. Furthermore, to better understand the assembly history of the galaxy cluster, we performed a phase-space analysis for Fornax dwarf galaxies. We find that dwarf galaxies in the outer regions of the Fornax cluster have higher values of asymmetry compared to other dwarfs in the cluster, indicating a greater degree of morphological disturbances within dwarf galaxies in these regions. We also find that galaxies in the very inner regions are more asymmetric than those further out. The A-magnitude relation reveals a trend where asymmetry increases as galaxies become fainter, and the A-colour relation shows that galaxies with bluer colours tend to exhibit higher asymmetry. We do not find any correlations with smoothness, except that smoothness strongly decreases with stellar mass. We propose that the higher asymmetry of dwarfs in the outer regions is most likely caused by ram pressure stripping. In the very inner parts, the asymmetries most likely are caused by tidal effects. In addition, our phase-space diagram suggests that galaxies near pericentre in the Fornax cluster exhibit significantly higher asymmetry, indicating that morphological disturbances happened during their first pericentric passage.
☆ Gaps in stellar streams as a result of globular cluster fly-bys
Thin stellar streams, such as those resulting from the tidal disruption of globular clusters, have long been known and used as probes of the gravitational potential of our Galaxy, both its visible and dark contents. In particular, the presence of under-density regions, or gaps, along these streams is commonly interpreted as being due to the close passage of dark matter sub-halos. In this work, we investigate the perturbations induced on streams by the passage of dense stellar systems, such as globular clusters themselves, to test the possibility that they may cause the formation of gaps as well. In particular, we focus on the study of the stream of Palomar 5, a well-known globular cluster in the Galactic halo, which has particularly long tidal tails. For this purpose, we used a particle-test code to simulate Palomar 5's tidal tails when subjected to the Galaxy's gravitational field plus its whole system of globular clusters. Our study shows that the tails of Palomar 5 can be strongly perturbed by the close passage of other clusters, in particular of NGC 2808, NGC 7078, NGC 104, and that these perturbations induce the formation of gaps in the tails. These results show that globular clusters are capable of inducing gaps in streams--as other baryonic components such as giant molecular clouds and the galactic bar have been shown to do in other works. Therefore, when searching to construct the distribution function of dark matter sub halos within the Milky Way, the gap contribution from globular clusters must be included.
comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, 17 appendix pages
☆ ALMA observations of massive clouds in the central molecular zone: slim filaments tracing parsec-scale shocks
The central molecular zone (CMZ) of our Galaxy exhibits widespread emission from SiO and various complex organic molecules (COMs), yet the exact origin of such emission is uncertain. Here we report the discovery of a unique class of long ($>$0.5 pc) and narrow ($<$0.03 pc) filaments in the emission of SiO 5$-$4 and eight additional molecular lines, including several COMs, in our ALMA 1.3 mm spectral line observations toward two massive molecular clouds in the CMZ, which we name as slim filaments. However, these filaments are not detected in the 1.3 mm continuum at the 5$\sigma$ level. Their line-of-sight velocities are coherent and inconsistent with being outflows. The column densities and relative abundances of the detected molecules are statistically similar to those in protostellar outflows but different from those in dense cores within the same clouds. Turbulent pressure in these filaments dominates over self gravity and leads to hydrostatic inequilibrium, indicating that they are a different class of objects than the dense gas filaments in dynamical equilibrium ubiquitously found in nearby molecular clouds. We argue that these newly detected slim filaments are associated with parsec-scale shocks, likely arising from dynamic interactions between shock waves and molecular clouds. The dissipation of the slim filaments may replenish SiO and COMs in the interstellar medium and lead to their widespread emission in the CMZ.
comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables
☆ Analysis of Newly Catalogued Open Star Cluster UPK~220 with Gaia DR3 and TESS: Discovering Member Variable Stars SP
Studies on star clusters with the same age and initial chemical composition have gained momentum in recent years with the use of \textit{Gaia}. In addition, the discovery of new clusters with Gaia has increased the number of open clusters to be examined. Many of these discovered sources are intermediate-age open clusters and have not been analyzed in detail yet. In this study, we focused on newly cataloged open cluster UPK~220. The fundamental parameters (distance, age, metallicity and reddening) of UPK~220 were determined by analysing the variable stars within the cluster, while simultaneously constraining the parameters of the variable stars using these cluster parameters. To achieve this, we combined GaiaDR3 and TESS photometric observations. Using GaiaDR3, we derive fundamental parameters of UPK~220 through membership analyses, and with TESS, we discovered eight member variable stars. We also extracted the atmospheric parameters ($logg$, $[Fe/H]$ and $T_{\rm eff}$) for the variable stars using SED, GSP-Phot and GSP-Spec, and MESA models.
comment: 21 pages, 6 figures, 7 tables. Accepted in PASP
☆ Estimating the evolution and the content fractions of baryonic gas for Luminous Infrared Galaxies
Luminous Infrared Galaxies (LIRGs) play a crucial role in understanding of galaxy evolution. The present study examined 82 LIRGs, using data taken from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED), and HyperLEDA to explore their gas fractions and optical properties. The analysis of data highlights the relationship between molecular-to-atomic mass of hydrogen gas ratio MH2/MH1 and morphological types, gas mass fractions, and galaxy characteristics such as color and luminosity. The results showed that the regressions between Mdust - M*,V and Mdust - SFR are not quite flat (when correlation coefficient > 0.5), which indicates a decrease in the dust-to-stellar content ratio as the gas is consumed and transformed into stars, and also a relatively flat trend for M dust - M*,V and fdust,bar - M*,V. Moreover, as the star mass declines, the total gas mass fraction (fgas) increases quickly, with a high negative correlation coefficient of - 0.7 and a regression of - 0.85. Therefore, it can be inferred that galaxies with a high gas fraction (fgas) are either accreting gas at a rate sufficient to meet their energy requirements for star formation or converting gas into stars less effectively. According to the findings, the gas exhaustion time in these galaxies quickly reduces as the stellar mass increases, with a significant negative correlation coefficient of - 0.7 and a regression that is a nearly linear regression of - 0.9. On the other hand, when the baryonic gas mass fraction grows, which makes up the majority of the baryonic gas, grows, the gas depletion time increases quickly.
comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, 31 questions, 3 Tables, Accepted 2024 December 18. Received 2024 December 17; in original form 2024 August 10
☆ Candidate RR Lyrae Associated with the Ultrafaint Dwarf Galaxy Aquarius III
We report the search of RR Lyrae in the vicinity of a newly discovered ultrafaint dwarf galaxy, Aquarius III. Based on the known RR Lyrae catalogs and $gri$-band light curves retrieved from public archives, we identified a RR Lyrae with distance, metallicity, and proper motion consistent with Aquarius III. Therefore, this RR Lyrae is the first variable star identified to be associated with Aquarius III, despite its projected distance is more than 15 times the half-light radius of Aquarius III. On the other hand, a dedicated time-series monitoring of the central part of Aquarius III, out to a projected radius of approximately four half-light radius, revealed there is no RR Lyrae in this region. We ran a set of synthetic color-magnitude diagrams with properties similar to Aquarius III, and found a non-negligible probability that Aquarius III could have (at least one) RR Lyrae. We have also identified a RR Lyrae candidate but most likely it is a background halo star.
comment: 8 pages with 5 Figures and 1 Table; AJ in-press
☆ Identifying Compton-thick AGNs in the COSMOS. I. Among X-ray AGNs with Low Photon Counts
Compton-thick active galactic nuclei (CT-AGNs), characterized by a significant absorption with column densities of $\mathrm{N_H}\geqslant 1.5\times 10^{24} \ \mathrm{cm}^{-2}$, emit feeble X-ray radiation and are even undetectable by X-ray instruments, making them difficult to identify. X-ray radiation from AGNs is the predominant source of the cosmic X-ray background (CXB). Based on AGN synthesis models for the CXB, the fraction of CT-AGNs should constitute a substantial portion of AGN population, approximately 30\% or more. The fraction of CT-AGNs discovered in the Cosmological Evolution Survey (COSMOS) is significantly lower than this value. This means that many CT-AGNs may be hidden in AGNs that exhibit low photon counts or that have not been detected by X-ray instruments. This work focuses on identifying CT-AGNs hidden in AGNs with low photon counts. Firstly, we selected 440 AGNs with abundant multiwavelength data as our sample. Secondly, we analyzed multiwavelength data, extracting crucial physical parameters required for the CT-AGN diagnosis. Finally, we used multiwavelength approaches to identify CT-AGNs. We have successfully identified 18 CT-AGNs in our sample. Among the CT-AGNs, four AGNs show discrepant results across different diagnostic methods. We discuss the potential reasons behind these diagnostic discrepancies. We explore the impact of estimating [O~III]$\lambda~5007$ luminosities based on [O~II]$\lambda~3727$ luminosities for the CT-AGN diagnosis. We have also found that the properties of host galaxies for CT-AGNs and non-CT-AGNs do not show significant discrepancies.
comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, 4 tables. Accepted in Astronomy & Astrophysics
☆ Radio emission from little red dots may reveal their true nature
The unprecedented sensitivity of the \textit{James Webb Space Telescope} (\textit{JWST}) has revolutionized our understanding of the early universe. Among the most intriguing \textit{JWST} discoveries are red, very compact objects showing broad line emission features nicknamed as little red dots (LRDs). The discovery of LRDs has triggered great interest about their origin as either extremely starbursting galaxies or highly-obscured active galactic nuclei (AGN). Their exact nature still remains unknown. The goal of this work is to estimate the radio emission from LRDs and predict which radio surveys would detect them. To achieve these objectives, we employ the fundamental plane of black hole (BH) accretion to estimate radio emission from AGN and the stellar radio fluxes from their host galaxies. We assume a range of BH mass, X-ray luminosity ($\rm L_{X}$) and star formation rate (SFR) to bracket the likely properties of LRDs. Our findings suggest that BH radio fluxes from LRDs are 10-100 times higher than the stellar fluxes from their host galaxies, depending on BH mass, $\rm L_X$ and SFR. The detection of a $\sim$ 500 nJy signal above 2 GHz at $z \geq$ 5 or a $\sim$ 2000 nJy flux at $z =$ 3-4 would be a smoking gun for the presence of AGN provided that SFRs in the host galaxies are $\rm < 30~ M_{\odot} ~yr^{-1}$. We find that LRDs are most likely radio quiet AGN otherwise would have been already detected in the current radio surveys. Our findings suggest that LRDs can be detected with the upcoming radio observatories such as ngVLA and SKA with integration times of 10-100 hrs, respectively.
comment: Accepted to A&A letters
☆ On the relationship between the cosmic web and the alignment of galaxies and AGN jets
The impact of active galactic nuclei (AGN) on the evolution of galaxies explains the steep decrease in the number density of the most massive galaxies in the Universe. However, the fueling of the AGN and the efficiency of this feedback largely depend on their environment. We use data from the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) Two-metre Sky Survey Data Release 2 (LoTSS DR2), the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Legacy Imaging Surveys, and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR12 to make the first study of the orientations of radio jets and their optical counterpart in relation to the cosmic web environment. We find that close to filaments ($\lesssim 11 \,\rm Mpc$), galaxies tend to have their optical major axes aligned with the nearest filaments. On the other hand, radio jets, which are generally aligned perpendicularly to the optical major axis of the host galaxy, show more randomised orientations with respect to host galaxies within $\lesssim 8 \,\rm Mpc$ of filaments. These results support the scenario that massive galaxies in cosmic filaments grow by numerous mergers directed along the orientation of the filaments while experiencing chaotic accretion of gas onto the central black hole. The AGN-driven jets consequently have a strong impact preferentially along the minor axes of dark matter halos within filaments. We discuss the implications of these results for large-scale radio jet alignments, intrinsic alignments between galaxies, and the azimuthal anisotropy of the distribution of circumgalactic medium and anisotropic quenching.
comment: 16 pages, 9 figures, Submitted to MNRAS
☆ Iron-corrected Single-epoch Black Hole Masses of DESI Quasars at low redshift
We present a study on the possible overestimation of single-epoch supermassive black hole (SMBH) masses in previous works, based on more than 55,000 type 1 quasars at $0.25 < z < 0.8$ from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). We confirm that iron emission strength serves as a good tracer of the Eddington ratio, and estimate SMBH masses using an iron-corrected $R$-$L$ relation for H$\beta$, where $R$ is the broad line region size and $L$ is the continuum luminosity. Compared to our measurements, previous canonical measurements without the iron correction are overestimated by a factor of 1.5 on average. The overestimation can be up to a factor of 5 for super-Eddington quasars. The fraction of super-Eddington quasars in our sample is about 5%, significantly higher than 0.4% derived from the canonical measurements. Using a sample featuring both H$\beta$ and MgII emission lines, we calibrate MgII-based SMBH masses using iron-corrected, H$\beta$-based SMBH masses and establish an iron-corrected $R$-$L$ relation for MgII. The new relation adds an extra term of $-0.34R_{\mathrm{Fe}}$ to the $R$-$L$ relation, where $R_{\mathrm{Fe}}$ denotes the relative iron strength. We use this formula to build a catalog of about 0.5 million DESI quasars at $0.6
comment: 20pages, 13 figures; resubmitted to ApJ
☆ Ruling out AGNs as the dominant source of cosmic reionization with JWST
Cosmic reionization represents the latest phase transition of the intergalactic medium (IGM) in the Universe. It has long been debated whether galaxies or active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are the major source of Lyman continuum (LyC) photons responsible for reionization. Previous observations slightly favored galaxies as the major ionizing source. However, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) recently discovered an unexpectedly high density of AGN candidates at high redshift, which has largely enhanced the influence of AGNs. Here we derive a definitive upper bound on the AGN contribution to reionization using the latest JWST data, and conclusively rule out AGNs as the dominant ionizing source during the epoch of reionization (EoR). We build a sample of objects (including galaxies and AGNs) in a specific redshift range between 7.15 and 7.75 that has a high completeness. Each object is then decomposed into a point-source component and an extended component in their rest-frame far-UV JWST images. Assuming all point-source components are AGNs, we obtain an absolute upper limit for the density of the AGN population. This fiducial AGN sample reaches an unprecedentedly low luminosity of $M_{\rm UV} \approx -15$ mag. Based on this sample, we find that AGNs can contribute at most one third of the LyC photons required to ionize the Universe in this redshift range. Our result implies that galaxies dominate the ionizing source during the EoR.
comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, submitted
♻ ☆ Velocity dispersion function evolution from strong lensing statistics
The redshift and size distributions of galaxy scale strong lenses depend on the evolution of early-type galaxies (ETGs). We use this dependence to constrain the velocity dispersion function (VDF) evolution from the Strong Lensing Legacy Survey (SL2S) sample of lenses in the redshift range 0.25 < z < 0.75. Our modeling of the lens population includes lens identifiability given survey parameters, and constrains the evolution of the VDF based on the redshift distributions of sources and lenses as well as the distribution of Einstein radii. We consider five different assumptions for the reference VDF at redshift zero and two sets of scaling relations for the VDF. We find that in all cases the observed lens sample favors a slow evolution of both the VDF normalization factor and the VDF characteristic velocity with redshift which is consistent with a VDF that is constant in redshift for z < 0.75.
comment: 9 pages, 8 figures. Accepted to MNRAS
♻ ☆ The formation histories of massive and quiescent galaxies in the 3 < z < 4.5 Universe
We present the formation histories of 19 massive ($>3X10^{10}M_\odot$) quiescent (sSFR$<0.15Gyr^{-1}$) galaxy candidates at z~3.0-4.5 observed using JWST/NIRSpec. This completes the spectroscopic confirmation of the 24 K-selected quiescent galaxy sample from the ZFOURGE and 3DHST surveys (Schreiber et al. 2018a). Utilizing Prism $1-5\mu m$ spectroscopy, we confirm that all 12 sources that eluded confirmation by ground-based spectroscopy lie at z>3, resulting in a spectroscopically confirmed number density of $\sim1.4X10^{-5}Mpc^{-3}$ between $z\sim3-4$. Rest-frame U-V vs V-J color selections show high effectiveness in identifying quiescent galaxies, with a purity of~90%. Our analysis shows that parametric star-formation histories (SFHs) from FAST++ and binned SFHs from Prospector on average yield consistent results, revealing diverse formation and quenching times. The oldest galaxy formed $~6X10^{10}M_\odot$ by $z\sim10$ and has been quiescent for over 1 Gyr at z~3.2. We detect two galaxies with ongoing star formation and six with active galactic nuclei (AGN). We demonstrate that the choice of stellar population models, stellar libraries, and nebular or AGN contributions does not significantly affect the derived average SFHs of the galaxies. We demonstrate that extending spectral fitting beyond the rest-frame optical regime reduces the inferred average star formation rates in the earliest time bins of the SFH reconstruction. The assumed SFH prior influences the star formation rate at early times, where spectral diagnostic power is limited. Simulated z~3 quiescent galaxies from IllustrisTNG, SHARK, and Magneticum broadly match the average SFHs of the observed sample but struggle to capture the full diversity, particularly at early stages. Our results emphasize the need for mechanisms that rapidly build stellar mass and quench star formation within the first billion years of the Universe.
comment: Accepted for publication in the ApJ
♻ ☆ Segue 2 Recently Collided with the Cetus-Palca Stream: New Opportunities to Constrain Dark Matter in an Ultra-Faint Dwarf
Stellar streams in the Milky Way are promising detectors of low-mass dark matter (DM) subhalos predicted by $\Lambda$CDM. Passing subhalos induce perturbations in streams that indicate the presence of the subhalos. Understanding how known DM-dominated satellites impact streams is a crucial step towards using stream perturbations to constrain the properties of dark perturbers. Here, we cross-match a \textit{Gaia} EDR3 and SEGUE member catalog of the Cetus-Palca stream (CPS) with H3 for additional radial velocity measurements and fit the orbit of the CPS using this 6-D data. We demonstrate for the first time that the ultra-faint dwarf Segue 2 had a recent (77$\pm$5 Myr ago) close flyby (within the stream's 2$\sigma$ width) with the CPS. This interaction enables constraints on Segue 2's mass and density profile at larger radii ($\mathcal{O}(1)$ kpc) than are probed by its stars ($\mathcal{O}(10)$ pc). While Segue 2 is not expected to strongly affect the portion of the stream covered by our 6-D data, we predict that if Segue 2's mass within $\sim 6$ kpc is $5\times 10^9\,M_\odot$, the CPS's velocity dispersion will be $\sim 40$ km s$^{-1}$ larger at $\phi_1>20^\circ$ than at $\phi_1<0^\circ$. If no such heating is detected, Segue 2's mass cannot exceed $10^9\,M_\odot$ within $\sim 6$ kpc. The proper motion distribution of the CPS near the impact site is mildly sensitive to the shape of Segue 2's density profile. This study presents a critical test for frameworks designed to constrain properties of dark subhalos from stream perturbations.
comment: 33 pages, 14 figures, 6 tables. Updated for consistency with published version
♻ ☆ Confronting the dark matter capture rate with a continuous gravitational wave probe of local neutron stars
Continuous gravitational waves (CGWs) from various astrophysical sources are one of the many future probes of upcoming gravitational wave (GW) search missions. Neutron stars (NSs) with deformity are one of the leading sources of CGW emissions. In this work, for the first time, a novel attempt to estimate the dark matter (DM) capture rate is performed using CGW as the probe to the local NS population. Competitive bounds on DM capture from the local NS population are reported when compared with DM direct search experiments and other astrophysical observations.
comment: 19 pages, 1 table, 5 figures
♻ ☆ ADF22-WEB: A giant barred spiral starburst galaxy in the z = 3.1 SSA22 protocluster core
In the present-day universe, the most massive galaxies are ellipticals located in the cores of galaxy clusters, harboring the heaviest super-massive black holes (SMBHs). However the mechanisms that drive the early growth phase and subsequent transformation of these morphology and kinematics of galaxies remain elusive. Here we report (sub)kiloparsec scale observations of stars, gas, and dust in ADF22.A1, a bright dusty starburst galaxy at z=3.1, hosting a heavily obscured active galactic nucleus and residing in a proto-cluster core. ADF22.A1 is a giant spiral galaxy with the kinematics of a rotating disk with rotation velocity Vrot=530+/-10km/s and diameter larger than 30 kpc. The high specific stellar angular momentum of this system, j*=3400+/-600 kpc km/s, requires a mechanism to effectively spin-up ADF22.A1, indicating the importance of accretion from the cosmic web to supply both gas and angular momentum to galaxies in their early gas-rich starburst phase. In its inner region, gas flows along dust lanes in a bar connected with the bright dusty core and the estimated mass ratio of a bulge to SMBH matches the local relation, suggesting that bars are a key mechanism to shape the early co-evolution of these components. Comparison with cosmological simulations shows that ADF22.A1 will likely evolve into a massive elliptical at the present day, experiencing a significant reduction in angular momentum associated with subsequent galaxy mergers.
comment: 14 pages, 12 figures. accepted for publication in PASJ
♻ ☆ Where is the Super-virial Gas? II: Insight from the Survey of Galactic Sightlines
Recent observations have revealed a super-virial temperature gas phase at log(T/K) $\sim7$ in the Milky Way, challenging existing galaxy-formation models. This hot gas phase was discovered toward extragalactic absorption sightlines and blank-sky emission fields, both at high galactic latitudes. The location of this hot component is unknown; is it in the extended circumgalactic medium (CGM) or in the interstellar medium (ISM) instead? We analyzed X-ray spectra from Chandra's High-Energy Transmission Grating (HETG) observations of 27 Galactic X-ray binaries (XRBs) to investigate whether the hot gas component is present in the ISM. We searched for absorption lines of SXVI K$\alpha$, SiXIV K$\alpha$, and NeX K$\alpha$, which are the tell-tale signatures of the hot gas and which have been detected toward extragalactic sightlines. Of the 27 targets, these lines were detected in the spectra of only 7, with two sources displaying broad line features likely intrinsic to the XRB systems. Additionally, most of the detected lines are time-variable, reinforcing their likely association with the XRBs. Our results suggest that the super-virial temperature gas is not a widespread component of the ISM but may instead be located in extraplanar regions or the extended CGM, in line with some recent simulation results.
comment: Accepted in the Astrophysical Journal (ApJ), 4 Figures and 4 tables
♻ ☆ DESI Strong Lens Foundry I: HST Observations and Modeling with GIGA-Lens
We present the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Strong Lens Foundry. We discovered $\sim 3500$ new strong gravitational lens candidates in the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys using residual neural networks (ResNet). We observed a subset (51) of our candidates using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). All of them were confirmed to be strong lenses. We also briefly describe spectroscopic follow-up observations by DESI and Keck NIRES programs. From this very rich dataset, a number of studies will be carried out, including evaluating the quality of the ResNet search candidates and lens modeling. In this paper, we present our initial effort in these directions. In particular, as a demonstration, we present the lens model for DESI-165.4754-06.0423, with imaging data from HST, and lens and source redshifts from DESI and Keck NIRES, respectively. In this effort, we have applied a \emph{fully} forward-modeling Bayesian approach (GIGA-Lens), using \emph{multiple} GPUs, for the first time in both regards, to a strong lens with HST data, or any high resolution imaging.
comment: 32 pages, 9 figures, 5 tables. Submitted to The Astrophysical Journal
♻ ☆ Neural Infalling Cloud Equations (NICE): Increasing the Efficacy of Subgrid Models and Scientific Equation Discovery using Neural ODEs and Symbolic Regression
Galactic systems are inherently multiphase, and understanding the roles and interactions of the various phases is key towards a more complete picture of galaxy formation and evolution. For instance, these interactions play a pivotal role in the cycling of baryons which fuels star formation. The transport and dynamics of cold clouds in their surrounding hot environment are governed by complex small scale processes (such as the interplay of turbulence and radiative cooling) that determine how the phases exchange mass, momentum and energy. Large scale models thus require subgrid prescriptions in the form of models validated on small scale simulations, which often take the form of coupled differential equations. In this work, we explore using neural ordinary differential equations which embed neural networks as terms in the model to capture an uncertain physical process. We then apply Symbolic Regression to potentially discover new insights into the physics of cloud-environment interactions. We test this on both generated mock data and actual simulation data. We also extend the neural ODE to include a secondary neural term. We show that neural ODEs in tandem with Symbolic Regression can be used to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of subgrid models, and/or discover the underlying equations to improve generality and scientific understanding. We highlight the potential of this scientific machine learning approach as a natural extension to the traditional modelling paradigm, both for the development of semi-analytic models and for physically interpretable equation discovery in complex non-linear systems.
comment: 13 Pages, 8 Figures, Accepted for publication in MNRAS
♻ ☆ SMILE: Discriminating milli-lens systems in a VLBI pilot project
Dark Matter (DM) remains poorly probed on critical, sub-galactic scales, where predictions from different models diverge in terms of abundance and density profiles of halos. Gravitational lens systems on milli-arcsecond scales (milli-lenses) are expected for a population of dense DM halos (free-floating or sub-halos) and free-floating supermassive black holes in the mass range of $10^6$ to $10^9\,M_\odot$. In this paper, we aim to look for milli-lens systems via a systematic search in a large sample of radio-loud AGN observed with very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI). We present the observational strategy to discriminate milli-lenses from contaminant objects mimicking a milli-lens morphology. In a pilot project, we have investigated VLBI images from 13,828 sources from the Astrogeo VLBI image database and reduced the number of candidates to 40 in a first step. We present here the images and analysis of new sensitive follow-up observations with the EVN at 5 and 22 GHz and streamline our analysis to reject milli-lens candidates. By using constraints such as the surface brightness ratio, conservation of spectral shape, stability of flux ratios over time, and changes in morphology, we can confidently discriminate between milli-lenses and contaminant objects that mimick them. Using the above constraints, we rule out 31 out of our initial 40 candidates of milli-lens systems, demonstrating the power of our approach. Also, we found many new candidate compact symmetric objects, which are thought to be primarily short-lived jetted radio sources. This serves as a pathfinder for the final sample used for the Search for MIlli-LEnses (SMILE) project, which will allow us to constrain DM models by comparing the results to theoretical predictions. This SMILE sample will consist of $\sim$5,000 sources based on the VLA CLASS survey, including many observations obtained for this project specifically.
comment: 43 pages, 41 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics
♻ ☆ Spectuner: A Framework for Automated Line Identification of Interstellar Molecules
Interstellar molecules, which play an important role in astrochemistry, are identified using observed spectral lines. Despite the advent of spectral analysis tools in the past decade, the identification of spectral lines remains a tedious task that requires extensive manual intervention, preventing us from fully exploiting the vast amounts of data generated by large facilities such as ALMA. This study aims to address the aforementioned issue by developing a framework of automated line identification. We introduce a robust spectral fitting technique applicable for spectral line identification with minimal human supervision. Our method is assessed using published data from five line surveys of hot cores, including W51, Orion-KL, Sgr B2(M), and Sgr B2(N). By comparing the identified lines, our algorithm achieves an overall recall of ~ 74% - 93%, and an average precision of ~ 78% - 92%. Our code, named Spectuner, is publicly available on GitHub.
comment: 28 pages, 24 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJS
♻ ☆ The TRGB-SBF Project. II. Resolving the Virgo Cluster with JWST
The Virgo Cluster is the nearest substantial cluster of galaxies to the Milky Way and a cornerstone of the extragalactic distance scale. Here, we present JWST/NIRCam observations that simultaneously cover the cores and halos of ten galaxies in and around the Virgo Cluster and are designed to perform simultaneous measurements of the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) and surface brightness fluctuations (SBF). Seven of the targets are within the Virgo Cluster and where we are able to resolve some of the cluster's substructure, while an additional three provide important constraints on Virgo infall. The seven galaxies within Virgo itself all have SBF measurements from the Advanced Camera for Surveys Virgo Cluster Survey (ACSVCS). After adjusting the ACSVCS measurements for the offset from our new JWST TRGB measurements, we determine a distance to the Virgo Cluster of d $=$ 16.17 $\pm$ 0.25 (stat) $\pm$ 0.47 (sys) Mpc. The work presented here is part of a larger program to develop a Population II distance scale through the TRGB and SBF that is completely independent of the prominent Cepheid + Type Ia supernova ladder. The TRGB distances to the galaxies presented here, when combined with future SBF measurements, will provide a crucial step forward for determining whether or not systematic errors can explain the well-known "Hubble tension'' or if there is significant evidence for cracks in the $\Lambda$CDM model.
comment: 18 pages, 9 figures, accepted to ApJ
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 25
☆ The Blue supergiant problem and the main-sequence width
Using Gaia DR3 we derive new distances and luminosities for a sample of Galactic B supergiants which were thought to be post main-sequence (MS) objects from their HR diagram location beyond the terminal-age MS (TAMS). When applying the newer Gaia distances in addition to enhanced amounts of core-boundary mixing, aka convective overshooting, we show that these Galactic B supergiants are likely enclosed within the MS band, indicating an evolutionary stage of steady core hydrogen burning. We discuss the importance of considering enhanced overshooting and how vectors in the mass-luminosity plane (ML-plane) can be used to disentangle the effects of wind mass loss from interior mixing. We finish with the key message that any proposed solution to the BSG problem should consider not only an explanation for the sheer number of B supergiants inside the Hertzsprung gap, but should at the same time also account for the steep drop in rotation rates identified at spectral type B1 -- corresponding to an effective temperature of $\sim$21 kK, and for which two distinct families of solutions have been proposed.
comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, Comments welcome, Review in Circumstellar Matter in Hot Star Systems (for Galaxies)
☆ Momentum and Matter Matter for Axion Dark Matter Matters on Earth
We investigate the implications of matter effects to searches for axion Dark Matter on Earth. The finite momentum of axion Dark Matter is crucial to elucidating the effects of Earth on both the axion Dark Matter field value and its gradient. We find that experiments targeting axion couplings compatible with canonical solutions of the strong CP puzzle are likely not affected by Earth's matter effects. However, experiments sensitive to lighter axions with stronger couplings can be significantly affected, with a significant part of the parameter space suffering from a reduced axion field value, and therefore decreased experimental sensitivity. In contrast, the spatial gradient of the axion field can be enhanced along Earth's radial direction, with important implications for ongoing and planned experiments searching for axion Dark Matter.
comment: 35 pages, 10 figures
☆ The Evolution of Hypervelocity Supernova Survivors and the Outcomes of Interacting Double White Dwarf Binaries
The recent prediction and discovery of hypervelocity supernova survivors has provided strong evidence that the "dynamically driven double-degenerate double-detonation" (D6) Type Ia supernova scenario occurs in Nature. In this model, the accretion stream from the secondary white dwarf in a double white dwarf binary strikes the primary white dwarf violently enough to trigger a helium shell detonation, which in turn triggers a carbon/oxygen core detonation. If the secondary white dwarf survives the primary's explosion, it will be flung away as a hypervelocity star. While previous work has shown that the hotter observed D6 stars can be broadly understood as secondaries whose outer layers have been heated by their primaries' explosions, the properties of the cooler D6 stars have proven difficult to reproduce. In this paper, we show that the cool D6 stars can be explained by the Kelvin-Helmholtz contraction of helium or carbon/oxygen white dwarfs that underwent significant mass loss and core heating prior to and during the explosion of their white dwarf companions. We find that the current population of known D6 candidates is consistent with ~2% of Type Ia supernovae leaving behind a hypervelocity surviving companion. We also calculate the evolution of hot, low-mass oxygen/neon stars and find reasonable agreement with the properties of the LP 40-365 class of hypervelocity survivors, suggesting that these stars are the kicked remnants of near-Chandrasekhar-mass oxygen/neon white dwarfs that were partially disrupted by oxygen deflagrations. We use these results as motivation for schematic diagrams showing speculative outcomes of interacting double white dwarf binaries, including long-lived merger remnants, Type Ia supernovae, and several kinds of peculiar transients.
comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ
☆ A possible trail of dust from a young, highly-extincted brown dwarf in the outskirts of the Trapezium Cluster
We present the JWST discovery of a highly-extincted ($A_V\sim52$) candidate brown dwarf ($\sim0.018$M$_\odot$) in the outskirts of the Trapezium Cluster that appears to be coincident with the end of a $\sim 1700\,$au long, remarkably uniformly wide, dark trail that broadens only slightly at the end opposite the point source. We examine whether a dusty trail associated with a highly-extincted brown dwarf could plausibly be detected with JWST and explore possible origins. We show that a dusty trail associated with the brown dwarf could be observable if dust within it is larger than that in the ambient molecular cloud. For example, if the ambient cloud has a standard $\sim0.25$$\mu$m maximum grain size and the trail contains micron-sized grains, then the trail will have a scattering opacity over an order of magnitude larger compared to the surroundings in NIRCam short-wavelength filters. We use a simple model to show that a change in maximum grain size can reproduce the high $A_V$ and the multi-filter NIRCam contrast seen between the trail and its surroundings. We propose and explore two possible mechanisms that could be responsible for the trail: i) a weak FUV radiation-driven wind from the circum-brown dwarf disc due to the O stars in the region and ii) a Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton accretion wake. The former would be the most distant known case of the Trapezium stars' radiation driving winds from a disc, and the latter would be the first known example of ``late'' infall from the interstellar medium onto a low mass object in a high-mass star-forming region.
comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ Debris disks around M dwarfs: The Herschel DEBRIS survey
The Herschel open-time key program Disc Emission via a Bias-free Reconnaissance in the Infrared and Sub-millimeter (DEBRIS) is an unbiased survey of the nearest ~100 stars for each stellar type A-M observed with a uniform photometric sensitivity to search for cold debris disks around them. The analysis of the Photoconductor Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) photometric observations of the 94 DEBRIS M dwarfs of this program is presented in this paper, following upon two companion papers on the DEBRIS A-star and FGK-star subsamples. In the M-dwarf subsample, two debris disks have been detected, around the M3V dwarf GJ581 and the M4V dwarf FomalhautC (LP876-10). This result gives a disk detection rate of 2.1^{+2.7}_{-0.7}% at the 68% confidence level, significantly less than measured for earlier stellar types in the DEBRIS program. However, we show that the survey of the DEBRIS M-dwarf subsample is about ten times shallower than the surveys of the DEBRIS FGK subsamples when studied in the physical parameter space of the disk's fractional dust luminosity versus blackbody radius. Furthermore, had the DEBRIS K-star subsample been observed at the same shallower depth in this parameter space, its measured disk detection rate would have been statistically consistent with the one found for the M-dwarf subsample. Hence, the incidence of debris disks does not appear to drop from the K subsample to the M subsample of the DEBRIS program, when considering disks in the same region of physical parameter space. An alternative explanation is that the only two bright disks discovered in the M-dwarf subsample would not, in fact, be statistically representative of the whole population.
comment: 12 pages, long Table 3 included, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics
☆ Planet Masses, Radii, and Orbits from NASA's K2 Mission
We report the masses, sizes, and orbital properties of 86 planets orbiting 55 stars observed by NASA's K2 Mission with follow-up Doppler measurements by the HIRES spectrometer at the W. M. Keck Observatory and the Automated Planet Finder at Lick Observatory. Eighty-one of the planets were discovered from their transits in the K2 photometry, while five were found based on subsequent Doppler measurements of transiting planet host stars. The sizes of the transiting planets range from Earth-size to larger than Jupiter (1-3 REarth is typical), while the orbital periods range from less than a day to a few months. For 32 of the planets, the Doppler signal was detected with significance greater than 5-sigma (51 were detected with >3-sigma significance). An important characteristic of this catalog is the use of uniform analysis procedures to determine stellar and planetary properties. This includes the transit search and fitting procedures applied to the K2 photometry, the Doppler fitting techniques applied to the radial velocities, and the spectral modeling to determine bulk stellar parameters. Such a uniform treatment will make the catalog useful for statistical studies of the masses, densities, and system architectures of exoplanetary systems. This work also serves as a data release for all previously unpublished RVs and associated stellar activity indicators obtained by our team for these systems, along with derived stellar and planet parameters.
comment: 156 pages, 86 planets, 55 stars, 104 figures, 48 tables. Accepted to ApJS
☆ 1000-10,000 M$_\odot$ Primordial Stars Created the Nitrogen Excess in the Galaxy GS 3073 at $z = 5.55$
The advent of the James Webb Space Telescope has revealed a wealth of new galaxies just a few hundred Myr after the Big Bang. Some of these galaxies exhibit unusual elemental abundances that are difficult to explain with stellar populations today. While Wolf-Rayet stars in multiple-burst populations, very massive or rapidly-rotating primordial stars, general relativistic explosions of metal-enriched supermassive stars, or the precursors of globular clusters can in principle account for the supersolar nitrogen to oxygen ratios in the galaxies GN-z11 and CEERS 1019, no known stars or supernovae can explain the far higher N/O ratio of 0.46 in GS 3073 at redshift $z =$ 5.55. Here we show that the extreme nitrogen abundances in GS 3073 can be produced by 1000 - 10,000 M$_{\odot}$ primordial (Pop III) stars. We find that these are the only candidates that can account for its large N/O ratios and its C/O and Ne/O ratios. GS 3073 is thus the first conclusive evidence in the fossil abundance record of the existence of supermassive Pop III stars at cosmic Dawn.
comment: 26 pages, 15 figures
☆ Magnetic Reconnection in a Compact Magnetic Dome: Peculiar Emissions and High-velocity Plasma Flows
Magnetic reconnection at small spatial scales is a fundamental driver of energy release and plasma dynamics in the lower solar atmosphere. We present novel observations of a brightening in an active region, captured in high-resolution data from the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) using the Visible Broadband Imager (VBI) and the Visible Spectro-Polarimeter (ViSP). The event exhibits Ellerman bomb-like morphology in the H$\beta$ filter, associated with flux cancellation between a small negative polarity patch adjacent to opposite-polarity plage. Additionally, it displays a distinct annular emission pattern in Ca II K, hot jet-like structures containing Alfv\'enic plasma flows, and cooler surges. We employ multi-line, non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) inversions of the spectropolarimetric data to infer the stratification of the physical parameters of the atmosphere. Furthermore, we use the photospheric vector magnetogram inferred from the ViSP spectra as a boundary condition for nonlinear force-free field extrapolations, revealing the three-dimensional distribution of squashing factors. We find significant enhancements in temperature, velocity, and microturbulence confined to the upper photosphere and low chromosphere. Our findings provide observational evidence of low-altitude magnetic reconnection along quasi-separatrix layers in a compact fan-spine-type configuration, highlighting the complex interplay between magnetic topology, energy release, and plasma flows. Finally, we discuss the potential role of nonthermal particles in the distinct emissions at different wavelengths.
comment: submitted to ApJ
☆ The Young Ages of 70 μm-dark Clumps Inferred from Carbon Chain Chemistry
The physical conditions of the earliest environment of high-mass star formation are currently poorly understood. To that end, we present observations of the carbon chain molecules HC$_5$N , CCS, and HC$_7$N in the 22-25 GHz band towards 12 high-mass 70 micron-dark clumps (SMDC) with the Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). We detect HC$_5$N and CCS towards 11 of these SMDC sources. We calculate column densities and abundances relative to H$_2$ for HC$_5$N and CCS. We do not find any clear HC$_7$N detections in the 11 sources individually, but by stacking the HC$_7$N spectra, we do detect HC$_7$N on average in these sources. We also calculate the ratio of the column densities of HC$_5$N to HC$_7$N using the stacked spectra of both species. We compare our measured abundances of HC$_5$N and our measured ratio of HC$_5$N to HC$_7$N to the UMIST dark cloud chemistry models to constrain an age for the gas assuming a fixed volume density and temperature. The chemical models favor a chemical evolutionary age less than 1 Myr at densities of n(H2) = 2 x 10$^4$ cm$^{-3}$. The consistent carbon-chain detections and young model-derived ages support the conclusion that these 11 70 micron-dark clumps lack high mass protostars because they are young and not because they are inefficient and incapable of high mass star formation.
comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 10 Figures
☆ Simultaneous existence of the ocsillations, counterstreaming flows and mass injections in solar quiescent prominences
Solar prominences are very spectacular structures embedded in the tenuous and hot solar corona. The counterstreaming flows, a common feature in solar quiescent prominences, have been discovered for more than twenty years. However, the mechanism driving the counterstreaming flows is still elusive. To unveil the nature of this phenomenon, we analyzed the data of a quiescent prominence observed by the New Vacuum Solar Telescope (NVST), the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), and the Solar Dynamical Observatory (SDO). It is found that there is a distinct longitudinal oscillation of prominence plasma along the higher part of the prominence spine in H$\alpha$ observations. The oscillation period is approximately 83 minutes and the amplitude is about 32 Mm. The counterstreaming flows are dominant in the middle part of the prominence spine. The velocities of the counterstreaming flows range from about 4 km s$^{-1}$ to 11 km s$^{-1}$. Moreover, the intermittent mass flows with the upward plumes from the top of the bubbles and tornado-like barbs are observed to be injected into the lower part of the prominence spine from the lower atmosphere. The velocities of these injected mass flows range from about 3 km s$^{-1}$ to 30 km s$^{-1}$. Some injected mass flows exhibit redshifted Doppler signals, while others exhibit blueshifted signals. Based on these high resolution observations, it is found that different parts of the prominence spine exhibit the different dynamic characteristics. These results further advance the understanding of the ubiquitous counterstreaming flows in solar quiescent prominences.
comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
☆ Revisiting symbiotic binaries with interferometry. I. The PIONIER archival collection
Symbiotic stars serve as exceptional laboratories for investigating mass transfer processes in binary systems. However, the dominant mechanism of mass transfer from the red giant donor to the compact accretor - typically a white dwarf or, in rare cases, a neutron star - remains unclear. It is uncertain whether it is driven primarily by the stellar wind, Roche-lobe overflow, or a combination of the two. While radii inferred from rotational velocities or spectral types suggest smaller Roche-lobe filling factors, the presence of ellipsoidal variability, presumably caused by tidally deformed giants in many symbiotic systems, indicates the opposite. Interferometric observations of symbiotic giants, combined with distance measurements provided by the Gaia mission, offer a promising avenue to resolve this discrepancy. In this first paper of the series, we (re)analyze VLTI/PIONIER observations of six symbiotic stars: AG Peg, FG Ser, ER Del, V1261 Ori, RW Hya, and V399 Pav. With the exception of the uncertain case of V399 Pav, we find that the giants in these systems remain well within their canonical Roche lobes, even in V1261 Ori and RW Hya, where ellipsoidal variability is observed. All six stars appear to be rather luminous and likely located on the asymptotic giant branch, although the possibility of some of them being at the tip of the first red giant branch cannot be ruled out.
comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, 4 tables, additional figures in the appendices; accepted in A&A
☆ Analysis of Newly Catalogued Open Star Cluster UPK~220 with Gaia DR3 and TESS: Discovering Member Variable Stars SP
Studies on star clusters with the same age and initial chemical composition have gained momentum in recent years with the use of \textit{Gaia}. In addition, the discovery of new clusters with Gaia has increased the number of open clusters to be examined. Many of these discovered sources are intermediate-age open clusters and have not been analyzed in detail yet. In this study, we focused on newly cataloged open cluster UPK~220. The fundamental parameters (distance, age, metallicity and reddening) of UPK~220 were determined by analysing the variable stars within the cluster, while simultaneously constraining the parameters of the variable stars using these cluster parameters. To achieve this, we combined GaiaDR3 and TESS photometric observations. Using GaiaDR3, we derive fundamental parameters of UPK~220 through membership analyses, and with TESS, we discovered eight member variable stars. We also extracted the atmospheric parameters ($logg$, $[Fe/H]$ and $T_{\rm eff}$) for the variable stars using SED, GSP-Phot and GSP-Spec, and MESA models.
comment: 21 pages, 6 figures, 7 tables. Accepted in PASP
☆ Classification of Solar Radio Spectrum Based on Swin Transformer
Solar radio observation is a method used to study the Sun. It is very important for space weather early warning and solar physics research to automatically classify solar radio spectrums in real time and judge whether there is a solar radio burst. As the number of solar radio burst spectrums is small and uneven, this paper proposes a classification method for solar radio spectrums based on the Swin transformer. First, the method transfers the parameters of the pretrained model to the Swin transformer model. Then, the hidden layer weights of the Swin transformer are frozen, and the fully connected layer of the Swin transformer is trained on the target dataset. Finally, pa-rameter tuning is performed. The experimental results show that the method can achieve a true positive rate of 100%, which is more accurate than previous methods. Moreover, the number of our model parameters is only 20 million, which is 80% lower than that of the traditional VGG16 con-volutional neural network with more than 130 million parameters.
Self-Supervised Learning for Solar Radio Spectrum Classification
Solar radio observation is an important way to study the Sun. Solar radio bursts contain important information about solar activity. Therefore, real-time automatic detection and classification of solar radio bursts are of great value for subsequent solar physics research and space weather warnings. Traditional image classification methods based on deep learning often require consid-erable training data. To address insufficient solar radio spectrum images, transfer learning is generally used. However, the large difference between natural images and solar spectrum images has a large impact on the transfer learning effect. In this paper, we propose a self-supervised learning method for solar radio spectrum classification. Our method uses self-supervised training with a self-masking approach in natural language processing. Self-supervised learning is more conducive to learning the essential information about images compared with supervised methods, and it is more suitable for transfer learning. First, the method pre-trains using a large amount of other existing data. Then, the trained model is fine-tuned on the solar radio spectrum dataset. Experiments show that the method achieves a classification accuracy similar to that of convolutional neural networks and Transformer networks with supervised training.
comment: 13 pages, 8 figures
☆ Candidate RR Lyrae Associated with the Ultrafaint Dwarf Galaxy Aquarius III
We report the search of RR Lyrae in the vicinity of a newly discovered ultrafaint dwarf galaxy, Aquarius III. Based on the known RR Lyrae catalogs and $gri$-band light curves retrieved from public archives, we identified a RR Lyrae with distance, metallicity, and proper motion consistent with Aquarius III. Therefore, this RR Lyrae is the first variable star identified to be associated with Aquarius III, despite its projected distance is more than 15 times the half-light radius of Aquarius III. On the other hand, a dedicated time-series monitoring of the central part of Aquarius III, out to a projected radius of approximately four half-light radius, revealed there is no RR Lyrae in this region. We ran a set of synthetic color-magnitude diagrams with properties similar to Aquarius III, and found a non-negligible probability that Aquarius III could have (at least one) RR Lyrae. We have also identified a RR Lyrae candidate but most likely it is a background halo star.
comment: 8 pages with 5 Figures and 1 Table; AJ in-press
☆ Debris disks around M dwarfs: The Herschel DEBRIS survey
The Herschel open-time key program Disc Emission via a Bias-free Reconnaissance in the Infrared and Sub-millimeter (DEBRIS) is an unbiased survey of the nearest ~100 stars for each stellar type A-M observed with a uniform photometric sensitivity to search for cold debris disks around them. The analysis of the Photoconductor Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) photometric observations of the 94 DEBRIS M dwarfs of this program is presented in this paper, following upon two companion papers on the DEBRIS A-star and FGK-star subsamples. In the M-dwarf subsample, two debris disks have been detected, around the M3V dwarf GJ581 and the M4V dwarf FomalhautC (LP876-10). This result gives a disk detection rate of 2.1^{+2.7}_{-0.7}% at the 68% confidence level, significantly less than measured for earlier stellar types in the DEBRIS program. However, we show that the survey of the DEBRIS M-dwarf subsample is about ten times shallower than the surveys of the DEBRIS FGK subsamples when studied in the physical parameter space of the disk's fractional dust luminosity versus blackbody radius. Furthermore, had the DEBRIS K-star subsample been observed at the same shallower depth in this parameter space, its measured disk detection rate would have been statistically consistent with the one found for the M-dwarf subsample. Hence, the incidence of debris disks does not appear to drop from the K subsample to the M subsample of the DEBRIS program, when considering disks in the same region of physical parameter space. An alternative explanation is that the only two bright disks discovered in the M-dwarf subsample would not, in fact, be statistically representative of the whole population.
comment: 12 pages, long Table 3 included, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics
♻ ☆ Confronting the dark matter capture rate with a continuous gravitational wave probe of local neutron stars
Continuous gravitational waves (CGWs) from various astrophysical sources are one of the many future probes of upcoming gravitational wave (GW) search missions. Neutron stars (NSs) with deformity are one of the leading sources of CGW emissions. In this work, for the first time, a novel attempt to estimate the dark matter (DM) capture rate is performed using CGW as the probe to the local NS population. Competitive bounds on DM capture from the local NS population are reported when compared with DM direct search experiments and other astrophysical observations.
comment: 19 pages, 1 table, 5 figures
♻ ☆ Optical evolution of AT 2024wpp: the high-velocity outflows in Cow-like transients are consistent with high spherical symmetry
We present the analysis of optical data of a bright and extremely-rapidly evolving transient, AT2024wpp, whose properties are similar to the enigmatic AT2018cow (aka the Cow). AT2024wpp rose to a peak brightness of c=-21.9mag in 4.3d and remained above the half-maximum brightness for only 6.7d. The blackbody fits to the multi-band photometry show that the event remained persistently hot (T>20000K) with a rapidly receding photosphere (v~11500km/s) until the end of the photometric dataset at +16.1d post-discovery. This behaviour mimics that of AT2018cow, albeit with a several times larger photosphere. The spectra are consistent with blackbody emission throughout our spectral sequence ending at +21.9d, showing a tentative, very broad emission feature at 5500{\AA} -- implying that the optical photosphere is likely within a near-relativistic outflow. Furthermore, reports of strong X-ray and radio emission cement the nature of AT2024wpp as a likely Cow-like transient. AT2024wpp is only the second event of the class with optical polarimetry. Our BVRI observations obtained from +6.1 to +14.4d show a low polarisation of P<0.5% across all bands, similar to AT2018cow that was consistent with P~0% during the same outflow-driven phase. In the absence of evidence for a preferential viewing angle, it is unlikely that both events would have shown low polarisation in the case that their photospheres were aspherical. As such, we conclude that the near-relativistic outflows launched in these events are likely highly spherical, but polarimetric observations of further events are crucial to constrain their ejecta geometry and stratification in detail.
comment: 13 pages, 7 figures. Accepted to MNRAS
♻ ☆ Early Accretion of Large Amounts of Solids for Directly-Imaged Exoplanets
As the number of planetary mass objects (PMOs, $\lessapprox$13 M$_{\rm{Jupiter}}$) at wider separation ($\gtrapprox$10 AU) grows, there is emerging evidence that they form differently from their higher-mass brown-dwarf (BD) counterparts. Specifically, PMOs' atmospheres are often enriched by metals and show a large dispersion of metallicity, which is usually interpreted as a sign of solid accretion. {{As a first step toward a population-level study of the amount and timing of solid accretion, }}we analyze a sample of seven directly-imaged exoplanets with measured stellar and planetary chemical abundances (51 Eri b, $\beta$ Pic b, HIP 65426 b, HR 8799 c and e, AF Lep b, and YSES 1 c). Our analysis uses existing data of stellar and planetary atmospheric metallicities, and adopts a Bayesian framework that marginalizes the probabilities of disk conditions, formation locations, {{planetary interior structures}}, and accretion physics. We show that these PMOs accrete large amounts of solids {{regardless of whether they form via core accretion or disk instability}}. On average $\gtrapprox$50 M$_\oplus$ solids are accreted to enrich planet atmospheres. {{Individual planet accretes between 23.3 and 223.2 M$_\oplus$ of solid mass, more than 75\% of which is assumed to stay in the atmosphere and increase the observed metallicity.}} The result implies that the solid accretion process and therefore the planet formation process {{likely take place}} at an early stage {{($\lessapprox$2 Myr)}} when large amounts of solids are available in young {{massive}} protoplanetary disks.
comment: accepted to AAS Journals. Significant revision from the previous version
♻ ☆ Neutrino flux sensitivity to the next galactic core-collapse supernova in COSINUS
While neutrinos are often treated as a background for many dark matter experiments, these particles offer a new avenue for physics: the detection of core-collapse supernovae. Supernovae are extremely energetic, violent and complex events that mark the death of massive stars. During their collapse stars emit a large number of neutrinos in a short burst. These neutrinos carry 99\% of the emitted energy which makes their detection fundamental in understanding supernovae. This paper illustrates how COSINUS (Cryogenic Observatory for SIgnatures seen in Next-generation Underground Searches), a sodium iodide (NaI) based dark matter search, will be sensitive to the next galactic core-collapse supernova. The experiment is composed of two separate detectors which will be sensitive to far and nearby supernovae. The inner core of the experiment will consist of NaI crystals operating as scintillating calorimeters, mainly sensitive to the Coherent Elastic Scattering of Neutrinos (CE$\nu$NS) against the Na and I nuclei. The low mass of the cryogenic detectors gives the experiment a sensitivity to close supernovae below 1kpc without pileup. They will see up to hundreds of CE$\nu$NS events from a supernova happening at 200pc. The crystals reside at the center of a cylindrical 230T water tank, instrumented with 30 photomultipliers. This tank acts as a passive and active shield able to detect the Cherenkov radiation induced by impinging charged particles from ambient and cosmogenic radioactivity. A supernova near the Milky Way Center (10kpc) will be easily detected inducing $\sim$60 measurable events, and the water tank will have a 3$\sigma$ sensitivity to supernovae up to 22kpc, seeing $\sim$10 events. This paper shows how, even without dedicated optimization, modern dark matter experiments will also play their part in the multi-messenger effort to detect the next galactic core-collapse supernova.
♻ ☆ Magnetic disk winds in protoplanetary disks: Description of the model and impact on global disk evolution
Canonically, a protoplanetary disk is thought to undergo (gravito-)viscous evolution, wherein the angular momentum of the accreting material is transported outwards. However, several lines of reasoning suggest that the turbulent viscosity in a typical protoplanetary disk is insufficient to drive the observed accretion rates. An emerging paradigm suggests that radially extended magnetic disk winds may play a crucial role in the disk evolution. We propose a global model of magnetic wind-driven accretion for evolution of protoplanetary disks, based on the insights gained from local shearing box simulations. Here we develop this model and constrain its parameters with the help of theoretical expectations and comparison with observations. The magnetic wind is characterized with the associated loss of angular momentum and mass, which depend on the local disk conditions and stellar properties. We incorporate the disk winds self-consistently in the code FEOSAD and study formation and long-term evolution of protoplanetary disks. We include disk self-gravity and an adaptive turbulent alpha, while the co-evolution of dust is also considered. Synthetic observations are obtained via radiation thermo-chemical code ProDiMo. The models with inclusion of disk winds satisfy general expectations from both theory and observations. The disk wind parameters can be guided by observational constraints and the synthetic observations resulting from such a model compare favorably with the selected ALMA survey data of Class II disks. The proposed magnetic disk wind model is a significant step forward in the direction of representing a more complete disk evolution, wherein the disk experiences concurrent torques from viscous, gravitational, and magnetic wind processes.
comment: 24 pages, 8 figures, 5 tables, Accepted
♻ ☆ Radial evolution of a density structure within a solar wind magnetic sector boundary
This study focuses on a radial alignment between Parker Solar Probe (PSP) and Solar Orbiter (SolO) on the 29$^{\text{th}}$ of April 2021 (during a solar minimum), when the two spacecraft were respectively located at $\sim 0.075$ and $\sim 0.9$~au from the Sun. A previous study of this alignment allowed the identification of the same density enhancement (with a time scale of $\sim$1.5~h), and substructures ($\sim$20-30~min timescale), passing first by PSP, and then SolO after a $\sim 138$~h propagation time in the inner heliosphere. We show here that this structure belongs to the large scale heliospheric magnetic sector boundary. In this region, the density is dominated by radial gradients, whereas the magnetic field reversal is consistent with longitudinal gradients in the Carrington reference frame. We estimate the density structure radial size to remain of the order L$_R \sim 10^6$~km, while its longitudinal and latitudinal sizes, are estimated to expand from L$_{\varphi, \theta} \sim 10^4$-$10^5$~km in the high solar corona, to L$_{\varphi, \theta} \sim 10^5$-$10^6$~km at PSP, and L$_{\varphi, \theta} \sim 10^6$-$10^7$~km at SolO. This implies a strong evolution of the structure's aspect ratio during the propagation, due to the plasma's nearly spherical expansion. The structure's shape is therefore inferred to evolve from elongated in the radial direction at $\sim$2-3 solar radii (high corona), to sizes of nearly the same order in all directions at PSP, and then becoming elongated in the directions transverse to the radial at SolO. Measurements are not concordant with local reconnection of open solar wind field lines, so we propose that the structure has been generated through interchange reconnection near the tip of a coronal streamer.
♻ ☆ Small-scale inhomogeneity effects on coherent solar radio emission
Coherent radio emission mechanism of solar radio bursts is one of the most complicated and controversial topics in solar physics. To clarify the mechanism(s) of different types of solar radio bursts, (radio) wave excitation by energetic electrons in homogeneous plasmas has been widely studied via particle-in-cell (PIC) code numerical simulations. The solar corona is, however, inhomogeneous over almost all spatial scales. Inhomogeneities of the plasma could influence the emission properties of solar radio bursts. In this paper, we, hence, investigate effects of inhomogeneity (in the magnetic field, plasma density and temperature) of plasmas in the solar corona on radio wave emission by ring-beam distributed energetic electrons utilizing 2.5-dimensional PIC simulations. Both the beam and electron cyclotron maser (ECM) instabilities could be triggered with the presence of the energetic ring-beam electrons. The resultant spectrum of the excited electromagnetic waves presents a zebra-stripe pattern in the frequency space. The inhomogeneous density or temperature in plasmas influences the frequency bandwidth and location of these excited waves. Our results can, hence, help to diagnose the plasma properties at the emission sites of solar radio bursts. Applications of our results to the solar radio bursts with zebra-stripe pattern are discussed.
♻ ☆ Dark matter in compact stars
White dwarfs and neutron stars are far-reaching and multi-faceted laboratories in the hunt for dark matter. We review detection prospects of wave-like, particulate, macroscopic and black hole dark matter that make use of several exceptional properties of compact stars, such as ultra-high densities, deep fermion degeneracies, low temperatures, nucleon superfluidity, strong magnetic fields, high rotational regularity, and significant gravitational wave emissivity. Foundational topics first made explicit in this document include the effect of the ``propellor phase" on neutron star baryonic accretion, and the contribution of Auger and Cooper pair breaking effects to neutron star heating by dark matter capture.
comment: 72 pages with 17 figures, 1 table, 509 references; v3 fixes typos and adds section on microlensing, revisions to text on WD explosions, more text on pulsar mechanism, new references
♻ ☆ Spectuner: A Framework for Automated Line Identification of Interstellar Molecules
Interstellar molecules, which play an important role in astrochemistry, are identified using observed spectral lines. Despite the advent of spectral analysis tools in the past decade, the identification of spectral lines remains a tedious task that requires extensive manual intervention, preventing us from fully exploiting the vast amounts of data generated by large facilities such as ALMA. This study aims to address the aforementioned issue by developing a framework of automated line identification. We introduce a robust spectral fitting technique applicable for spectral line identification with minimal human supervision. Our method is assessed using published data from five line surveys of hot cores, including W51, Orion-KL, Sgr B2(M), and Sgr B2(N). By comparing the identified lines, our algorithm achieves an overall recall of ~ 74% - 93%, and an average precision of ~ 78% - 92%. Our code, named Spectuner, is publicly available on GitHub.
comment: 28 pages, 24 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJS
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena 32
☆ Multidisciplinary Science in the Multimessenger Era
Astrophysical observations of the cosmos allow us to probe extreme physics and answer foundational questions on our universe. Modern astronomy is increasingly operating under a holistic approach, probing the same question with multiple diagnostics including how sources vary over time, how they appear across the electromagnetic spectrum, and through their other signatures, including gravitational waves, neutrinos, cosmic rays, and dust on Earth. Astrophysical observations are now reaching the point where approximate physics models are insufficient. Key sources of interest are explosive transients, whose understanding requires multidisciplinary studies at the intersection of astrophysics, gravity, nuclear science, plasma physics, fluid dynamics and turbulence, computation, particle physics, atomic, molecular, and optical science, condensed matter and materials science, radiation transport, and high energy density physics. This white paper provides an overview of the major scientific advances that lay at the intersection of physics and astronomy and are best probed through time-domain and multimessenger astrophysics, an exploration of how multidisciplinary science can be fostered, and introductory descriptions of the relevant scientific disciplines and key astrophysical sources of interest.
comment: This white paper is the product of the Third Time-Domain And Multimessenger Astrophysics workshop: Multidisciplinary Science in the Multimessenger Era, hosted by Louisiana State University with additional support from DOE, NSF, and NASA
☆ The Proper Motion of Strongly Lensed Binary Neutron Star Mergers in LIGO/Virgo/Kagra can be Constrained by Measuring Doppler Induced Gravitational Wave Dephasing
Strongly lensed binary neutron star (NS-NS) mergers are expected to be observed once LIGO/Virgo/Kagra reaches the planned A+ or proposed A\# sensitivity. We demonstrate that the relative transverse velocity of the source-lens system can be constrained by comparing the phase of the two associated gravitational wave (GW) images, using both semi-analytical and numerical Bayesian methods. For A+ sensitivity, a one-sigma NS-NS merger signal in magnification $(\mu=200)$ and redshift $(z_{\rm S}=1)$ will carry a marginally detectable dephasing signature for a source transverse velocity of $\sim 1800$ km/s. This is comparable to the velocity dispersion of large galaxy clusters. Assuming the same population distribution, the most likely source parameters of $\mu=100$ and $z_{\rm S}=1.4$ are always expected to showcase detectable dephasing imprints for A\# sensitivity, provided they are moving with transverse velocities larger than $\sim 2000$ km/s. We conclude that a first measurement of the relative transverse velocity of a source via GW dephasing methods is likely only a few years away.
comment: Comments welcome. Submission to ApJ journal planned soon
☆ Simulating ULXs and blazars as GRMHD accretion flows around a black hole
General relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations have been instrumental in our understanding of high energy astrophysical phenomena over the past two decades. Their robustness and modularity make them a great tool for understanding the dynamics of various astrophysical objects. In this paper we have used GRMHD simulations to understand the accretion flows of ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) and blazars. ULXs are enigmatic sources which exhibit very high luminosities (super-Eddington for stellar mass black holes) even in their low-hard state. Numerical steady state calculations have shown that this behaviour can be explained by considering ULXs to be highly magnetised advective accretion sources around stellar-mass black holes. Our simulation confirms that such an accretion flow can indeed produce the high luminosities observed in ULXs. Further to continue towards the supermassive black holes, we have also modeled blazars and have used our simulation results to explain the apparent dichotomy in the two blazar classes: flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) and BL Lacertae (BL Lacs). Our results show that FSRQ and BL Lacs show different spectral characteristics due to a difference in their magnetic field characteristics. The different categories of FSRQs and BL Lacs have also been explained by the interplay between the spin, magnetic field and accretion rate of the central supermassive black hole.
comment: 14 pages including 11 figures (19 png files); accepted for publication in ApJ
☆ Population Synthesis of Gravitational Wave Sources
The simulation of gravitational wave source populations and their progenitors is an endeavor more than eighty years in the making. This is in part due to a wide variety of theoretical uncertainties that must be taken into account when describing how stellar populations evolve over cosmic time to produce double stellar remnant binaries. Population synthesis software has been developed as a means to investigate these uncertainties under a wide variety of physical assumptions and stellar population formation environments. In this chapter we discuss the development history of population synthesis software with a special focus on work aimed at understanding the formation of gravitational wave populations. We detail the assortment of population synthesis tools in use today that simulate GW populations which are born and evolve in different astrophysical environments. We further discuss the GW population rates and features associated with each environment that have been predicted for both ground and space-based GW detectors. We finish with considerations of future work that combines possible constraints from electromagnetic surveys that may provide key findings that break current degeneracies in population synthesis predictions of GW source populations.
comment: To appear as a chapter for the Encyclopedia of Astrophysics (edited by I. Mandel, section editor J. Andrews) to be published by Elsevier as a Reference Module. 14 pages with 4 figures and 1 table
☆ On the origin of mid-infrared colors in $γ$-ray blazars
Context. The combination between non-thermal and thermal emission in $\gamma$-ray blazars pushes them to a specific region of the mid-infrared three-dimensional color diagram, the so-called blazar locus, built based on observations performed with the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. The selection of blazar candidates based on these mid-infrared colors has been extensively used in the past decade in the hunt for the counterparts of unassociated $\gamma$-ray sources observed with the Fermi Large Area Telescope and in the search for new blazars in optical spectroscopic campaigns. Aims. In this work, we provide a theoretical description of the origin of the blazar locus and show how we can reasonably reproduce it with a model consisting of only three spectral components: a log-parabola accounting for the non-thermal emission, and an elliptical host and dust torus accounting for the thermal emission. Methods. We simulate spectral energy distributions for blazars, starting with a pure log-parabola model and then increasing its complexity by adding a template elliptical galaxy and dust torus. From these simulations, we compute the mid-infrared magnitudes and corresponding colors to create our own version of the blazar locus. Results. Our modeling allows for the selection of spectral parameters that better characterize the mid-infrared emission of $\gamma$-ray blazars, such as the log-parabola curvature ($\beta < 0.04$ for 50\% of our sample) and an average spectral peak around $E_p \approx 1.5 \times 10^{-13}$ erg. We also find that the log-parabola is the main spectral component behind the observed mid-infrared blazar colors, although additional components such as a host galaxy and a dust torus are crucial to obtain a precise reconstruction of the blazar locus.
comment: 9 pages, 7 figures
☆ Cosmic Calipers: Precise and Accurate Neutron Star Radius Measurements with Next-Generation Gravitational Wave Detectors
Gravitational waves from merging binary neutron stars carry characteristic information about their astrophysical properties, including masses and tidal deformabilities, that are needed to infer their radii. In this study, we use Bayesian inference to quantify the precision with which radius can inferred with upgrades in the current gravitational wave detectors and next-generation observatories such as the Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer. We assign evidences for a set of plausible equations of state, which are then used as weights to obtain radius posteriors. We find that prior choices and the loudness of observed signals limit the precision and accuracy of inferred radii by current detectors. In contrast, next-generation observatories can resolve the radius precisely and accurately, across most of the mass range to within $\lesssim 5\%$ for both soft and stiff equations of state. We also explore how the choice of the neutron star mass prior can influence the inferred masses and potentially affect radii measurements, finding that choosing an astrophysically motivated prior does not notably impact an individual neutron star's radius measurements.
comment: 15 pages, 8 figures
☆ Gamma Ray Burst GRB 221009A: two distinct hints at once at new physics
The brightest ever observed gamma ray burst GRB 221009A at redshift $z = 0.151$ was detected on October 9, 2022. Its highest energy photons have been recorded by the LHAASO collaboration up to above $12 \, \rm TeV$, and one of the at ${\cal E} = 251 \, \rm TeV$ by the Carpet-2 collaboration. Very recently, the Carpet-3 collaboration has completed the data analysis, showing that the evidence of the $251 \, {\rm TeV}$ photon is quite robust. Still, according to conventional physics photons with ${\cal E} \gtrsim 10 \, \rm TeV$ cannot be observed owing to the absorption by the extragalactic background light (EBL). Previously it has been demonstrated that an axion-like particle (ALP) with allowed parameters ensures the observability of the LHAASO photons. Here we show that the Lorentz invariance violation allows the ${\cal E} = 251 \, {\rm TeV}$ (now around 300 TeV) Carpet photon to be detected.
comment: 3 pages, 1 figure
☆ SACRA-2D: New axisymmetric general relativistic hydrodynamics code with fixed mesh refinement
We present \texttt{SACRA-2D}, a new MPI and OpenMP parallelized, fully relativistic hydrodynamics (GRHD) code in dynamical spacetime under axial symmetry with the cartoon method using the finite-volume shock-capturing schemes for hydrodynamics. Specifically, we implemented the state-of-the-art HLLC Riemann solver and found better accuracy than the standard Total Variation Diminishing Lax-Friedrich Riemann solver. The spacetime evolves under the Baumgarte-Shapiro-Shibata-Nakamura formalism with Z4c constraint propagation. We demonstrate the accuracy of the code with some benchmark tests and excellent agreement with other codes in the literature. A wide variety of test simulations, including the head-on collision of black holes, the migration and collapse of neutron stars, and the collapse of a rotating supermassive star to a massive black hole and a disk, is also performed to show the robustness of our new code.
comment: 24 pages, 20 figures
☆ Detection of the Extended $γ$-ray Emission around TeV source 1LHAASO J0249+6022 with Fermi-LAT
1LHAASO J0249+6022 is an extended very-high-energy gamma-ray source discovered by the Large High-Altitude Air Shower Observatory. Based on nearly 16.1 years of data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope, we report the probable gamma-ray emission from 1LHAASO J0249+6022 in the 0.03-1 TeV energy range. The results show that its gamma-ray spectrum can be well fitted by a single power law with an index of 1.54 $\pm$ 0.17, and integral photon flux is (4.28 $\pm$ 1.03) $\times$ 10$^{-11}$ photons cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$. We also considered theoretically whether the non-thermal emission could originate from a pulsar wind nebula (PWN) scenario. Assuming that the particles injected into the nebula have a power-law distribution, the resulting spectrum from the inverse Compton scattering is consistent with the detected GeV and TeV gamma-ray fluxes. Our study shows that the PWN scenario is reasonable for 1LHAASO J0249+6022.
comment: 9 pages, 4 figures
☆ High-resolution radio observations of TeV candidate sources
Radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGN) with their jets pointed close to our line of sight constitute the majority of extragalactic $\gamma$-ray sources and significantly contribute to the radiation observed in the even higher energy regime. The upcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is expected to detect fainter TeV objects, leading to an anticipated increase in the proportion of non-blazar extragalactic high-energy sources. Here we present the results of our dual-frequency (1.7 and 5~GHz) European VLBI Network (EVN) and enhanced Multi Element Remotely Linked Interferometer Network (e-MERLIN) observations of two faint radio sources from the list of TeV candidate sources. They do not show signs of nuclear activity in their optical spectra, but they were hypothesized to contain faint AGN that is outshone by the host galaxy. We used the mas-scale resolution radio data to try to pinpoint the location of the compact radio emitting feature, determine its spectral index, radio power, brightness temperature and radio-X-ray luminosity ratio and thus identify the origin of the radio emission. Our results suggest that both optically passive-looking galaxies host faint compact radio-emitting AGN with steep spectra.
comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, published in the Proceedings of the 16th European VLBI Network Symposium (Bonn, Germany, 2-6 September 2024). Eds. E. Ros, P. Benke, S. Dzib, I. Rottmann, J.A. Zensus, Bonn: Max-Planck-Institut f\"ur Radioastronomie, pp. 141-144 Available at https://events.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de/indico/event/371/session/20/contribution/17/material/paper/0.pdf
☆ Pair creation from radial electromagnetic perturbation of a compact astrophysical object
Recently Usov's mechanism of pair creation on the surface of compact astrophysical objects has been revisited [1] with a conclusion that the pair creation rate was previously underestimated in the literature by nearly two orders of magnitude. Here we consider an alternative hypothesis of pair creation due to a perturbation of the surface of a compact object. Radial perturbation is induced in hydrodynamic velocity resulting in a microscopic displacement of the negatively charged component with respect to the positively charged one. The result depends on the ratio between the spatial scale of the perturbation $\lambda$ and the mean free path $l$. When $\lambda\sim l$ the perturbation energy is converted into a burst of electron-positron pairs which are created in collisionless plasma oscillations at the surface; after energy excess is dissipated electrosphere returns to its electrostatic configuration. When instead $\lambda\gg l$, the perturbation is thermalized, its energy is transformed into heat, and pairs are created continuously by the heated electrosphere. We discuss the relevant astrophysical scenarios.
comment: Submitted to PRD
☆ Energy Diffusion and Advection Coefficients in Kinetic Simulations of Relativistic Plasma Turbulence
Turbulent, relativistic nonthermal plasmas are ubiquitous in high-energy astrophysical systems, as inferred from broadband nonthermal emission spectra. The underlying turbulent nonthermal particle acceleration (NTPA) processes have traditionally been modelled with a Fokker-Planck (FP) diffusion-advection equation for the particle energy distribution. We test FP-type NTPA theories by performing and analysing particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of turbulence in collisionless relativistic pair plasma. By tracking large numbers of particles in simulations with different initial magnetisation and system size, we first test and confirm the applicability of the FP framework. We then measure the FP energy diffusion ($D$) and advection ($A$) coefficients as functions of particle energy $\gamma m c^2$, and compare their dependence to theoretical predictions. At high energies, we robustly find $D \sim \gamma^2$ for all cases. Hence, we fit $D = D_0 \gamma^2$ and find a scaling consistent with $D_0 \sim \sigma^{3/2}$ at low instantaneous magnetisation $\sigma(t)$, flattening to $D_0 \sim \sigma$ at higher $\sigma \sim 1$. We also find that the power-law index $\alpha(t)$ of the particle energy distribution converges exponentially in time. We build and test an analytic model connecting the FP coefficients and $\alpha(t)$, predicting $A(\gamma) \sim \gamma \log \gamma$. We confirm this functional form in our measurements of $A(\gamma,t)$, which allows us to predict $\alpha(t)$ through the model relations. Our results suggest that the basic second-order Fermi acceleration model, which predicts $D_0 \sim \sigma$, may not be a complete description of NTPA in turbulent plasmas. These findings encourage further application of tracked particles and FP coefficients as a diagnostic in kinetic simulations of various astrophysically relevant plasma processes like collisionless shocks and magnetic reconnection.
comment: 22 pages, 24 figures, submitted for publication. Comments are welcome!
☆ Multiband Nonthermal Radiative Properties of the Pulsar Wind Nebula CTB 87
The pulsar wind nebula CTB 87 (G74.9+1.2) is one of the sources emitting $\gamma$-rays with energies higher than 10 TeV, as measured by the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System telescope (VERITAS). In this study, we undertake a reanalysis of the GeV emission from the CTB 87 region, utilising $\sim$16 years of high-energy $\gamma$-ray data collected with the Fermi Large Area Telescope. In the energy range of 0.03--1 TeV, the spectrum can be adequately described by a power-law model with an index of 1.34 $\pm$ 0.18, and the integral energy flux is calculated to be (7.25 $\pm$ 1.36) $\times$ 10$^{-13}$ erg cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$. Based on the multiband data, we have employed a time-dependent model to investigate the non-thermal emission properties of CTB 87. In the model, it is assumed that particles with broken power-law energy distributions are continuously injected into the nebula. This results in multiband non-thermal emission being produced by relativistic leptons via synchrotron radiation and inverse Compton processes. Furthermore, the model suggests an energy of approximately 2.4 PeV for the most energetic particle in the nebula.
comment: 9 pages, 5 figures
☆ Probing intermediate-mass black hole binaries with the Lunar Gravitational-wave Antenna
New concepts for observing the gravitational waves (GWs) using a detector on the Moon, such as the Lunar Gravitational-wave Antenna (LGWA), have gained increasing attention. By utilizing the Moon as a giant antenna, the LGWA is expected to detect GWs in the frequency range from 1 millihertz (mHz) to several hertz, with optimal sensitivity in the decihertz band. Despite the debated formation and evolution channel of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) with masses in the range of $[10^2, 10^5]\ {\rm M_\odot}$, binary systems containing at least one IMBH are widely believed to generate GWs spanning from mHz to a few Hz, making them a key scientific target for the LGWA. We explore the detectability of IMBH binaries with the LGWA in this work. The LGWA is more sensitive to nearby binaries (i.e. with redshift $z\lesssim0.5$) with the primary mass $m_1 \in [10^4, 10^5] \ {\rm M_\odot}$, while it prefers distant binaries (i.e. $z \gtrsim 5$) with $m_1 \in [10^3, 10^4] \ {\rm M_\odot}$. Considering a signal-to-noise ratio threshold of 10, our results imply that the LGWA can detect IMBH binaries up to $z \sim \mathcal{O}(10)$. We further show that the LGWA can constrain the primary mass with relative errors $\lesssim 0.1\%$ for binaries at $z \lesssim 0.5$. Furthermore, we show that the IMBH binaries at $z \lesssim 0.1$ can be used to constrain redshift with relative errors $\lesssim 10\%$, and those with $m_1 \in [10^4, 10^5] \ {\rm M_\odot}$ can be localized by the LGWA to be within $\mathcal{O} (10)$ $\rm deg^2$.
comment: 10 pages, 7 figures
☆ Three-dimensional simulations of accretion disks in pre-CE systems
Before a binary system enters into a common envelope (CE) phase, accretion from the primary star onto the companion star through Roche Lobe overflow (RLOF) will lead to the formation of an accretion disk, which may generate jets. Accretion before and during the CE may alter the outcome of the interaction. Previous studies have considered different aspects of this physical mechanism. Here we study the properties of an accretion disk formed via 3D hydrodynamic simulations of the RLOF mass transfer between a 7 M$_\odot$, red supergiant star and a 1.4 M$_\odot$, neutron star companion. We simulate only the volume around the companion for improved resolution. We use a 1D implicit MESA simulation of the evolution of the system during 30,000 years between the on-set of the RLOF and the CE to guide the binary parameters and the mass-transfer rate, while we simulate only 21 years of the last part of the RLOF in 3D using an ideal gas isothermal equation of state. We expect that a pre-CE disk under these parameters will have a mass of $\sim 5\times 10^{-3}$ M$_\odot$ and a radius of $\sim$40 R$_\odot$ with a scale height of $\sim$5 R$_\odot$. The temperature profile of the disk is shallower than that predicted by the formalism of Shakura and Sunyaev, but more reasonable cooling physics would need to be included. We stress test these results with respect to a number of physical and numerical parameters, as well as simulation choices, and we expect them to be reasonable within a factor of a few for the mass and 15% for the radius. We also contextualize our results within those presented in the literature, in particular with respect to the dimensionality of simulations and the adiabatic index. We consider what properties of magnetic fields and jets may be supported by our disk and discuss prospects for future work.
comment: 17 pages, 20 figures
Propagation-induced Frequency-dependent Polarization Properties of Fast Radio Burst
Frequency-dependent polarization properties provide crucial insights into the radiation mechanisms and magnetic environments of fast radio bursts (FRBs). We explore an analytical solution of radiative transfer of the polarization properties of FRBs as a strong incoming wave propagates in a homogeneous magnetized plasma. The case of a thermal plasma is studied in more detail. The rotational axis of the polarization spectrum undergoes precession with frequency on the Poincar\'e sphere when the medium has both strong Faraday rotation and conversion. Such precession on the Poincar\'e sphere could occur in hot or cold plasma with a strong magnetic field component perpendicular to the line of sight. The analytical solution with the mixing Faraday case offers a more physical description of the physical properties of the magnetic environment of FRBs than the empirical ``generalized Faraday rotation'' method commonly adopted in the literature. Significant absorption can exist in a dense plasma medium, which may give rise to a highly circularly polarized outgoing wave. The frequency-dependent Stokes parameters may be associated with reversing rotation measures or the presence of a persistent radio source around an FRB.
comment: 20 pagers, 11 figures, AAAS journal submitted
☆ Contaminating Electromagnetic Transients in LISA Gravitational Wave Localization Volumes. I: The Intrinsic Rates
The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will soon detect gravitational waves (GWs) emitted by massive black hole (MBH) mergers. Some theoretical models have predicted transient electromagnetic (EM) emission from these mergers, enabling the association of LISA GW sources with their EM counterparts via telescope follow-up. However, the number of unrelated EM transients that might contaminate telescope searches for the true transient counterparts of LISA MBH mergers is unknown. We investigate the expected numbers of unrelated EM transients that will coincide with simulated LISA localization volumes of MBH mergers, as a function of the merger total mass and redshift. We find that the number of potential contaminants in LISA localization volumes drops to unity for mergers at $z \lesssim 0.8$ and at 1 hour before coalescence. After coalescence, the parameter space corresponding to a maximum of one potential contaminant expands to $z \lesssim 1.5$. In contrast, if the redshifts for all transients detected in LISA sky localization regions are not available, the number of potential contaminants increases by an average factor of $\sim100$, and never drops below unity. Overall, we expect the average number of contaminating transients in telescope follow-up of LISA MBH mergers to be non-negligible, especially without redshift information for the detected transients. We recommend that endeavors designing follow-up strategies of LISA events should focus on: (1) building large redshift catalogs for host galaxies, (2) developing robust real-time transient classification algorithms, (3) and coordinating telescope resources to obtain redshifts for candidate transient EM counterparts in a timely manner.
comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, accepted to ApJ
♻ ☆ Final state radiation from high and ultrahigh energy neutrino interactions
Charged leptons produced by high-energy and ultrahigh-energy neutrinos have a substantial probability of emitting prompt internal bremsstrahlung $\nu_\ell + N \rightarrow \ell + X + \gamma$. This can have important consequences for neutrino detection. We discuss observable consequences at high- and ultrahigh-energy neutrino telescopes and the Large Hadron Collider's Forward Physics Facility. Logarithmic enhancements can be substantial (e.g., $\sim 20\%$) when either the charged lepton's energy or the rest of the cascade is measured. We comment on final state radiation's impacts on measuring the inelasticity distribution, $\nu/\bar{\nu}$ flux ratio, throughgoing muons, and double-bang signatures for high-energy neutrino observation. Furthermore, for ultrahigh-energy neutrino observation, we find that final state radiation increases the overall detectable energy by as much as 20\%, affects flavor measurements, and decreases the energy of both Earth-emergent tau leptons and regenerated tau neutrinos. Many of these have significant impacts on measuring neutrino fluxes and spectra. Finally, for the Large Hadron Collider's Forward Physics Facility, we find that final state radiation will impact future extractions of strange quark parton distribution functions. Final state radiation should be included in future analyses at neutrino telescopes and the Forward Physics Facility.
comment: Main text 11 pages, 5 figures. Match published version, and added a scaling relation for shower energy shift and a Github link for the data
♻ ☆ Forecast Analysis of Astrophysical Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background beyond general relativity: A Case Study on Brans-Dicke Gravity
Scalar-tensor gravity, exemplified by Brans-Dicke (BD) gravity, introduces additional scalar polarization modes that contribute scalar radiation alongside tensor modes. We conduct a comprehensive analysis of how gravitational wave generation and propagation effects under Brans-Dicke gravity are encoded into the astrophysical stochastic gravitational wave background (AGWB). We perform end-to-end analyses of realistic populations of simulated coalescing binary systems to generate AGWB mock data with third-generation gravitational wave detectors and conducted a complete Bayesian analysis for the first time. We find the uncertainties in the population properties of binary black holes (BBH) significantly affect the ability to constrain BD gravity. Furthermore, we explore the detectability of potential scalar backgrounds that originates from binary neutron star (BNS) and neutron-star-black-hole (NSBH) mergers, with NSBH systems expected to modify the spectral index of the scalar background and introduce oscillatory behavior. We show that the observations of the AGWB enable the separation of mixed tensor and scalar polarization modes with comparable sensitivity to each mode. However, the scalar background is expected to remain substantially weaker than the tensor background, even in scenarios where BD gravity exhibits significant deviations from general relativity (GR), resulting only upper limits can be placed on the scalar background. We conclude that for ambiguous populations, employing waveform matching with individual sources provides a more robust approach to constrain BD gravity.
comment: 26 pages, 8 figures, and 3 tables. Published in JCAP
♻ ☆ Pioneering High-Speed Pulsar Parameter Estimation Using Convolutional Neural Networks
Accurate thermal emission models of neutron stars are essential for constraining the dense matter equation of state. However, incorporating realistic magnetic field structures is computationally prohibitive, severely constraining feasible parameter space exploration. In this work, we develop a NN emulator to generate model thermal bolometric X-ray light curves of millisecond pulsars with multipolar magnetic fields. We assess the NN's predictive and computational performance across a broad parameter space. We find that for a SVF model, the NN provides a >400 times speedup. We integrate this NN emulator into a MCMC framework to replace the computationally expensive physical model during parameter exploration. Applied to PSR J0030+0451, this approach allows the MCMC to reach equilibrium in ~1 day on 4000 cores, where with the original physical model alone it would have taken more than a year on the same hardware. We compare posterior distributions by running equivalent MCMC iterations with both the NN and the physical model, evaluate differences in distributions when continuing the physical model MCMC from the NN MCMC equilibrium state, and assess variations in posterior distributions resulting from NNs trained on datasets of different sizes. Our NN architecture is agnostic to the underlying physics of the physical model and can be trained for any other physical model, opening many avenues of analysis that were previously intractable. The NN speed remains the same regardless of the complexity of the physical model it was trained to emulate, allowing even greater speedups for physical models that are more complex than the SVF model.
♻ ☆ Spatial and Spectral Characterization of the Gravitational-wave Background with the PTA Optimal Statistic
Pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) have made tremendous progress and are now showing strong evidence for the gravitational-wave background (GWB). Further probing the origin and characteristics of the GWB will require more generalized analysis techniques. Bayesian methods are most often used but can be computationally expensive. On the other hand, frequentist methods, like the PTA Optimal Statistic (OS), are more computationally efficient and can produce results that are complementary to Bayesian methods, allowing for stronger statistical cases to be built from a confluence of different approaches. In this work we expand the capabilities of the OS through a technique we call the Per-Frequency Optimal Statistic (PFOS). The PFOS removes the underlying power-law assumption inherent in previous implementations of the OS, and allows one to estimate the GWB spectrum in a frequency-by-frequency manner. We have also adapted a recent generalization from the OS pipeline into the PFOS, making it capable of accurately characterizing the spectrum in the intermediate and strong GW signal regimes using only a small fraction of the necessary computational resources when compared with fully-correlated Bayesian methods, while also empowering many new types of analyses not possible before. We find that even in the strong GW signal regime, where the GWB dominates over noise in all frequencies, the injected value of the signal lies within the 50th-percentile of the PFOS uncertainty distribution in 41-45% of simulations, remaining 3$\sigma$-consistent with unbiased estimation.
comment: 23 pages, 9 figures, Accepted by Physical Review D
♻ ☆ Reconstructing the Magnetic Field in an Arbitrary Domain via Data-driven Bayesian Methods and Numerical Simulations
Inverse problems are prevalent in numerous scientific and engineering disciplines, where the objective is to determine unknown parameters within a physical system using indirect measurements or observations. The inherent challenge lies in deducing the most probable parameter values that align with the collected data. This study introduces an algorithm for reconstructing parameters by addressing an inverse problem formulated through differential equations underpinned by uncertain boundary conditions or variant parameters. We adopt a Bayesian approach for parameter inference, delineating the establishment of prior, likelihood, and posterior distributions, and the subsequent resolution of the maximum a posteriori problem via numerical optimization techniques. The proposed algorithm is applied to the task of magnetic field reconstruction within a conical domain, demonstrating precise recovery of the true parameter values.
comment: 28 pages, 11 figures
♻ ☆ The formation of mini-AGN disks around IMBHs and their dynamical implications
This study explores the formation and implications of mini-active galactic nuclei (mAGN) disks around intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) embedded in gas-rich globular/nuclear clusters (GCs). We examine the parameter space for stable mAGN disks, considering the influence of IMBH mass, disk radius, and gas density on disk stability. The dynamics of stars and black holes within the mAGN disk are modeled, with a focus on gas-induced migration and gas dynamical friction. These dynamical processes can lead to several potentially observable phenomena, including the alignment of stellar orbits into the disk plane, the enhancement of gravitational wave mergers (particularly IMRIs and EMRIs), and the occurrence of mili/centi-tidal disruption events (mTDEs/cTDEs) with unique observational signatures. We find that gas hardening can significantly accelerate the inspiral of binaries within the disk, potentially leading to a frequency shift in the emitted gravitational waves. Additionally, we explore the possibility of forming accreting IMBH systems from captured binaries within the mAGN disk, potentially resulting in the formation of ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs). The observational implications of such accreting systems, including X-ray emission, optical signatures, and transient phenomena, are discussed. Furthermore, we investigate the possibility of large-scale jets emanating from gas-embedded IMBHs in GCs. While several caveats and uncertainties exist, our work highlights the potential for mAGN disks to provide unique insights into IMBH demographics, accretion physics, and the dynamics of GCs.
comment: Published on MNRAS
♻ ☆ Two-temperature treatments in magnetically arrested disk GRMHD simulations more accurately predict light curves of Sagittarius A*
The Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration (EHTC) observed the Galactic centre source Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) and used emission models primarily based on single ion temperature (1T) general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations. This predicted emission is strongly dependent on a modelled prescription of the ion-to-electron temperature ratio. The most promising models are magnetically arrested disk (MAD) states. However, nearly all MAD models exhibit larger temporal fluctuations in radiative 230 GHz emission compared to observations. This limitation possibly stems from the fact that the actual temperature ratio depends on microphysical dissipation, radiative processes and other effects not captured in ideal fluid simulations. Therefore, we investigate the effects of two-temperature (2T) thermodynamics in MAD GRMHD simulations of Sgr A*, where the temperatures of both species are evolved. We find that the 230 GHz synchrotron flux variability more closely matches historical observations when we include the 2T treatment compared to 1T simulations. For the low accretion rates of Sgr A*, a common assumption is to neglect radiative cooling. However, we find that the radiative cooling of electrons-via synchrotron, inverse Compton, and bremsstrahlung processes-reduces the electron temperature in the inner disk, where the EHT observes, by about 10%, which, in turn, decreases both the (sub)millimetre synchrotron flux and its temporal fluctuations compared to uncooled simulations.
♻ ☆ Significant increase in sensitive volume of a gravitational wave search upon including higher harmonics
Most gravitational wave searches to date have included only the quadrupole mode in their search templates. Here, we demonstrate that incorporating higher harmonics improves the search sensitive volume for detecting binary black hole mergers, challenging the conclusion of previous studies. Using the $\tt{IAS-HM}$ detection pipeline, and the simulated (injection) signals from the LIGO-Virgo-Kagra (LVK) collaboration, we quantify the improvement in sensitivity due to the inclusion of higher harmonics. This improvement is significant for systems with higher mass ratios and larger total masses, with gains in sensitivity even exceeding $100\%$ at certain high masses. We also show that, due to using a marginalized detection statistic, the $\tt{IAS-HM}$ pipeline performs roughly as well as its quadrupole-mode-only counterpart even for equal mass-ratio mergers, and its sensitive volume is either better than or comparable to that of the individual LVK pipelines.
comment: 8 pages, 3 figures
♻ ☆ Ensemble noise properties of the European Pulsar Timing Array
The null hypothesis in Pulsar Timing Array (PTA) analyses includes assumptions about ensemble properties of pulsar time-correlated noise. These properties are encoded in prior probabilities for the amplitude and the spectral index of the power-law power spectral density of temporal correlations of the noise. Because multiple realizations of time-correlated noise processes are found in pulsars, these ensemble noise properties could and should be modelled in the full-PTA observations by parameterising the respective prior distributions using the so-called hyperparameters. This approach is known as the hierarchical Bayesian inference. In this work, we introduce a new procedure for numerical marginalisation over hyperparameters. The procedure may be used in searches for nanohertz gravitational waves and other PTA analyses to resolve prior misspecification at negligible computational cost. Furthermore, we infer the distribution of amplitudes and spectral indices of the power spectral density of spin noise and dispersion measure variation noise based on the observation of 25 millisecond pulsars by the European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA). Our results may be used for the simulation of realistic noise in PTAs.
comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables
♻ ☆ First spectro-polarimetric study of the neutron star low-mass X-ray binary GX 9+1
We present the first spectro-polarimetric study of the bright atoll source GX 9+1, using the simultaneous Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), and Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) observations. The source was observed to remain in the soft state, with no changes in state throughout the observation period. The source does not show significant polarization in the 2-8 keV energy range. However, a significant polarization (3.3 sigma) was detected in the 2-3 keV range, with a polarization degree of 3.3 +/- 0.8% and a polarization angle of 11 +/- 7 deg. We used the simultaneous energy spectra from NICER (0.6 - 11 keV) and IXPE (2-8 keV) to study the spectral properties of the source during observations. The observed spectrum of the source can be well described by a combination of Comptonized blackbody emission from the neutron star surface (compbb model in XSPEC) and thermal Comptonized component with seed photons from the accretion disc. The spectral properties of GX 9+1 during the observation are consistent with those of other bright atoll-sources in the soft state. However, the high polarization degree observed in the low-energy band does not align with previous IXPE observations of other atoll-sources. This observed polarization in the source is attributed to the strong polarization of the Comptonized blackbody component. We discuss the results from the spectro-polarimetric studies in the context of various accretion disc and coronal geometries of the source.
comment: Submitted to MNRAS
♻ ☆ Cold fronts in galaxy clusters I: A case for the large-scale global eigen modes in unmagnetized and weakly magnetized cluster core
Galaxy clusters show large-scale azimuthal X-ray surface brightness fluctuations known as cold fronts. Cold fronts are argued to originate due to sloshing driven by sub-halo passage at close proximity to the cluster center. While this causes large-scale perturbations, the physical mechanisms that can sustain spiral density structures are not clear. In this work, we explore whether long wavelength thermal instability is an explanation for cold front formation in a cluster core which is perturbed by sub-halos or AGN activity. Using global linear perturbation analysis, we show that unstable internal gravity waves form large-scale three-dimensional spirals, akin to observed cold fronts. We explore if the presence of magnetic field (along spherical $\hat{\phi}$) may support such structures (by suppressing small scale Kelvin-Helmholtz modes) or disrupt them (by promoting additional thermal instability). We find that latter happens at shorter wavelengths and above characteristic Brunt V\"ais\"al\"a frequency ($>N_{\rm BV}$). Our work implies that large-scale spirals are sustained over a long timescale ($>N^{-1}_{\rm BV}$) even in presence of aligned magnetic fields that is otherwise supportive against mixing at the interface. Secondly, short-wavelength (but relatively longer along the field) unstable compressive modes may form within or in the vicinity of such spirals. The instability is an overstable slow wave, and grows in 2D at timescales $\gtrsim 2-3$ times longer than the spiral growth timescale (via thermal instability). Thus this instability cannot destroy the large scale coherence.
comment: 16 pages, 8 figures in main content and 3 figures in Appendix, accepted in MNRAS
♻ ☆ Signatures of Rapidly Rotating Stars with Chemically Homogeneous Evolution in the First Galaxies
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has revealed an unexpectedly high abundance of UV luminous galaxies at redshifts $z\gtrsim 10$, challenging `standard' galaxy formation models. This study investigates the role of rapidly rotating (massive) stars undergoing chemically homogeneous evolution (CHE) in reconciling this potential tension. These stars are more compact, hotter, and exhibit enhanced UV emission. We find that the rest-frame UV luminosity of star-forming galaxies can be significantly enhanced by a factor of $\sim 3-6$ when CHE stars above a minimum initial mass of $m_{\star,\min}^{\rm CHE}\sim 2-10\ \rm M_\odot$ account for more than half of the total stellar mass following a Salpeter initial mass function. As a result, the UV luminosity functions observed at $z\sim 12-16$ can be reproduced with less extreme values of star formation efficiency and UV luminosity stochastic variability. Our results highlight the potential of CHE in explaining the UV-bright galaxy populations detected by JWST and call for future work to explore the broader astrophysical implications of CHE and its associated phenomena in the early universe, such as gamma-ray bursts, compact object binaries, and metal enrichment.
comment: 8+4 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in ApJL, see Figs. 2 and 3 for main results
♻ ☆ Hanging on the cliff: Extreme mass ratio inspiral formation with local two-body relaxation and post-Newtonian dynamics
Extreme mass ratio inspirals (EMRIs) are anticipated to be primary gravitational wave sources for LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna). They form in dense nuclear clusters when a compact object (CO) is captured by the central massive black holes (MBHs) due to frequent two-body interactions among orbiting objects. We present a novel Monte Carlo approach to evolve the post-Newtonian (PN) equations of motion of a CO orbiting an MBH accounting for two-body relaxation locally on the fly, without the assumption of orbit-averaging. We estimate the fraction $S(a_0)$ of EMRIs to total captures (including direct plunges, DPs) as a function of the initial semi-major axis $a_0$ for COs around MBHs of $M_\bullet\in[10^4\,{\rm M}_\odot,4\times10^6\,{\rm M}_\odot]$. Previous results indicate $S(a_0)\rightarrow 0$ at large $a_0$, with a sharp transition from EMRIs to DPs around a critical scale $a_{\rm c}$. This notion has been recently challenged for low-mass MBHs, with EMRIs forming at $a\gg a_{\rm c}$, the so-called "cliffhangers''. Our simulations confirm their existence, at larger numbers than previously expected. Cliffhangers start to appear for $M_\bullet\lesssim3\times 10^5\,{\rm M}_\odot$ and can account for up to 55% of the overall EMRIs formed. We find $S(a_0)\gg 0$ for $a\gg a_{\rm c}$, reaching values as high as 0.6 for $M_\bullet=10^4\,{\rm M}_\odot$, much larger than previously found. We find that the PN description of the system greatly enhances the number of EMRIs by shifting $a_{\rm c}$ to larger values at all MBH masses, and that the local treatment of relaxation significantly boosts the number of cliffhangers for small MBHs. Our work shows the limitations of standard assumptions for estimating EMRI formation rates, most importantly their dynamical models. Future estimates of rates and properties of EMRIs detectable by LISA should account for these improvements.
comment: Accepted for publication in A&A; 22 pages, 15 figures, 1 table
♻ ☆ Confronting new NICER mass-radius measurements with phase transition in dense matter and twin compact stars
The (re)analysis of data on the X-ray emitting pulsars PSR J0030+0451 and J0740+6620, as well as new results on PSR J0437-4715 and J1231-1411, are confronted with the predictions of the equation of state (EoS) models allowing for strong first-order phase transition for the mass-radius ($M$-$R$) diagram. We use models that are based on a covariant density functional (CDF) EoS for nucleonic matter at low densities and a quark matter EoS, parameterized by the speed of sound, at higher densities. To account for the variations in the ellipses for PSR J0030+0451 obtained from different analyses, we examined three scenarios to assess their consistency with our models, focusing particularly on the potential formation of twin stars. We found that in two scenarios, where the ellipses for PSR J0030+0451 and J0437-4715 with masses close to the canonical mass $\sim 1.4\,M_{\odot}$ are significantly separated, our models allow for the presence of twin stars as a natural explanation for potential differences in the radii of these stars.
comment: v2, 12 pages, 4 figures, matches published version
♻ ☆ A Poisson Process AutoDecoder for X-ray Sources
X-ray observing facilities, such as the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the eROSITA, have detected millions of astronomical sources associated with high-energy phenomena. The arrival of photons as a function of time follows a Poisson process and can vary by orders-of-magnitude, presenting obstacles for common tasks such as source classification, physical property derivation, and anomaly detection. Previous work has either failed to directly capture the Poisson nature of the data or only focuses on Poisson rate function reconstruction. In this work, we present Poisson Process AutoDecoder (PPAD). PPAD is a neural field decoder that maps fixed-length latent features to continuous Poisson rate functions across energy band and time via unsupervised learning. PPAD reconstructs the rate function and yields a representation at the same time. We demonstrate the efficacy of PPAD via reconstruction, regression, classification and anomaly detection experiments using the Chandra Source Catalog.
comment: 13 pages, 5 figures
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics 18
☆ Characterization of Starlink Direct-to-Cell Satellites In Brightness Mitigation Mode
The mean apparent magnitude of Starlink Mini Direct-To-Cell (DTC) satellites observed in brightness mitigation mode is 5.16, while the mean of magnitudes adjusted to a uniform distance of 1,000 km is 6.47. The DTCs have faded since early in 2024 because SpaceX subsequently adjusted the spacecraft attitudes to dim them. A physical model for satellite brightness that fits the observations is described.
☆ The Last Meridian Circles of Pulkovo Observatory
Meridian circles played a fundamental role in astronomy since their invention in 1704. Then, at the end of the XX century, this function had been taken over by space astrometry, when the Hipparcos mission demonstrated the advantages of space astrometry by achieving the milliarcsecond level of accuracy. This historical sketch describes the development of the last meridian circles at Pulkovo Observatory (St. Petersburg) in the last quarter of the XX century.
comment: 11 pages, 12 figures: historical essay
☆ Towards characterizing dark matter subhalo perturbations in stellar streams with graph neural networks
The phase space of stellar streams is proposed to detect dark substructure in the Milky Way through the perturbations created by passing subhalos - and thus is a powerful test of the cold dark matter paradigm and its alternatives. Using graph convolutional neural network (GCNN) data compression and simulation-based inference (SBI) on a simulated GD-1-like stream, we improve the constraint on the mass of a [$10^8$, $10^7$, $10^6$] $M_\odot$ perturbing subhalo by factors of [11, 7, 3] with respect to the current state-of-the-art density power spectrum analysis. We find that the GCNN produces posteriors that are more accurate (better calibrated) than the power spectrum. We simulate the positions and velocities of stars in a GD-1-like stream and perturb the stream with subhalos of varying mass and velocity. Leveraging the feature encoding of the GCNN to compress the input phase space data, we then use SBI to estimate the joint posterior of the subhalo mass and velocity. We investigate how our results scale with the size of the GCNN, the coordinate system of the input and the effect of incomplete observations. Our results suggest that a survey with $10 \times$ fewer stars (300 stars) with complete 6-D phase space data performs about as well as a deeper survey (3000 stars) with only 3-D data (photometry, spectroscopy). The stronger constraining power and more accurate posterior estimation motivate further development of GCNNs in combining future photometric, spectroscopic and astrometric stream observations.
comment: 27 pages, 11 figures
☆ Energy needed to propel a tiny spacecraft to Proxima Centauri,and, an unstated assumption in Einstein's 1905 paper
The Breakthrough Starshot project aims to send a tiny 2 gram spacecraft to Proxima Centauri propelled by a light sail and powerful Earth-based lasers. We provide two derivations of the laser energy required to propel the spacecraft and give the reader the opportunity to decide which one is correct before providing the answer. In the second part of this paper we point out that one of the formulae in Einstein's amazing 1905 paper is correct only in certain limits, but Einstein fails to mention that. This has caused some confusion in the Breakthrough Starshot literature.
☆ SACRA-2D: New axisymmetric general relativistic hydrodynamics code with fixed mesh refinement
We present \texttt{SACRA-2D}, a new MPI and OpenMP parallelized, fully relativistic hydrodynamics (GRHD) code in dynamical spacetime under axial symmetry with the cartoon method using the finite-volume shock-capturing schemes for hydrodynamics. Specifically, we implemented the state-of-the-art HLLC Riemann solver and found better accuracy than the standard Total Variation Diminishing Lax-Friedrich Riemann solver. The spacetime evolves under the Baumgarte-Shapiro-Shibata-Nakamura formalism with Z4c constraint propagation. We demonstrate the accuracy of the code with some benchmark tests and excellent agreement with other codes in the literature. A wide variety of test simulations, including the head-on collision of black holes, the migration and collapse of neutron stars, and the collapse of a rotating supermassive star to a massive black hole and a disk, is also performed to show the robustness of our new code.
comment: 24 pages, 20 figures
☆ The Numerics of VMEC++
VMEC++ is a Python-friendly, from-scratch reimplementation in C++ of the Variational Moments Equilibrium Code (VMEC), a fixed- and free-boundary ideal-MHD equilibrium solver for stellarators and tokamaks. The first VMEC implementation was written by Steven P. Hirshman and colleagues in the 1980s and 1990s and its latest Fortran incarnation (PARVMEC, https://github.com/ORNL-Fusion/PARVMEC) is widely used in stellarator optimization systems. Our work improves on previous implementations with regard to various critical aspects: special care has been put in providing an idiomatic Python experience, from installation to actual usage; VMEC++ has a zero-crash policy; it supports inputs in the classic INDATA format as well as friendlier JSON files. VMEC++ execution times are typically less than or equal to previous implementations, and time to convergence can be decreased dramatically by leveraging its hot-restart feature: by providing the output of a VMEC++ run as initial state for a subsequent one, VMEC++ is initialized using the previously converged equilibrium. This can dramatically decrease runtimes when running on many similar magnetic configurations as it typically happens in stellarator optimization pipelines. On the flip side, some features of the original Fortran VMEC implementation are not yet available in VMEC++, such as support for non-stellarator-symmetric configurations. This contribution presents the internal numerics of the open-source VMEC++ package publicly for the first time.
☆ PhotoD with LSST: Stellar Photometric Distances Out to the Edge of the Galaxy
As demonstrated with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), Pan-STARRS, and most recently with Gaia data, broadband near-UV to near-IR stellar photometry can be used to estimate distance, metallicity, and interstellar dust extinction along the line of sight for stars in the Galaxy. Anticipating photometric catalogs with tens of billions of stars from Rubin's Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), we present a Bayesian model and pipeline that build on previous work and can handle LSST-sized datasets. Likelihood computations utilize MIST/Dartmouth isochrones and priors are derived from TRILEGAL-based simulated LSST catalogs from P. Dal Tio et al. The computation speed is about 10 ms per star on a single core for both optimized grid search and Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods; we show in a companion paper by K. Mrakov\v{c}i\'c et al. how to utilize neural networks to accelerate this performance by up to an order of magnitude. We validate our pipeline, named PhotoD (in analogy with photo-z, photometric redshifts of galaxies) using both simulated catalogs and SDSS, DECam, and Gaia photometry. We intend to make LSST-based value-added PhotoD catalogs publicly available via the Rubin Science Platform with every LSST data release.
☆ Multimode ringdown modelling with $\texttt{qnmfits}$ and $\texttt{KerrRingdown}$
In the last decade, the ringdown community has made large strides in understanding the aftermath of binary black hole mergers through the study of numerical simulations. In this note, we introduce two flavors of fitting algorithms, that have been verified against each other, for the extraction of quasinormal mode amplitudes from ringdown waveforms - $\texttt{qnmfits}$ in Python and $\texttt{KerrRingdown}$ in Mathematica.
comment: 7+2 pages, 2 figures. Software packages are available through (qnmfits) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14806974 and (KerrRingdown) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14804284
Fast Sampling of Cosmological Initial Conditions with Gaussian Neural Posterior Estimation
Knowledge of the primordial matter density field from which the large-scale structure of the Universe emerged over cosmic time is of fundamental importance for cosmology. However, reconstructing these cosmological initial conditions from late-time observations is a notoriously difficult task, which requires advanced cosmological simulators and sophisticated statistical methods to explore a multi-million-dimensional parameter space. We show how simulation-based inference (SBI) can be used to tackle this problem and to obtain data-constrained realisations of the primordial dark matter density field in a simulation-efficient way with general non-differentiable simulators. Our method is applicable to full high-resolution dark matter $N$-body simulations and is based on modelling the posterior distribution of the constrained initial conditions to be Gaussian with a diagonal covariance matrix in Fourier space. As a result, we can generate thousands of posterior samples within seconds on a single GPU, orders of magnitude faster than existing methods, paving the way for sequential SBI for cosmological fields. Furthermore, we perform an analytical fit of the estimated dependence of the covariance on the wavenumber, effectively transforming any point-estimator of initial conditions into a fast sampler. We test the validity of our obtained samples by comparing them to the true values with summary statistics and performing a Bayesian consistency test.
comment: 9 + 2 pages, 7 figures, 1 table. Comments welcome!
☆ Method for Determining the Parameters of a Ring-like Structure from the Visibility Function Shape
Black hole images obtained by very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) by the Event Horizon Telescope are a new tool for testing general relativity in super-strong gravitational fields. These images demonstrated a ring-like structure which can be explained as the black hole shadow image. To date, there are no reliable methods for determining the parameters of these ring-like structures, such as diameter, width, and asymmetry. In this paper, an algorithm for determining black hole image parameters is proposed using a Gaussian asymmetric ring as an example. Using the proposed method, the diameter and asymmetry parameters of the image of a supermassive black hole in the galaxy M87$^{*}$ were estimated based on observational data obtained by the Event Horizon Telescope group.
comment: 27 pages, 8 figures
☆ Development of Radar and Optical Tracking of Near-Earth Asteroids at the University of Tasmania
We detail the use of the University of Tasmania's (UTAS) optical and radio telescopes to conduct observations of near-Earth asteroids from 2021 to 2024. The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex transmitted a radio signal at 7159.45 MHz, with the radar echo detected by the UTAS radio telescopes. The method of accounting for the Doppler shift between the stations and the near-Earth object is described so that others can implement a similar program. We present our results, with confirmed detections of 1994 PC1 and 2003 UC20 asteroids using the Hobart and Katherine 12-m antennas, demonstrating the feasibility of using small radio telescopes for these observations. Additionally, the recently upgraded Ceduna 30 m antenna was used to detect 2024 MK. Data collected from other observatories, such as Tidbinbilla, as well as the UTAS radar tracking of the moon are also presented in the context of demonstrating the means of applying these Doppler corrections and the accuracy of each method. Optical observations conducted in this period are also detailed as they complement radar observations and aid in refining the orbit parameters.
comment: 21 pages, 16 figures, published in Remote Sensing
☆ Lunar Laser Ranging with High-Power CW Lasers
We present a high-power continuous-wave (CW) lunar laser ranging (LLR) technique that has the potential to significantly improve Earth--Moon distance measurements. Using a 1 kW CW laser at 1064 nm and a 1 m-aperture telescope as an example, we develop a detailed link budget and analyze the prevailing noise sources to assess system performance when ranging to next-generation ~10 cm corner-cube retroreflectors (CCRs). Unlike legacy arrays, these smaller CCRs are designed to yield lower intrinsic range errors, yet their reduced reflective area results in lower photon return rates, posing challenges for pulsed LLR systems. The photon-rich CW approach, by providing continuous high-power illumination, overcomes this limitation, reducing shot noise and enabling sustained millimeter-level ranging with a pathway to sub-0.1 mm precision. Furthermore, by alternating measurements between widely separated lunar reflectors, differential LLR mitigates common-mode station errors to achieve tens-of-micrometer precision, limited primarily by uncorrelated atmospheric turbulence. This scalable approach -- integrating high-power CW lasers, narrowband filtering, and rapid atmospheric turbulence averaging -- enables next-generation gravitational tests, precision lunar geodesy, and improved lunar reference frames in support of planetary exploration.
comment: 31 pages, 9 tables
♻ ☆ Closing the stellar labels gap: Stellar label independent evidence for [$α/M$] information in Gaia BP/RP spectra
Data-driven models for stellar spectra which depend on stellar labels suffer from label systematics which decrease model performance: the "stellar labels gap". To close the stellar labels gap, we present a stellar label independent model for Gaia BP/RP spectra. We develop a novel implementation of a variational auto-encoder, which learns to generate an XP spectrum and accompanying 'scatter' without relying on stellar labels. We demonstrate that our model achieves competitive XP spectra reconstructions in comparison to stellar label dependent models. We find that our model learns stellar properties directly from the data itself. We then apply our model to XP/APOGEE giant stars to study the [$\alpha$/M] information in Gaia XP. We provide strong evidence that the XP spectra contain meaningful [$\alpha$/M] information by demonstrating that our model learns the $\alpha$-bimodality, without relying on stellar label correlations for stars with $T_{\rm eff} <$ 5000 K, while also being sensitive to the anomalous abundances of Gaia-Enceladus stars. We publicly release our trained model, codebase and data. Importantly, our stellar label independent model can be implemented for any/all XP spectra because our model performance scales with training object density, not training label density.
comment: 20 pages, 15 figures, published in ApJ. Code available at https://zenodo.org/records/14041979. Data available at https://zenodo.org/records/14041773
♻ ☆ Spatial and Spectral Characterization of the Gravitational-wave Background with the PTA Optimal Statistic
Pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) have made tremendous progress and are now showing strong evidence for the gravitational-wave background (GWB). Further probing the origin and characteristics of the GWB will require more generalized analysis techniques. Bayesian methods are most often used but can be computationally expensive. On the other hand, frequentist methods, like the PTA Optimal Statistic (OS), are more computationally efficient and can produce results that are complementary to Bayesian methods, allowing for stronger statistical cases to be built from a confluence of different approaches. In this work we expand the capabilities of the OS through a technique we call the Per-Frequency Optimal Statistic (PFOS). The PFOS removes the underlying power-law assumption inherent in previous implementations of the OS, and allows one to estimate the GWB spectrum in a frequency-by-frequency manner. We have also adapted a recent generalization from the OS pipeline into the PFOS, making it capable of accurately characterizing the spectrum in the intermediate and strong GW signal regimes using only a small fraction of the necessary computational resources when compared with fully-correlated Bayesian methods, while also empowering many new types of analyses not possible before. We find that even in the strong GW signal regime, where the GWB dominates over noise in all frequencies, the injected value of the signal lies within the 50th-percentile of the PFOS uncertainty distribution in 41-45% of simulations, remaining 3$\sigma$-consistent with unbiased estimation.
comment: 23 pages, 9 figures, Accepted by Physical Review D
♻ ☆ Significant increase in sensitive volume of a gravitational wave search upon including higher harmonics
Most gravitational wave searches to date have included only the quadrupole mode in their search templates. Here, we demonstrate that incorporating higher harmonics improves the search sensitive volume for detecting binary black hole mergers, challenging the conclusion of previous studies. Using the $\tt{IAS-HM}$ detection pipeline, and the simulated (injection) signals from the LIGO-Virgo-Kagra (LVK) collaboration, we quantify the improvement in sensitivity due to the inclusion of higher harmonics. This improvement is significant for systems with higher mass ratios and larger total masses, with gains in sensitivity even exceeding $100\%$ at certain high masses. We also show that, due to using a marginalized detection statistic, the $\tt{IAS-HM}$ pipeline performs roughly as well as its quadrupole-mode-only counterpart even for equal mass-ratio mergers, and its sensitive volume is either better than or comparable to that of the individual LVK pipelines.
comment: 8 pages, 3 figures
♻ ☆ Ensemble noise properties of the European Pulsar Timing Array
The null hypothesis in Pulsar Timing Array (PTA) analyses includes assumptions about ensemble properties of pulsar time-correlated noise. These properties are encoded in prior probabilities for the amplitude and the spectral index of the power-law power spectral density of temporal correlations of the noise. Because multiple realizations of time-correlated noise processes are found in pulsars, these ensemble noise properties could and should be modelled in the full-PTA observations by parameterising the respective prior distributions using the so-called hyperparameters. This approach is known as the hierarchical Bayesian inference. In this work, we introduce a new procedure for numerical marginalisation over hyperparameters. The procedure may be used in searches for nanohertz gravitational waves and other PTA analyses to resolve prior misspecification at negligible computational cost. Furthermore, we infer the distribution of amplitudes and spectral indices of the power spectral density of spin noise and dispersion measure variation noise based on the observation of 25 millisecond pulsars by the European Pulsar Timing Array (EPTA). Our results may be used for the simulation of realistic noise in PTAs.
comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables
♻ ☆ Indirect Detection of eV Dark Matter via Infrared Spectroscopy
Infrared spectroscopy has been developed significantly. In particular, infrared photons can be measured with high spectral and angular resolution in state-of-art spectrographs. They are sensitive to monochromatic photons due to the decay and annihilation of particles beyond the Standard Model, such as dark matter (DM), while insensitive to background photons that form a continuous spectrum. In this paper, we study the indirect detection of the DM decaying into infrared light using infrared spectrographs. In particular, we show that serious thermal and astrophysical noises can be overcome. As concrete examples, the Warm INfrared Echelle spectrograph to Realize Extreme Dispersion and sensitivity (WINERED) installed at the Magellan Clay 6.5m telescope and Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) at the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) are discussed. We show that a few hours of measurements of a faint dwarf spheroidal galaxy with WINERED (NIRSpec-like spectrograph) in the Magellan telescope (JWST) can probe an axion-like particle DM in the mass range $m_\phi=1.8 - 2.7\,$eV ($0.5-4\,$eV) with a photon coupling $g_{\phi\gamma\gamma}\gtrsim 10^{-11}{\rm GeV}^{-1}$. Complemental approaches, taking advantage of the high resolutions, such as the measurement of the Doppler shift of the signal photon lines and the possible search of the DM decay around the Milky Way galaxy center with Infrared Camera and Spectrograph (IRCS) at 8.2m Subaru telescope, are also presented.
comment: v2: 27 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables. Based on the published version with additional typo corrections in the caption of Table 1 and within Figures 1 and 2 to match the main discussion
♻ ☆ A Poisson Process AutoDecoder for X-ray Sources
X-ray observing facilities, such as the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the eROSITA, have detected millions of astronomical sources associated with high-energy phenomena. The arrival of photons as a function of time follows a Poisson process and can vary by orders-of-magnitude, presenting obstacles for common tasks such as source classification, physical property derivation, and anomaly detection. Previous work has either failed to directly capture the Poisson nature of the data or only focuses on Poisson rate function reconstruction. In this work, we present Poisson Process AutoDecoder (PPAD). PPAD is a neural field decoder that maps fixed-length latent features to continuous Poisson rate functions across energy band and time via unsupervised learning. PPAD reconstructs the rate function and yields a representation at the same time. We demonstrate the efficacy of PPAD via reconstruction, regression, classification and anomaly detection experiments using the Chandra Source Catalog.
comment: 13 pages, 5 figures
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 36
☆ Higgs Thermal Nonequilibrium in Primordial QGP
In this work we investigate the chemical and kinetic nonequilibrium dynamics of the Higgs boson during the primordial Universe QGP (quark-gluon plasma) epoch $130\mathrm{\,GeV}>T>10\mathrm{\,GeV}$. We show that the Higgs bosons is always out of chemical abundance equilibrium with a fugacity $\Upsilon_h = 0.69$ due to virtual decay channels. Additionally, Higgs momentum distribution is found to be ``cold'' for $T<40$\,GeV, since the scattering rate drops below the production rate.
comment: 9 large EPJ pages, 5 figures, contribution to special topics volume on Particles and Plasma 2024
☆ Complementary Probes of Warped Extra Dimension: Colliders, Gravitational Waves and Primordial Black Holes from Phase Transitions
We study the formation of primordial black holes (PBHs) and stochastic gravitational waves background (SGWB) produced by the supercooled radion phase transition (PT) in warped extra-dimension models solving the gauge hierarchy problem. We first determine how the SGWB and the produced PBH mass and abundance depend on the warped model's infrared energy scale $\rho$, and the number of holographic colors $N$. With this finding, we recast on the plane $\{\rho, N\}$ the current SGWB and PBH constraints, as well as the expected parameter reaches of GW detectors, as LISA and ET, and the gravitational lensing ones, such as NGRST. On the same plane, we also map the collider bounds on massive graviton production, and cosmological bounds on the radion phenomenology. We find that, for $N \sim 10-50$, the considered PT predicts a PBH population mass in the range $M_{\rm PBH}\sim(10^{-1} - 10^{-25}) M_{\odot}$ for $\rho \sim (10^{-4} - 10^{8})\textrm{ TeV}$. In the range $\rho \simeq (0.05 - 0.5)$ GeV, it can explain the recent SGWB hint at nHz frequencies and generate PBH binaries with mass $M_{\rm PBH}\sim(0.1 - 1 ) M_\odot$ detectable at LISA and ET. The experimentally allowed mass region where PBHs can account for the whole dark matter abundance, and are produced with a tuning $\lesssim 10^{-4}$, corresponds to $10$ TeV $\lesssim \rho\lesssim$ $10^4$ TeV. These PBHs can compensate the lack of natural candidates for dark matter in warped extra dimensional models. Such a region represents a great science case where forthcoming and future colliders like HE-LHC and FCC-hh, gravitational-wave observatories and other PBHs probes play a key complementary role.
comment: 27 pages, 11 figures, 2 tables
☆ Observable Primordial Gravitational Waves from Non-minimally Coupled $R^2$ Palatini Modified Gravity
We probe the spectrum of primordial gravitational waves (GWs) produced during the eras of hyperkination, kination, and reheating in a non-minimally coupled, $\mathcal{L} \propto (1+ \xi \chi /M_{\text{Pl}})^t (R+\alpha R^2)$, modified gravity using the Palatini formulation. We consider a runaway potential, which gives an era of kinetic domination after the end of inflation. The coupling order $t$ is varied to examine a large class of theories up to $\chi^2 R^2$. For models with $t>0$, reheating is not achieved naturally; hence, we supplement such theories with a reheating mechanism based on the interaction of inflaton and radiation produced at the end of inflation due to cosmological expansion. We demonstrate that the energy density of the GWs is enhanced as a function of the coupling during kination for all considered theories, and a short-lived phase of hyperkination truncates the boost and avoids the over-production of GWs. Hyperkination, and thus the $R^2$ term, should be deemed necessary in all theories with a runaway potential as it prevents the GW enhancement during kination from destabilizing the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. The spectrum remains flat for the period of hyperkination and reheating. We examine the available parameter space for which the theories remain valid and place bounds on the Hubble parameter ($H$) and radiation energy density ($\Omega_r^{\text{end}}$) at the end of inflation. We find that as we decrease the order of the coupling, the spectra shift towards a more observable regime of future GW experiments. The observation of the plateau during reheating will constrain the $H$ and $\Omega_r^{\text{end}}$ values, while the spectral shape of the boost obtained during kination will confirm the nature of the theory. The bounds from hyperkination lie in the kHz-GHz frequency range whose detection can be positively anticipated via resonant cavities.
comment: 40 pages, 11 figures
☆ Scaling relations and tidal disruption in spin $s$ ultralight dark matter models
We explore the impact of spin 0, spin 1 and spin 2 Ultra-Light Dark Matter (ULDM) on small scales by numerically solving the Schr\"odinger-Poisson system using the time-split method. We perform simulations of ULDM for each spin, starting with different numbers of identical initial solitons and analyse the properties of the resulting halos after they merge and relax in a steady-state. Our findings reveal that higher spin values lead to broader, less dense final halo with more prominent Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) tails, a characteristic that persists regardless of the number of initial solitons involved. We identify scaling relations that describe the density profile, core and NFW tail of spin $s$ ULDM halos as a function of the number of initial solitons $N_{sol}$. These relations allow us to construct equivalent halos based on average density or total mass, for arbitrarily large $N_{sol}$, without having to simulate those systems. We simulate the orbit of a ULDM satellite in a constructed halo treated as an external potential, and find that for host halos having the same average density, the orbital decay time of the satellite is as predicted for uniform sphere host halo regardless of the spin. However, satellites orbiting haloes having the same mass for each spin, result in faster disruption in the case of spin 0, while satellites orbiting haloes having the same core size result in faster disruption in the case of spin 2.
comment: 16 pages and 14 figures. Comments are welcome
☆ Complementary signatures of $α-$attractor inflation in CMB and cosmic string Gravitational Waves
When cosmic strings are formed during inflation, they regrow to reach a scaling regime, leaving distinct imprints on the stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB). Such signatures, associated with specific primordial features, can be detected by upcoming gravitational wave observatories, such as the LISA and Einstein Telescope (ET). Our analysis explores scenarios in which cosmic strings form either before or during inflation. We examine how the number of e-folds experienced by cosmic strings during inflation correlates with the predictions of inflationary models observable in cosmic microwave background (CMB) measurements. This correlation provides a testable link between inflationary physics and the associated gravitational wave signals in a complementary manner. Focusing on $\alpha$-attractor models of inflation, with the Polynomial $\alpha$-attractor serving as an illustrative example, we find constraints, for instance, on the spectral index $n_s$ to $0.962 \lesssim n_s \lesssim 0.972$ for polynomial exponent $n=1$, $0.956 \lesssim n_s \lesssim 0.968$ for $n=2$, $0.954 \lesssim n_s \lesssim 0.965$ for $n=3$, and $0.963 \lesssim n_s \lesssim 0.964$ for $n=4$, which along with the GW signals from LISA, are capable of detecting local cosmic strings that have experienced $\sim 34 - 47$ e-folds of inflation consistent with current Planck data and are also testable in upcoming CMB experiments such as LiteBIRD and CMB-S4.
comment: 34 pages, 40 figures, plus references; comments are welcome
☆ The Proper Motion of Strongly Lensed Binary Neutron Star Mergers in LIGO/Virgo/Kagra can be Constrained by Measuring Doppler Induced Gravitational Wave Dephasing
Strongly lensed binary neutron star (NS-NS) mergers are expected to be observed once LIGO/Virgo/Kagra reaches the planned A+ or proposed A\# sensitivity. We demonstrate that the relative transverse velocity of the source-lens system can be constrained by comparing the phase of the two associated gravitational wave (GW) images, using both semi-analytical and numerical Bayesian methods. For A+ sensitivity, a one-sigma NS-NS merger signal in magnification $(\mu=200)$ and redshift $(z_{\rm S}=1)$ will carry a marginally detectable dephasing signature for a source transverse velocity of $\sim 1800$ km/s. This is comparable to the velocity dispersion of large galaxy clusters. Assuming the same population distribution, the most likely source parameters of $\mu=100$ and $z_{\rm S}=1.4$ are always expected to showcase detectable dephasing imprints for A\# sensitivity, provided they are moving with transverse velocities larger than $\sim 2000$ km/s. We conclude that a first measurement of the relative transverse velocity of a source via GW dephasing methods is likely only a few years away.
comment: Comments welcome. Submission to ApJ journal planned soon
☆ Primordial Gravitational Waves in Quadratic Gravity
Quadratic gravity is a fourth-order (in derivatives) theory that can serve as an attractive upgrade to the standard description of gravity provided by General Relativity, thanks to its renormalizability and its built-in description of primordial inflation. We bring quadratic gravity into a second-order form by introducing an auxiliary tensor field and we consider the primordial tensor fluctuations (gravitational waves) in the theory around a Friedmann-Lema\^itre-Robertson-Walker background. After a canonical quantization of the perturbations, we calculate the tensor power spectrum in quasi de Sitter spacetime. We find that the spectral index $n_t$ and the amplitude $A_t$ of the tensor power spectrum are both suppressed by the factor $(1 + 2{\bf H}^2_*/m_\text{gh}^2)^{-1}$, where ${\bf H}_*$ is the Hubble rate at horizon exit and $m_\text{gh}$ is the mass of the spin-two ghost. This restores the slow-roll consistency condition familiar from single-field inflation models, where the tensor-to-scalar ratio $r$ is equal to $-8n_t$ in the lowest nontrivial order in the slow-roll approximation. We also discuss the well-known issue of the ghost problem in fourth-order theories and how it pertains to the results at hand.
comment: 18+4 pages
☆ COSMOS-Web: The emergence of the Hubble Sequence
Leveraging the wide area coverage of the COSMOS-Web survey, we quantify the abundance of different morphological types from $z\sim 7$ with unprecedented statistics and establish robust constraints on the epoch of emergence of the Hubble sequence. We measure the global (spheroids, disk-dominated, bulge-dominated, peculiar) and resolved (stellar bars) morphologies for about 400,000 galaxies down to F150W=27 using deep learning, representing a two-orders-of-magnitude increase over previous studies. We then provide reference Stellar Mass Functions (SMFs) of different morphologies between $z\sim 0.2$ and $z\sim 7$ and best-fit parameters to inform models of galaxy formation. All catalogs and data are made publicly available. (a)At redshift z > 4.5, the massive galaxy population ($\log M_*/M_\odot>10$) is dominated by disturbed morphologies (~70%) -- even in the optical rest frame -- and very compact objects (~30%) with effective radii smaller than ~500pc. This confirms that a significant fraction of the star formation at cosmic dawn occurs in very dense regions, although the stellar mass for these systems could be overestimated.(b)Galaxies with Hubble-type morphologies -- including bulge and disk-dominated galaxies -- arose rapidly around $z\sim 4$ and dominate the morphological diversity of massive galaxies as early as $z\sim 3$. (c)Using stellar bars as a proxy, we speculate that stellar disks in massive galaxies might have been common (>50%) among the star-forming population since cosmic noon ($z\sim2$-2.5) and formed as early as $z\sim 7$ (d)Massive quenched galaxies are predominantly bulge-dominated from z~4 onward, suggesting that morphological transformations briefly precede or are simultaneous to quenching mechanisms at the high-mass end. (e) Low-mass ($\log M_*/M_\odot<10$) quenched galaxies are typically disk-dominated, pointing to different quenching routes in the two ends of the stellar mass spectrum from cosmic dawn.
comment: subnmitted to A&A. Comments Welcome
☆ Elliptical multipoles for gravitational lenses
Gravitational lensing galaxies are commonly modeled with elliptical density profiles, to which angular complexity is sometimes added through a multipole expansion - encoding deformations of the elliptical iso-density contours. The formalism that is widely used in current studies and software packages, however, employs perturbations that are defined with respect to a circle. In this work, we show that this popular formulation (the "circular multipoles") leads to perturbation patterns that depend on the axis ratio and do not agree with physical expectations (from studies of galaxy isophotal shapes) when applied to profiles that are not near-circular. We propose a more appropriate formulation, the "elliptical multipoles", representing deviations from ellipticity suited for any axis ratio. We solve for the lensing potentials associated with the $m=1$ circular multipole (previously undetermined in the isothermal case), as well as the elliptical multipoles of any order $m$, assuming a near-isothermal reference profile. We implement these solutions into the lens modeling package $\mathtt{lenstronomy}$, and assess the importance of the multipole formulation by comparing flux-ratio perturbations in mock lensed systems with quadruply imaged quasars: we show that elliptical multipoles typically produce smaller flux-ratio perturbations than their circular counterparts.
comment: 49 pages, 12 figures, submitted to Physical Review D
☆ Closing in on Pop-III Stars: Constraints and Predictions Across the Spectrum
The absence of direct high redshift observations poses a significant challenge in understanding the properties of first stars. Nonetheless, the cumulative effect of entire stellar populations can be studied with current data. In this work we use a combination of high redshift observables in order to infer the formation and emission properties of the first stellar populations: high redshift UVLFs, the optical depth of CMB photons to reionization, hydrogen absorption lines in quasar spectra, and measurements of the soft cosmic X-ray background. We study two minimal models of stellar population: i) a single, Pop-II, stellar population which dominates throughout Cosmic Dawn, ii) two distinct stellar populations, Pop-II and Pop-III, dominating at different times with the transition between them taken as a free parameter. We set strong constraints on the properties of Pop-II stars, and upper limits on the formation and multi-wavelength emission of Pop-III stars. After applying the constraints above, we present the viable envelopes of the 21-cm global signal with and without Pop-III stars. We identify a region in the parameter space of the two population model which predicts a global 21-cm signal distinctive from that of the single population one. A measurement of such a signal would be a strong indication for the presence of Pop-III stars at early times.
comment: 12 pages, 4 figures
☆ The Emperor's New Arc: gigaparsec patterns abound in a $Λ$CDM universe
Recent discoveries of apparent large-scale features in the structure of the universe, extending over many hundreds of megaparsecs, have been claimed to contradict the large-scale isotropy and homogeneity foundational to the standard ($\Lambda$CDM) cosmological model. We explicitly test and refute this conjecture using FLAMINGO-10K, a new and very large cosmological simulation of the growth of structure in a $\Lambda$CDM context. Applying the same methods used in the observations, we show that patterns like the "Giant Arc", supposedly in tension with the standard model, are, in fact, common and expected in a $\Lambda$CDM universe. We also show that their reported significant overdensities are an algorithmic artefact and unlikely to reflect any underlying structure.
comment: 5 pages and 5 figures. Submitted to MNRAS, comments welcome!
☆ Interacting dark energy constraints from the full-shape analyses of BOSS DR12 and DES Year 3 measurements
Dark Scattering (DS) is an interacting dark energy model characterised by pure momentum exchange between dark energy and dark matter. It is phenomenologically interesting because it is unconstrained by CMB data and can alleviate the $S_8$ tension. We derive constraints on cosmological and DS parameters using three two-point correlation functions (3$\times$2pt) from the Dark Energy Survey third year data release (DES Y3). We then add information from the multipoles of the galaxy power spectrum combined with Baryonic Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) measurements using the twelfth data release of the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS DR12) and external BAO measurements. We compare results from the direct combination of the probes with the joint posterior distribution calculated with a normalising flow approach. Additionally, we run a CMB analysis with the Planck Public Release 4 (PR4) for comparison of the cosmological constraints. Overall, we find that the combination of probes allows minimising the projection effects and improves constraints without the need to include CMB information. It brings the marginalised posterior maxima closer to the corresponding best-fit values and weakens the sensitivity to the priors of the spectroscopic modelling nuisance parameters. These findings are highly relevant in light of forthcoming data of surveys like DESI, Euclid, and Rubin.
☆ Constraints on Ultra-light Axion Dark Matter through Galaxy Cluster Number Counts
Ultra-light axions are hypothetical scalar particles that influence the evolution of large-scale structures of the Universe. Depending on their mass, they can potentially be part of the dark matter component of the Universe, as candidates commonly referred to as fuzzy dark matter. While strong constraints have been established for pure fuzzy dark matter models, the more general scenario where ultra-light axions constitute only a fraction of the dark matter has been limited to a few observational probes. In this work, we use the galaxy cluster number counts obtained from the first All-Sky Survey (eRASS1) of the SRG/eROSITA mission together with gravitational weak lensing data from the Dark Energy Survey, the Kilo-Degree Survey, and the Hyper Suprime-Cam, to constrain the fraction of ultra-light axions in the mass range $10^{-32}$ eV to $10^{-24}$ eV. We put upper bounds on the ultra-light axion relic density in independent logarithmic axion mass bins by performing a full cosmological parameter inference. We find an exclusion region in the intermediate ultra-light axion mass regime with the tightest bounds reported so far in the mass bins around $m_\mathrm{a}=10^{-27}$ eV with $\Omega_\mathrm{a} < 0.0036$ and $m_\mathrm{a}=10^{-26}$ eV with $\Omega_\mathrm{a} < 0.0084$, both at 95% confidence level. When combining with CMB probes, these bounds are tightened to $\Omega_\mathrm{a} < 0.0030$ in the $m_\mathrm{a}=10^{27}$ eV mass bin and $\Omega_\mathrm{a} < 0.0058$ in the $m_\mathrm{a}=10^{-26}$ eV mass bin, both at 95% confidence level. This is the first time that constraints on ultra-light axions have been obtained using the growth of structure measured by galaxy cluster number counts. These results pave the way for large surveys, which can be utilized to obtain tight constraints on the mass and relic density of ultra-light axions with better theoretical modeling of the abundance of halos.
comment: 16 pages, 11 figures, submitted to A&A
☆ The cosmic optical background intensity from decaying sterile neutrinos via magnetic dipole moment
NASA's New Horizon observations yielded the most accurate measurement of the cosmic optical background (COB) intensity. The reported COB flux is $16.37\pm 1.47$ $\mathrm{nW/m^2/sr}$ at a pivot wavelength $ \lambda_{piv} = 0.608~ \mu\mathrm{m}$ observed in the range $( 0.4 ~ \mu\mathrm{m} \lesssim \lambda \lesssim 0.9 \, \mu\mathrm{m})$. After subtracting the measured intensity from the deep Hubble space telescope count, an anomalous excess flux $8.06 \pm 1.92~\mathrm{nW/m^2/sr}$ has been found. This observation could hint toward decaying dark matter producing photons. In this work, we have considered sterile neutrinos of the keV scale as well as the eV scale decaying via sterile-to-sterile transition magnetic dipole moment and active-to-sterile transition magnetic dipole moment, respectively, to explain anomalous flux. The sterile neutrinos with a mass of $\mathcal{O}(\rm keV)$ with transition magnetic moment in the range $3\times 10^{-14}\,\mu_{B} - 10^{-13}\,\mu_{B}$, and mass of $\mathcal{O}(\rm eV)$ with transition magnetic moment in the range $3.33\times 10^{-13}\,\mu_{B} - 10^{-12}\,\mu_{B}$ can successfully account for the observed anomalous intensity.
comment: 7 pages, 4 figures
☆ Exploring Hubble Tension Alleviation through Neutrino-Coupled Perturbed $f(R)$ Gravity
This work examines the Hubble constant (\(H_0\)) tension within the frameworks of perturbed \(f(R)\) gravity and perturbed \(f(R)\) gravity coupled with neutrinos, using lastest observational data. The datasets incorporate the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO), Cosmic Chronometers (CC), lensing, and Pantheon supernovae. We compare the ability of these models to bridge the discrepancy between Planck 2018 (\(H_0 = 67.4 \pm 0.5 \ \text{km/s/Mpc}\)) and the local R22 measurement (\(H_0 = 73.5 \pm 1.04 \ \text{km/s/Mpc}\)). In perturbed \(f(R)\) gravity, the derived \(H_0\) values align closely with Planck, leaving a substantial tension with R22. The inclusion of neutrino interactions introduces additional parameters that shift \(H_0\) toward higher values, reducing the tension with local measurements. Notably, the coupled model achieves a smaller residual tension compared to the standalone perturbed \(f(R)\) model, indicating that neutrino physics plays a significant role in modifying the late-time expansion dynamics. While both models provide insights into addressing the Hubble tension, the coupled \(f(R)\) gravity with neutrinos offers a more consistent alignment across the datasets.
comment: 22 pages, 5 figures
Fast Sampling of Cosmological Initial Conditions with Gaussian Neural Posterior Estimation
Knowledge of the primordial matter density field from which the large-scale structure of the Universe emerged over cosmic time is of fundamental importance for cosmology. However, reconstructing these cosmological initial conditions from late-time observations is a notoriously difficult task, which requires advanced cosmological simulators and sophisticated statistical methods to explore a multi-million-dimensional parameter space. We show how simulation-based inference (SBI) can be used to tackle this problem and to obtain data-constrained realisations of the primordial dark matter density field in a simulation-efficient way with general non-differentiable simulators. Our method is applicable to full high-resolution dark matter $N$-body simulations and is based on modelling the posterior distribution of the constrained initial conditions to be Gaussian with a diagonal covariance matrix in Fourier space. As a result, we can generate thousands of posterior samples within seconds on a single GPU, orders of magnitude faster than existing methods, paving the way for sequential SBI for cosmological fields. Furthermore, we perform an analytical fit of the estimated dependence of the covariance on the wavenumber, effectively transforming any point-estimator of initial conditions into a fast sampler. We test the validity of our obtained samples by comparing them to the true values with summary statistics and performing a Bayesian consistency test.
comment: 9 + 2 pages, 7 figures, 1 table. Comments welcome!
☆ How probable is the Lyman-$α$ damping wing in the spectrum of the redshift z = 5.9896 quasar ULAS J0148+0600?
The shape of the Ly-$\alpha$ transmission in the near zone of the redshift $z=5.9896$ quasar ULAS J0148$+$0600 (hereafter J0148) is consistent with a damping wing arising from an extended neutral hydrogen island in the diffuse intergalactic medium (IGM). Here we use simulations of late-ending reionisation from Sherwood-Relics to assess the expected incidence of quasars with Ly-$\alpha$ and Ly-$\beta$ absorption similar to the observed J0148 spectrum. We find a late end to reionisation at $z=5.3$ is a necessary requirement for reproducing a Ly-$\alpha$ damping wing consistent with J0148. This occurs in $\sim3$ per cent of our simulated spectra for an IGM neutral fraction $\langle x_{\rm HI}\rangle=0.14$ at $z=6$. However, using standard assumptions for the ionising photon output of J0148, the a priori probability of drawing a simulated quasar spectrum with a Ly-$\alpha$ damping wing profile and Ly-$\alpha$ near zone size that simultaneously match J0148 is very low, $p<10^{-3}$. We speculate this is because the ionising emission from J0148 is variable on timescales $t<10^{5}\rm\,yr$, or alternatively that the Ly-$\alpha$ transmission in the J0148 near zone is impacted by the transverse proximity effect from nearby star-forming galaxies or undetected quasars. We also predict the IGM temperature should be $T\sim 4\times 10^{4}\rm\,K$ within a few proper Mpc of the Ly-$\alpha$ near zone edge due to recent HI and HeII photo-heating. Evidence for enhanced thermal broadening in the Ly-$\alpha$ absorption near the damping wing edge would provide further evidence that the final stages of reionisation are occurring at $z<6$.
comment: 12 pages, 6 figures. Submitted to MNRAS
☆ The connection between high-redshift galaxies and Lyman $α$ transmission in the Sherwood-Relics simulations of patchy reionisation
Recent work has suggested that, during reionisation, spatial variations in the ionising radiation field should produce enhanced Ly ${\alpha}$ forest transmission at distances of tens of comoving Mpc from high-redshift galaxies. We demonstrate that the Sherwood-Relics suite of hybrid radiation-hydrodynamical simulations are qualitatively consistent with this interpretation. The shape of the galaxy--Ly ${\alpha}$ transmission cross-correlation is sensitive to both the mass of the haloes hosting the galaxies and the volume averaged fraction of neutral hydrogen in the IGM, $\bar{x}_{\rm HI}$. The reported excess Ly ${\alpha}$ forest transmission on scales r ~ 10 cMpc at $\langle z \rangle \approx 5.2$ -- as measured using C IV absorbers as proxies for high-redshift galaxies -- is quantitatively reproduced by Sherwood-Relics at z = 6 if we assume the galaxies that produce ionising photons are hosted in haloes with mass $M_{\rm h}\geq 10^{10}~h^{-1}\,{\rm M}_\odot$. However, this redshift mismatch is equivalent to requiring $\bar{x}_{\rm HI}\sim 0.1$ at $z\simeq 5.2$, which is inconsistent with the observed Ly ${\alpha}$ forest effective optical depth distribution. We speculate this tension may be partly resolved if the minimum C IV absorber host halo mass at z > 5 is larger than $M_{\rm h}=10^{10}~h^{-1}\,{\rm M}_\odot$. After reionisation completes, relic IGM temperature fluctuations will continue to influence the shape of the cross-correlation on scales of a few comoving Mpc at $4 \leq z \leq 5$. Constraining the redshift evolution of the cross-correlation over this period may therefore provide further insight into the timing of reionisation.
comment: 15 pages, 14 figures. Submitted to MNRAS
☆ Electronic structure of liquid xenon in the context of light dark matter direct detection
We present a description of the electronic structure of xenon within the density-functional theory formalism with the goal of accurately modeling dark matter-induced ionisation in liquid xenon detectors. We compare the calculated electronic structures of the atomic, liquid and crystalline solid phases, and find that the electronic charge density and its derivatives in momentum space are similar in the atom and the liquid, consistent with the weak interatomic van der Waals bonding. The only notable difference is a band broadening of the highest occupied $5p$ levels, reflected in the densities of states of the condensed phases, as a result of the inter-atomic interactions. We therefore use the calculated density of states of the liquid phase, combined with the standard literature approach for the isolated atom, to recompute ionisation rates and exclusion limit curves for the XENON10 and XENON1T experiments. We find that the broadening of the 5$p$ levels induced by the liquid phase is relevant only at low dark matter masses, where it increases the ionisation rate relative to that of the isolated atom. For most of the probable mass range the energies of the discrete 4$d$ and 5$s$ levels have the strongest effect on the rate. Our findings suggest a simple scheme for calculating dark matter-electron scattering rates in liquid noble gas detectors, using the calculated values for the atom weighted by the density of states of the condensed phase.
☆ Structure formation in the local Universe and the cosmological constant
The structure formation in the local Universe is considered within the weak-field modification of General Relativity involving the cosmological constant. This approach enables to describe the dynamics of groups and clusters of galaxies, to explain the discrepancy in the observational properties of the local (late) and the global (early) Universe, i.e. the Hubble tension as a result of two flows, local and global ones, with non-equal Hubble parameters. The kinetic analysis with the modified gravitational potential involving the cosmological constant is shown to predict semi-periodical structure of filaments in the local universe. In the local scale this complements the Zeldovich pancake theory of evolution of the primordial density perturbations and of structure formation in the cosmological scale. The role of the cosmological constant is outlined in rescaling of the physical constants from one aeon to another within the Conformal Cyclic Cosmology.
comment: 8 pages; to appear in "Open Issues in Gravitation and Cosmology" - Original Contributions, Essays and Recollections in Honor of Alexei Starobinsky (Eds. A. Barvinsky, A. Kamenshchik, ), Springer Nature, 2025
♻ ☆ Black Holes from Fermi Ball Collapse
Fermi balls are non-topological solitons that can naturally form in an early universe containing a dark sector with heavy fermions and an attractive interaction mediated by a light scalar field. We compute the Fermi ball mass and radius scaling relations when the potential of the scalar field $\varphi$ has a non-negligible quartic coupling $\lambda\varphi^4$. The resulting Fermi balls reach `saturation' very rapidly, even when their radius is much smaller than the effective Yukawa force range. These objects can therefore grow by mergers or by accretion of ambient dark fermions, until they become so dense that they fall within their Schwarzschild radius and collapse to black holes. This setup, therefore, provides an example of a rather natural and economical dark sector scenario for the formation of primordial black holes.
comment: 13 pages, 3 figures
♻ ☆ Forecast Analysis of Astrophysical Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background beyond general relativity: A Case Study on Brans-Dicke Gravity
Scalar-tensor gravity, exemplified by Brans-Dicke (BD) gravity, introduces additional scalar polarization modes that contribute scalar radiation alongside tensor modes. We conduct a comprehensive analysis of how gravitational wave generation and propagation effects under Brans-Dicke gravity are encoded into the astrophysical stochastic gravitational wave background (AGWB). We perform end-to-end analyses of realistic populations of simulated coalescing binary systems to generate AGWB mock data with third-generation gravitational wave detectors and conducted a complete Bayesian analysis for the first time. We find the uncertainties in the population properties of binary black holes (BBH) significantly affect the ability to constrain BD gravity. Furthermore, we explore the detectability of potential scalar backgrounds that originates from binary neutron star (BNS) and neutron-star-black-hole (NSBH) mergers, with NSBH systems expected to modify the spectral index of the scalar background and introduce oscillatory behavior. We show that the observations of the AGWB enable the separation of mixed tensor and scalar polarization modes with comparable sensitivity to each mode. However, the scalar background is expected to remain substantially weaker than the tensor background, even in scenarios where BD gravity exhibits significant deviations from general relativity (GR), resulting only upper limits can be placed on the scalar background. We conclude that for ambiguous populations, employing waveform matching with individual sources provides a more robust approach to constrain BD gravity.
comment: 26 pages, 8 figures, and 3 tables. Published in JCAP
♻ ☆ Revisiting primordial black holes formation from preheating instabilities: the case of Starobinsky inflation
In recent years, the formation of primordial black holes (PBH) in the early universe inflationary cosmology has garnered significant attention. One plausible scenario for primordial black hole (PBH) formation arises during the preheating stage following inflation. Notably, this scenario does not necessitate any ad-hoc fine-tuning of the scalar field potential. This paper focuses on the growth of primordial density perturbation and the consequent possibility of PBH formation in the preheating stage of the Starobinsky model for inflation. The typical mechanism for PBH formation during preheating is based on the collapse of primordial fluctuations that become super-horizon during inflation (type I) and re-enter the particle horizon in the different phases of cosmic expansion. In this work, we show that there exists a certain range of modes that remain in the sub-horizon (not exited) during inflation (type II modes) but evolve identically to type I modes if they fall into the instability band, leading to large density perturbation above the threshold and can potentially also contribute to the PBH formation. We detail the conditions determining the possible collapse of type I and/or type II modes whose wavelengths are larger than the Jeans length we derive from the effective sound speed of scalar field fluctuations. Since the preheating stage is an 'inflaton' (approximately) matter-dominated phase, we follow the framework of the critical collapse of fluctuations and compute the mass fraction using the well-known Press-Schechter and the Khlopov-Polnarev formalisms, and compare the two. Finally, we comment on the implications of our study for the investigations concerned with primordial accretion and consequent PBH contribution to the dark matter.
comment: 36 pages, 18 figures, version with extended results and discussion
♻ ☆ Probing the axion-photon coupling with space-based gravitational waves detectors
We propose a simple modification of space-based gravitational wave (GW) detector optical benches which would enable the measurement of vacuum birefringence of light induced by axion dark matterthrough its coupling to electromagnetism. Specifically, we propose to change a half-wave plate by a circular polarizer. While marginally affecting the sensitivity to GW by a factor $\sqrt{2}$, we show that such an adjustment would make future detectors such as LISA, TianQin, Taiji and Big-Bang Observer the most sensitive experiments at low axion masses
comment: 7+3 pages, 5 figures, 1 table Version accepted for publication
♻ ☆ Improving the Determination of Supernova Cosmological Redshifts by Using Galaxy Groups
At the low-redshift end ($z<0.05$) of the Hubble diagram with Type Ia Supernovae (SNe Ia), the contribution to Hubble residual scatter from peculiar velocities is of similar size to that due to the limitations of the standardization of the SN Ia light curves. A way to improve the redshift measurement of the SN host galaxy is to utilize the average redshift of the galaxy group, effectively averaging over small-scale/intracluster peculiar velocities. One limiting factor is the fraction of SN host galaxies in galaxy groups, previously found to be 30% using (relatively incomplete) magnitude-limited galaxy catalogs. Here, we do the first analysis of N-body simulations to predict this fraction, finding $\sim$73% should have associated groups and group averaging should improve redshift precision by $\sim$135 km s$^{-1}$ ($\sim$0.04 mag at $z=0.025$). Furthermore, using spectroscopic data from the Anglo-Australian Telescope, we present results from the first pilot program to evaluate whether or not 23 previously unassociated SN Ia hosts belong in groups. We find that 91% of these candidates can be associated with groups, consistent with predictions from simulations given the sample size. Combining with previously assigned SN host galaxies in Pantheon+, we demonstrate improvement in Hubble residual scatter equivalent to 145 km s$^{-1}$, also consistent with simulations. For new and upcoming low-$z$ samples from, for example, ZTF and LSST, a separate follow-up program identifying galaxy groups of SN hosts is a highly cost-effective way to enhance their constraining power.
comment: 17 pages, 12 figures. Published in ApJ
♻ ☆ Scant evidence for thawing quintessence
New constraints on the expansion rate of the Universe seem to favor evolving dark energy in the form of thawing quintessence models, i.e., models for which a canonical, minimally coupled scalar field has, at late times, begun to evolve away from potential energy domination. We scrutinize the evidence for thawing quintessence by exploring what it predicts for the equation of state. We show that, in terms of the usual Chevalier-Polarski-Linder parameters, ($w_0$, $w_a$), thawing quintessence is, in fact, only marginally consistent with a compilation of the current data. Despite this, we embrace the possibility that thawing quintessence is dark energy and find constraints on the microphysics of this scenario. We do so in terms of the effective mass $m^2$ and energy scale $V_0$ of the scalar field potential. We are particularly careful to enforce un-informative, flat priors on these parameters so as to minimize their effect on the final posteriors. While the current data favors a large and negative value of $m^2$, when we compare these models to the standard $\Lambda$CDM model we find that there is scant evidence for thawing quintessence.
comment: Updated to match published PRD version
♻ ☆ Significant increase in sensitive volume of a gravitational wave search upon including higher harmonics
Most gravitational wave searches to date have included only the quadrupole mode in their search templates. Here, we demonstrate that incorporating higher harmonics improves the search sensitive volume for detecting binary black hole mergers, challenging the conclusion of previous studies. Using the $\tt{IAS-HM}$ detection pipeline, and the simulated (injection) signals from the LIGO-Virgo-Kagra (LVK) collaboration, we quantify the improvement in sensitivity due to the inclusion of higher harmonics. This improvement is significant for systems with higher mass ratios and larger total masses, with gains in sensitivity even exceeding $100\%$ at certain high masses. We also show that, due to using a marginalized detection statistic, the $\tt{IAS-HM}$ pipeline performs roughly as well as its quadrupole-mode-only counterpart even for equal mass-ratio mergers, and its sensitive volume is either better than or comparable to that of the individual LVK pipelines.
comment: 8 pages, 3 figures
♻ ☆ Indirect Detection of eV Dark Matter via Infrared Spectroscopy
Infrared spectroscopy has been developed significantly. In particular, infrared photons can be measured with high spectral and angular resolution in state-of-art spectrographs. They are sensitive to monochromatic photons due to the decay and annihilation of particles beyond the Standard Model, such as dark matter (DM), while insensitive to background photons that form a continuous spectrum. In this paper, we study the indirect detection of the DM decaying into infrared light using infrared spectrographs. In particular, we show that serious thermal and astrophysical noises can be overcome. As concrete examples, the Warm INfrared Echelle spectrograph to Realize Extreme Dispersion and sensitivity (WINERED) installed at the Magellan Clay 6.5m telescope and Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) at the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) are discussed. We show that a few hours of measurements of a faint dwarf spheroidal galaxy with WINERED (NIRSpec-like spectrograph) in the Magellan telescope (JWST) can probe an axion-like particle DM in the mass range $m_\phi=1.8 - 2.7\,$eV ($0.5-4\,$eV) with a photon coupling $g_{\phi\gamma\gamma}\gtrsim 10^{-11}{\rm GeV}^{-1}$. Complemental approaches, taking advantage of the high resolutions, such as the measurement of the Doppler shift of the signal photon lines and the possible search of the DM decay around the Milky Way galaxy center with Infrared Camera and Spectrograph (IRCS) at 8.2m Subaru telescope, are also presented.
comment: v2: 27 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables. Based on the published version with additional typo corrections in the caption of Table 1 and within Figures 1 and 2 to match the main discussion
♻ ☆ Signatures of Rapidly Rotating Stars with Chemically Homogeneous Evolution in the First Galaxies
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has revealed an unexpectedly high abundance of UV luminous galaxies at redshifts $z\gtrsim 10$, challenging `standard' galaxy formation models. This study investigates the role of rapidly rotating (massive) stars undergoing chemically homogeneous evolution (CHE) in reconciling this potential tension. These stars are more compact, hotter, and exhibit enhanced UV emission. We find that the rest-frame UV luminosity of star-forming galaxies can be significantly enhanced by a factor of $\sim 3-6$ when CHE stars above a minimum initial mass of $m_{\star,\min}^{\rm CHE}\sim 2-10\ \rm M_\odot$ account for more than half of the total stellar mass following a Salpeter initial mass function. As a result, the UV luminosity functions observed at $z\sim 12-16$ can be reproduced with less extreme values of star formation efficiency and UV luminosity stochastic variability. Our results highlight the potential of CHE in explaining the UV-bright galaxy populations detected by JWST and call for future work to explore the broader astrophysical implications of CHE and its associated phenomena in the early universe, such as gamma-ray bursts, compact object binaries, and metal enrichment.
comment: 8+4 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in ApJL, see Figs. 2 and 3 for main results
♻ ☆ Novel geometrical test of cosmological expansion from photometric data
In tomographic cosmic-shear observations, the BNT (Bernardeau, Nishimichi, Taruya) transform, Bernardeau et al. (2014), allows to build weak lensing transformed maps for which the contribution from low redshift lenses is nulled. As this transformation depends specifically on the expansion rate of the Universe but is independent of the matter distribution properties, it can be leveraged to extract information from large-scale structure probes at arbitrary non-linear scales, providing constraints on cosmological background evolution. We demonstrate this by proposing a specific null test for stage IV weak lensing projects. Using a Fisher matrix analysis and parameter sampling, we show that this approach can substantially enhance constraints on the dark energy equation of state. Notably, we find that shape noise currently limits this method's effectiveness making significant improvement possible in future designs. A detailed analysis of our null test in the context of the Euclid mission is presented in a companion paper Touzeau et al. (2025).
comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, Submitted to PRL, edited to include clean citation of companion paper arXiv:2502.02246
♻ ☆ Testing the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich power spectrum of a halo model using hydrodynamical simulations
Statistical properties of LSS serve as powerful tools to constrain the cosmological properties of our Universe. Tracing the gas pressure, the tSZ effect is a biased probe of mass distribution and can be used to test the physics of feedback or cosmological models. Therefore, it is crucial to develop robust modeling of hot gas pressure for applications to tSZ surveys. Since gas collapses into bound structures, it is expected that most of the tSZ signal is within halos produced by cosmic accretion shocks. Hence, simple empirical halo models can be used to predict the tSZ power spectra. In this study, we employed the HMx halo model to compare the tSZ power spectra with those of several hydrodynamical simulations: the Horizon suite and the Magneticum simulation. We examined various contributions to the tSZ power spectrum across different redshifts, including the one- and two-halo term decomposition, the amount of bound gas, the importance of different masses and the electron pressure profiles. Our comparison of the tSZ power spectrum reveals discrepancies that increase with redshift. We find a 20% to 50% difference between the measured and predicted tSZ angular power spectrum over the multipole range $\ell=10^3-10^4$. Our analysis reveals that these differences are driven by the excess of power in the predicted two-halo term at low k and in the one-halo term at high k. At higher redshifts (z~3), simulations indicate that more power comes from outside the virial radius than from inside suggesting a limitation in the applicability of the halo model. We observe differences in the pressure profiles, despite the fair level of agreement on the tSZ power spectrum at low redshift with the default calibration of the halo model. In conclusion, our study suggests that the properties of the halo model need to be carefully controlled against real or mock data to be proven useful for cosmological purposes.
comment: 14 pages, 9 figures
♻ ☆ Analyticity and Unitarity for Cosmological Correlators
We study the fundamentals of quantum field theory on a rigid de Sitter space. We show that the perturbative expansion of late-time correlation functions to all orders can be equivalently generated by a non-unitary Lagrangian on a Euclidean AdS geometry. This finding simplifies dramatically perturbative computations, as well as allows us to establish basic properties of these correlators, which comprise a Euclidean CFT. We use this to infer the analytic structure of the spectral density that captures the conformal partial wave expansion of a late-time four-point function, to derive an OPE expansion, and to constrain the operator spectrum. Generically, dimensions and OPE coefficients do not obey the usual CFT notion of unitarity. Instead, unitarity of the de Sitter theory manifests itself as the positivity of the spectral density. This statement does not rely on the use of Euclidean AdS Lagrangians and holds non-perturbatively. We illustrate and check these properties by explicit calculations in a scalar theory by computing first tree-level, and then full one-loop-resummed exchange diagrams. An exchanged particle appears as a resonant feature in the spectral density which can be potentially useful in experimental searches.
comment: v5: 95 pages, 22 figures, typos corrected, added comments about heavy operators
♻ ☆ Intrinsic Torsion, Extrinsic Torsion, and the Hubble Parameter
We study the intrinsic and extrinsic torsions (defined by analogy with the intrinsic and extrinsic curvatures) of the spatial sections of torsional spacetimes. We consider two possibilities. First, that the intrinsic torsion might prove to be directly observable. Second, that it is not observable, having been ``inflated away'' in the early Universe. We argue that, even in this second case, the extrinsic torsion may grow during the inflationary era and be non-negligible at reheating and thereafter. Even if the spatial intrinsic curvature and torsion are too small to be detected directly, then, the extrinsic torsion might not be. We point out that, if its presence is not recognised, the extrinsic torsion could lead to anomalies in the theoretical estimate of the Hubble parameter -- $\,$ a result with obvious potential applications. We stress that extrinsic torsion is by far the most natural way to produce such anomalies, simply because it mixes naturally with the Hubble parameter; that is, the second fundamental form of a spacelike section depends on a sum of two terms, one determined by the Hubble parameter, the other by the extrinsic torsion.
comment: Many References added; discussion of torsional Inflation greatly expanded and clarified; 37 pages, no diagrams
♻ ☆ A Bound on Light Dark Photon Dark Matter
We derive a bound on dark photon dark matter scenarios where the dark photon mass is generated through the Higgs mechanism, based on the requirement that symmetry breaking must occur sufficiently early in the universe. We emphasize that dark photon production occurs successfully when the dark Higgs field remains in the symmetric phase due to non-thermal trapping effects. For renormalizable Higgs potentials, our bound reads $$\frac{m_{\gamma'}}{q_H e_H}\;\gg \;60\,{\rm eV}\left(\frac{2\pi}{\lambda}\right)^{1/4}$$ where $m_{\gamma'}$ is the dark photon mass, $e_H$ is the gauge coupling, $q_H$ is the charge of the dark Higgs boson, and $\lambda$ is the Higgs quartic coupling}. This constraint holds independently of any complications arising from the Schwinger effect and vortex formation in the Higgsed phase. For more general Higgs potentials such as the Coleman-Weinberg type potential, our bound yields different forms. We argue that late-time symmetry breaking of the dark U(1) symmetry satisfying our bound has only a mild impact on both the abundance and momentum distribution of dark photon dark matter, and therefore does not pose any serious problem for the dark photon dark matter scenario.
comment: v3: 8 pages, 7 figures, version to appear in PLB
♻ ☆ Soft Metric Fluctuations During Inflation
The conservation of the long wavelength fluctuations of the metric plays a vital role in cosmology as the link between quantum fluctuations during inflation and late time observations. This is a well-known property of the classical evolution equations, but demonstrating that it is robust to quantum correction involves a number of technical arguments. In this paper, we will use effective field theory (EFT) techniques to demonstrate the all orders conservation of the super-horizon scalar and tensor fluctuations of the metric during inflation. We show how to construct an EFT for these soft modes, in analogy with Soft de Sitter Effective Theory. We pay particular attention to how the breaking of time-diffeomorphisms by the inflationary background introduces new time scales that alter the structure of the EFT. In this description, the all orders conservation of the metric fluctuations is a direct consequence of symmetries and power counting that cannot be altered by loop corrections. We further show that this holds when the inflaton (or metric fluctuations) is coupled to additional heavy fields, as in quasi-single field inflation. We match this behavior to several calculations in the ultraviolet (UV) theory and show how the Mellin representation enables a more transparent connection between the UV and the EFT descriptions.
comment: 53 pages
♻ ☆ Gravitational Wave Forecasts Constrained by JWST AGN Observations for Early Massive Black Hole Mergers
Massive black holes (BHs) grow by gas accretion and mergers, observable through electromagnetic (EM) and gravitational wave (GW) emission. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has detected faint active galactic nuclei (AGNs), revealing an abundant population of accreting BHs with masses of $M_\bullet\sim 10^{6-8}~M_\odot$. This mass range overlaps with the detection scopes of space-based GW interferometers and approaches the upper bounds of the predicted mass of seed BHs. We model BH mass assembly in light of the new JWST findings to investigate their formation channels and predict merger events. Two types of seed BHs are considered: heavy seeds ($M_\bullet\sim 10^{2-5}~M_\odot$) formed in rare and overdense cosmic regions, and light seeds ($M_\bullet\sim 10^{1-3}~M_\odot$) formed as stellar remnants in less massive dark-matter halos. The BHs grow through episodic accretion and merger events, which we model by fitting the AGN luminosity function to observational data including JWST-identified AGNs at $z\sim 5$. We find that heavy seeds alone struggle to explain quasars and faint JWST-selected AGNs simultaneously, requiring the more abundant light seeds. The observed merger rate of BHs from heavy seeds alone is limited to $\lesssim 10^{-1}~{\rm yr}^{-1}$ for major mergers at $z\geq5$. However, the presence of light seeds increases the major merger rate by several orders of magnitude, which peaks at a total BH mass of $M_\bullet\simeq 2\times 10^3~M_\odot$ over $5
comment: 24 pages, 15 figures, 5 tables, accepted by PRD
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 8
☆ Environmental effects on nearby debris discs
We probe the effect of the ISM on debris disc occurrence rates and on the morphologies of the discs. We used results from the Herschel Space Observatory DUNES and DEBRIS surveys of 295 nearby FGK dwarf stars imaged at 100 $\mu$m and 160 $\mu$m. Most of the 48 debris discs in this sample have small optical depths, making them more likely to be affected by the ISM compared to optically thick discs. Since the stars in our sample are located within the Local Interstellar Cloud, we can infer that their debris discs encounter similar conditions. This allows us to use the stellar space velocity as a single indicator of the forces that can act on the debris disc dust grains when they interact with the ISM. The observed debris disc occurrence rates seem to depend on the stellar space velocities, as expected under the hypothesis that stars with higher space velocities have a higher probability of losing their circumstellar dust. The percentage of sources with debris discs in our sample reaches a maximum of $\approx$25% for stars with low space velocity component values, $|U_{\mathrm{rel}}|$, relative to the local ISM, and decreases for larger $|U_{\mathrm{rel}}|$ values down to the 10% level. A decrease in the average disc fractional luminosity as a function of $|U_{\mathrm{rel}}|$ is also observed. These dependences do not disappear after accounting for the reported higher dispersion of $U$ values with age. In extended discs, the impact of the ISM could also explain the links observed between the stellar space velocities and the debris disc projected ellipticities, position angles, and radii. Although these indications may not be fully conclusive on their own, they collectively reinforce the hypothesis that the ISM influences the occurrence rates and morphologies of debris discs.
comment: 13 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A on 6 January 2025
☆ Energy needed to propel a tiny spacecraft to Proxima Centauri,and, an unstated assumption in Einstein's 1905 paper
The Breakthrough Starshot project aims to send a tiny 2 gram spacecraft to Proxima Centauri propelled by a light sail and powerful Earth-based lasers. We provide two derivations of the laser energy required to propel the spacecraft and give the reader the opportunity to decide which one is correct before providing the answer. In the second part of this paper we point out that one of the formulae in Einstein's amazing 1905 paper is correct only in certain limits, but Einstein fails to mention that. This has caused some confusion in the Breakthrough Starshot literature.
☆ Configuration of Single Giant Planet Systems Generating `Oumuamua-Like Interstellar Asteroids
The first discovered interstellar small object, `Oumuamua (1I/2017 U1), presents unique physical properties of extremely elongated geometric shape and dual characteristics of an asteroid and a comet. These properties suggest a possible origin through tidal fragmentation, which posits that `Oumuamua was produced through intensive tidal fragmentation during a close encounter with a star or a white dwarf, resulting in its shape and ejection from its natal system. According to this mechanism, a high initial orbit eccentricity and a small pericentre of the parent body are necessary to produce `Oumuamua-like objects. To verify whether this mechanism can occur in single giant planet systems, we conduct long-term numerical simulations of systems with a low-mass ($0.5M_\odot$) host star and a giant planet in this study. We determine that an eccentric orbit ($e_\mathrm{p}\sim0.2$) and a Jupiter-mass ($M_\mathrm{p}\sim M_\mathrm{J}$) of the planet appears to be optimal to generate sufficient perturbations for the production of `Oumuamua-like objects. When the planetary semi-major axis $a_\mathrm{p}$ increases, the proportion of planetesimals ejected beyond the system $P(\mathrm{ej})$ increases accordingly, while the possibilities of ejected planetesimals undergoing stellar tidal fragmentation $P(\mathrm{tidal}|\mathrm{ej})$ remains relatively constant at $\sim0.6\%$. Focusing on stellar tidal fragmentation alone, the ratio of extremely elongated interstellar objects to all interstellar objects is $P_\mathrm{e}\sim3\%$.
comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, 5 tables, accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ A Case Study of Interstellar Material Delivery: α Centauri
Interstellar material has been discovered in our Solar System, yet its origins and details of its transport are unknown. Here we present $\alpha$ Centauri as a case study of the delivery of interstellar material to our Solar System. $\alpha$ Centauri is a mature triple star system that likely harbours planets and is moving towards us with the point of closest approach approximately 28,000 years in the future. Assuming a current ejection model for the system, we find that such material can reach our Solar System and may currently be present here. The material that does reach us is mostly a product of low ($<2$ km/s) ejection velocities, and the rate at which it enters our Solar System is expected to peak around the time of $\alpha$ Centauri 's closest approach. If $\alpha$ Centauri ejects material at a rate comparable to our own Solar System, we estimate the current number of $\alpha$ Centauri particles larger than 100 m in diameter within our Oort Cloud to be $10^{6}$, and during $\alpha$ Centauri 's closest approach, this will increase by an order of magnitude. However, the observable fraction of such objects remains low as there is only a probability of $10^{-6}$ that one of them is within 10 au of the Sun. A small number ($\sim 10$) meteors greater than 100 micrometers from $\alpha$ Centauri may currently be entering Earth's atmosphere every year: this number is very sensitive to the assumed ejected mass distribution, but the flux is expected to increase as $\alpha$ Centauri approaches.
comment: Accepted for publication in PSJ (Jan 31, 2025). 15 pages, 2 tables, 9 figures (3 animations - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8bn7jytqoQZkbnryQRmKWargaY0uKyrX )
☆ Investigating the Bouncing Barrier with Collision Simulations of Compressed Dust Aggregates
The collision outcomes of dust aggregates in protoplanetary disks dictate how planetesimals form. Experimental and numerical studies have suggested that bouncing collisions occurring at low impact velocities may limit aggregate growth in the disks, but the conditions under which bouncing occurs have yet to be fully understood. In this study, we perform a suite of collision simulations of moderately compact dust aggregates with various impact velocities, aggregate radii, and filling factors ranging between 0.4 and 0.5. Unlike previous simulations, we generate compact aggregates by compressing more porous ones, mimicking the natural processes through which compact aggregates form. We find that the compressed aggregates bounce above a threshold mass, which decreases with impact velocity. The threshold mass scales with impact velocity as the $-4/3$ power, consistent with the findings of previous experiments. We also find that the threshold aggregate mass for bouncing depends strongly on filling factor, likely reflecting the strong filling-factor dependence of the compressive strength of compressed aggregates. Our energy analysis reveals that nearly 90\% of the initial impact energy is dissipated during the initial compression phase, and over 70\% of the remaining energy is dissipated during the subsequent stretching phase, regardless of whether the collision results in sticking or bouncing. Our results indicate that dust aggregates with a filling factor of 0.4 cease to grow beyond 100 $\mathrm{\mu m}$ as a result of the bouncing barrier.
comment: 16 pages, 15 figures; submitted to ApJ
☆ Development of Radar and Optical Tracking of Near-Earth Asteroids at the University of Tasmania
We detail the use of the University of Tasmania's (UTAS) optical and radio telescopes to conduct observations of near-Earth asteroids from 2021 to 2024. The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex transmitted a radio signal at 7159.45 MHz, with the radar echo detected by the UTAS radio telescopes. The method of accounting for the Doppler shift between the stations and the near-Earth object is described so that others can implement a similar program. We present our results, with confirmed detections of 1994 PC1 and 2003 UC20 asteroids using the Hobart and Katherine 12-m antennas, demonstrating the feasibility of using small radio telescopes for these observations. Additionally, the recently upgraded Ceduna 30 m antenna was used to detect 2024 MK. Data collected from other observatories, such as Tidbinbilla, as well as the UTAS radar tracking of the moon are also presented in the context of demonstrating the means of applying these Doppler corrections and the accuracy of each method. Optical observations conducted in this period are also detailed as they complement radar observations and aid in refining the orbit parameters.
comment: 21 pages, 16 figures, published in Remote Sensing
♻ ☆ Changing disc compositions via internal photoevaporation I: Solar-mass stars
The chemical evolution of protoplanetary discs is not fully understood, several factors influence the final distribution of disc material. One such factor are inward drifting and evaporating pebbles that enrich the inner disc with vapour. In particular, it is first enriched with water vapour, resulting in a low C/O ratio, before carbon-rich gas from the outer disc is transported inwards elevating the C/O ratio again. However, it is unclear how internal photoevaporation, which carries away gas and opens gaps that block inward drifting pebbles, affects the chemical composition of the disc. We aim to study these effects in discs around solar-like stars, where we especially focus on the C/O ratio and the water content. The simulations are carried out using a semi-analytical 1D disc model. Our code chemcomp includes viscous evolution and heating, pebble growth and drift, pebble evaporation and condensation, and a simple chemical partitioning model. We show that internal photoevaporation plays a major role in the (chemical) evolution of protoplanetary discs: As it opens a gap, inward drifting pebbles are stopped and cannot contribute to the volatile content any more. In addition, gas from the outer disc is carried away by photoevaporative winds. Consequently, the C/O ratio in the inner disc is low. In contrast, gaps opened by giant planets allow the gas to pass, resulting in an elevated C/O ratio, similar to viscous discs without internal photoevaporation. This will enable us to distinguish observationally between these two scenarios when measuring the C/O ratio, implying that we can infer the cause of gap structures in disc observations. In the case of a photoevaporative disc, we additionally find an elevated water content in the inner disc as the water vapour and ice undergo a cycle of evaporation/re-condensation, preventing its inward accretion onto the star.
♻ ☆ A 16 Myr super-Neptune in Upper-Centaurus Lupus and a preliminary survey of transiting planets in Sco-Cen with TESS
Measuring the properties of planets younger than about 50 Myr helps to test different planetary formation and evolution models. NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has observed nearly the entire sky, including a wide range of star-forming regions and young stellar clusters, expanding our census of the newborn planet population. In this work, we present the discovery of the TIC 88785435 planetary system located in the Upper-Centaurus Lupus (UCL) region of the Scorpius-Centaurus OB association (Sco-Cen) and a preliminary survey of the planet population within Sco-Cen. TIC 88785435 is a pre-main sequence, K7V dwarf ($M_\star = 0.72M_\odot$, $R_\star = 0.91R_\odot$, $T_\mathrm{eff}$ = 3998K, V = 11.7 mag) located within the bounds of UCL. We investigate the distribution of rotation periods measured from the TESS long-cadence data and the Halpha and Li abundances from the spectra of TIC 88785435. TESS long-candence data reveal that TIC 88785435 hosts a transiting super-Neptune ($R_b = 5.03R_\oplus$, P = 10.51 days), TIC 88785435 b. Ground-based follow-up validates the planetary nature of TIC 88785435 b. Using the TESS data, we perform a preliminary survey to investigate how TIC 88785435 b compares to the population of newly born planets located within Sco-Cen.
comment: 15 pages, 9 Figures, submitted to AJ
Astrophysics of Galaxies 41
☆ The relationship between galaxy size and halo properties: Insights from the IllustrisTNG simulations and differential clustering
The physical origin of the radial sizes of galaxies and how galaxy sizes are correlated with the properties of their host dark matter halos is an open question in galaxy formation. In observations, the large-scale clustering of galaxies selected by stellar mass is significantly different for large and small galaxies, and Behroozi et al. (2022) showed that these results are in tension with some of the correlations between galaxy size and halo properties in the literature. We analyze the IllustrisTNG suite of large volume cosmological hydrodynamic simulations along with dark matter only simulations with matched initial conditions. We investigate correlations between the ratio of galaxy size to halo virial radius ($r_{\rm gal}/R_{\rm vir}$) and halo spin, concentration, and formation time at redshift 0-3. We find a significant correlation between $r_{\rm gal}/R_{\rm vir}$ and concentration, but only above a critical value $c \simeq 16$, and we also find a correlation between $r_{\rm gal}/R_{\rm vir}$ and halo formation time. We suggest that galaxy formation history and environment, in addition to halo properties at a given output time, play an important role in shaping galaxy size. In addition, we directly measure size-based differential clustering in the TNG300 simulation and compare directly with the observational results. We find significant scale-dependent size-based differential clustering in TNG, in qualitative agreement with observations. However, correlations between $r_{\rm gal}/R_{\rm vir}$ and secondary halo properties are not the drivers of the differential clustering in the simulations; instead, we find that most of this signal in TNG arises from satellite galaxies.
comment: 19 pages, 14 figures, submitted to MNRAS
☆ Environmental effects on nearby debris discs
We probe the effect of the ISM on debris disc occurrence rates and on the morphologies of the discs. We used results from the Herschel Space Observatory DUNES and DEBRIS surveys of 295 nearby FGK dwarf stars imaged at 100 $\mu$m and 160 $\mu$m. Most of the 48 debris discs in this sample have small optical depths, making them more likely to be affected by the ISM compared to optically thick discs. Since the stars in our sample are located within the Local Interstellar Cloud, we can infer that their debris discs encounter similar conditions. This allows us to use the stellar space velocity as a single indicator of the forces that can act on the debris disc dust grains when they interact with the ISM. The observed debris disc occurrence rates seem to depend on the stellar space velocities, as expected under the hypothesis that stars with higher space velocities have a higher probability of losing their circumstellar dust. The percentage of sources with debris discs in our sample reaches a maximum of $\approx$25% for stars with low space velocity component values, $|U_{\mathrm{rel}}|$, relative to the local ISM, and decreases for larger $|U_{\mathrm{rel}}|$ values down to the 10% level. A decrease in the average disc fractional luminosity as a function of $|U_{\mathrm{rel}}|$ is also observed. These dependences do not disappear after accounting for the reported higher dispersion of $U$ values with age. In extended discs, the impact of the ISM could also explain the links observed between the stellar space velocities and the debris disc projected ellipticities, position angles, and radii. Although these indications may not be fully conclusive on their own, they collectively reinforce the hypothesis that the ISM influences the occurrence rates and morphologies of debris discs.
comment: 13 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A on 6 January 2025
☆ Scaling relations and tidal disruption in spin $s$ ultralight dark matter models
We explore the impact of spin 0, spin 1 and spin 2 Ultra-Light Dark Matter (ULDM) on small scales by numerically solving the Schr\"odinger-Poisson system using the time-split method. We perform simulations of ULDM for each spin, starting with different numbers of identical initial solitons and analyse the properties of the resulting halos after they merge and relax in a steady-state. Our findings reveal that higher spin values lead to broader, less dense final halo with more prominent Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) tails, a characteristic that persists regardless of the number of initial solitons involved. We identify scaling relations that describe the density profile, core and NFW tail of spin $s$ ULDM halos as a function of the number of initial solitons $N_{sol}$. These relations allow us to construct equivalent halos based on average density or total mass, for arbitrarily large $N_{sol}$, without having to simulate those systems. We simulate the orbit of a ULDM satellite in a constructed halo treated as an external potential, and find that for host halos having the same average density, the orbital decay time of the satellite is as predicted for uniform sphere host halo regardless of the spin. However, satellites orbiting haloes having the same mass for each spin, result in faster disruption in the case of spin 0, while satellites orbiting haloes having the same core size result in faster disruption in the case of spin 2.
comment: 16 pages and 14 figures. Comments are welcome
☆ The Stellar Abundances and Galactic Evolution Survey (SAGES). II. Machine Learning-Based Stellar parameters for 21 million stars from the First Data Release
Stellar parameters for large samples of stars play a crucial role in constraining the nature of stars and stellar populations in the Galaxy. An increasing number of medium-band photometric surveys are presently used in estimating stellar parameters. In this study, we present a machine-learning approach to derive estimates of stellar parameters, including [Fe/H], logg, and Teff, based on a combination of medium-band and broad-band photometric observations. Our analysis employs data primarily sourced from the SAGE Survey , which aims to observe much of the Northern Hemisphere. We combine the $uv$-band data from SAGES DR1 with photometric and astrometric data from Gaia EDR3, and apply the random forest method to estimate stellar parameters for approximately 21 million stars. We are able to obtain precisions of 0.09 dex for [Fe/H], 0.12 dex for logg, and 70 K for Teff. Furthermore, by incorporating 2MASS and WISE infrared photometric and GALEX ultraviolet data, we are able to achieve even higher precision estimates for over 2.2 million stars. These results are applicable to both giant and dwarf stars. Building upon this mapping, we construct a foundational dataset for research on metal-poor stars, the structure of the Milky Way, and beyond. With the forthcoming release of additional bands from SAGE Survey such DDO51 and H-alpha, this versatile machine learning approach is poised to play an important role in upcoming surveys featuring expanded filter sets
comment: Accepted by ApJS.12 pages, 12 figures, 3 tables
☆ The Proper Motion of Strongly Lensed Binary Neutron Star Mergers in LIGO/Virgo/Kagra can be Constrained by Measuring Doppler Induced Gravitational Wave Dephasing
Strongly lensed binary neutron star (NS-NS) mergers are expected to be observed once LIGO/Virgo/Kagra reaches the planned A+ or proposed A\# sensitivity. We demonstrate that the relative transverse velocity of the source-lens system can be constrained by comparing the phase of the two associated gravitational wave (GW) images, using both semi-analytical and numerical Bayesian methods. For A+ sensitivity, a one-sigma NS-NS merger signal in magnification $(\mu=200)$ and redshift $(z_{\rm S}=1)$ will carry a marginally detectable dephasing signature for a source transverse velocity of $\sim 1800$ km/s. This is comparable to the velocity dispersion of large galaxy clusters. Assuming the same population distribution, the most likely source parameters of $\mu=100$ and $z_{\rm S}=1.4$ are always expected to showcase detectable dephasing imprints for A\# sensitivity, provided they are moving with transverse velocities larger than $\sim 2000$ km/s. We conclude that a first measurement of the relative transverse velocity of a source via GW dephasing methods is likely only a few years away.
comment: Comments welcome. Submission to ApJ journal planned soon
☆ COSMOS-Web: The emergence of the Hubble Sequence
Leveraging the wide area coverage of the COSMOS-Web survey, we quantify the abundance of different morphological types from $z\sim 7$ with unprecedented statistics and establish robust constraints on the epoch of emergence of the Hubble sequence. We measure the global (spheroids, disk-dominated, bulge-dominated, peculiar) and resolved (stellar bars) morphologies for about 400,000 galaxies down to F150W=27 using deep learning, representing a two-orders-of-magnitude increase over previous studies. We then provide reference Stellar Mass Functions (SMFs) of different morphologies between $z\sim 0.2$ and $z\sim 7$ and best-fit parameters to inform models of galaxy formation. All catalogs and data are made publicly available. (a)At redshift z > 4.5, the massive galaxy population ($\log M_*/M_\odot>10$) is dominated by disturbed morphologies (~70%) -- even in the optical rest frame -- and very compact objects (~30%) with effective radii smaller than ~500pc. This confirms that a significant fraction of the star formation at cosmic dawn occurs in very dense regions, although the stellar mass for these systems could be overestimated.(b)Galaxies with Hubble-type morphologies -- including bulge and disk-dominated galaxies -- arose rapidly around $z\sim 4$ and dominate the morphological diversity of massive galaxies as early as $z\sim 3$. (c)Using stellar bars as a proxy, we speculate that stellar disks in massive galaxies might have been common (>50%) among the star-forming population since cosmic noon ($z\sim2$-2.5) and formed as early as $z\sim 7$ (d)Massive quenched galaxies are predominantly bulge-dominated from z~4 onward, suggesting that morphological transformations briefly precede or are simultaneous to quenching mechanisms at the high-mass end. (e) Low-mass ($\log M_*/M_\odot<10$) quenched galaxies are typically disk-dominated, pointing to different quenching routes in the two ends of the stellar mass spectrum from cosmic dawn.
comment: subnmitted to A&A. Comments Welcome
☆ Realistic predictions for Gaia black hole discoveries: comparison of isolated binary and dynamical formation models SP
Astrometry from Gaia has enabled discovery of three dormant black holes (BHs) in au-scale binaries. Numerous models have been proposed to explain their formation, including several that have forecasted Gaia detections. However, previous works have used simplified detectability metrics that do not capture key elements of the Gaia astrometric orbit selection function. We apply a realistic forward-model of Gaia astrometric orbit catalogs to BH binary populations generated through (a) isolated binary evolution (IBE) and (b) dynamical formation in star clusters. For both formation channels, we analyze binary populations in a simulated Milky Way-like galaxy with a realistic metallicity-dependent star formation history and 3D dust map. We generate epoch astrometry for each binary from the Gaia scanning law and fit it with the cascade of astrometric models used in Gaia DR3. The IBE model of Chawla et al. (2022) predicts that no BH binaries should have been detected in DR3 and thus significantly underpredicts the formation rate of Gaia BHs. In contrast, the dynamical model of Di Carlo et al. (2024) overpredicts the number of BHs receiving DR3 orbital solutions by a factor of $\sim$8. The two models predict very different orbital period distributions, with the IBE model predicting only binaries that avoided common envelope evolution and have $P_{\text{orb}} \gtrsim 2,000$ d to be detectable, and the dynamical formation model predicting a period distribution that is roughly log-uniform. Adopting the dynamical channel as a fiducial model and rescaling by a factor of 1/8 to match DR3, we predict that $\sim$30 BH binaries will be detected in Gaia DR4, representing $\sim0.1\%$ of Milky Way BHs with luminous companions in au-scale orbits.
comment: 17 pages, 14 figures, Submitted to PASP
☆ Stellar population synthesis models with a physically varying IMF
Interpreting galactic luminosity requires assumptions about the galaxy-wide initial mass function (gwIMF), often assumed invariant in most stellar population synthesis (SPS) models. If stars form in clusters with metallicity- and density-dependent \textit{stellar IMFs}, the integrated galaxy-wide IMF (IGIMF) can be calculated, with its shape depending on the star formation rate (SFR) and metallicity. The shape of the IGIMF thus depends on the star formation rate (SFR) and metallicity. We develop the \texttt{SPS-VarIMF} code which enables us for the first time to compute the spectra, luminosities, and remnant populations of galaxies in the context of the varying gwIMF with time, SFR, and an assumed metallicity. Using the \texttt{SPS-VarIMF} code one can calculate how the interpretation from the integrated galactic light may change if the underlying galaxy-wide IMF is assumed to be environmentally dependent instead of being invariant. In particular, we compare the time evolution of the galaxy color and the stellar mass-to-light ratio in different bands for the IGIMF and invariant canonical gwIMF assuming constant and delayed-$\tau$ star formation histories. We show that the underlying gwIMF can be determined by examining the colors and luminosities of late-type galaxies in UV and optical bands. On the other hand, for early-type galaxies, it is difficult to distinguish which gwIMF is valid since adopting the different gwIMFs yields almost identical colors. However, their gwIMF-dependent $M/L$ ratios differ by up to an order of magnitude. Massive present-day elliptical galaxies would have been $10^4$ times as bright as at present when they were forming.
comment: 18 pages, 19 figures, 1 table, Accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ Elliptical multipoles for gravitational lenses
Gravitational lensing galaxies are commonly modeled with elliptical density profiles, to which angular complexity is sometimes added through a multipole expansion - encoding deformations of the elliptical iso-density contours. The formalism that is widely used in current studies and software packages, however, employs perturbations that are defined with respect to a circle. In this work, we show that this popular formulation (the "circular multipoles") leads to perturbation patterns that depend on the axis ratio and do not agree with physical expectations (from studies of galaxy isophotal shapes) when applied to profiles that are not near-circular. We propose a more appropriate formulation, the "elliptical multipoles", representing deviations from ellipticity suited for any axis ratio. We solve for the lensing potentials associated with the $m=1$ circular multipole (previously undetermined in the isothermal case), as well as the elliptical multipoles of any order $m$, assuming a near-isothermal reference profile. We implement these solutions into the lens modeling package $\mathtt{lenstronomy}$, and assess the importance of the multipole formulation by comparing flux-ratio perturbations in mock lensed systems with quadruply imaged quasars: we show that elliptical multipoles typically produce smaller flux-ratio perturbations than their circular counterparts.
comment: 49 pages, 12 figures, submitted to Physical Review D
☆ Towards characterizing dark matter subhalo perturbations in stellar streams with graph neural networks
The phase space of stellar streams is proposed to detect dark substructure in the Milky Way through the perturbations created by passing subhalos - and thus is a powerful test of the cold dark matter paradigm and its alternatives. Using graph convolutional neural network (GCNN) data compression and simulation-based inference (SBI) on a simulated GD-1-like stream, we improve the constraint on the mass of a [$10^8$, $10^7$, $10^6$] $M_\odot$ perturbing subhalo by factors of [11, 7, 3] with respect to the current state-of-the-art density power spectrum analysis. We find that the GCNN produces posteriors that are more accurate (better calibrated) than the power spectrum. We simulate the positions and velocities of stars in a GD-1-like stream and perturb the stream with subhalos of varying mass and velocity. Leveraging the feature encoding of the GCNN to compress the input phase space data, we then use SBI to estimate the joint posterior of the subhalo mass and velocity. We investigate how our results scale with the size of the GCNN, the coordinate system of the input and the effect of incomplete observations. Our results suggest that a survey with $10 \times$ fewer stars (300 stars) with complete 6-D phase space data performs about as well as a deeper survey (3000 stars) with only 3-D data (photometry, spectroscopy). The stronger constraining power and more accurate posterior estimation motivate further development of GCNNs in combining future photometric, spectroscopic and astrometric stream observations.
comment: 27 pages, 11 figures
☆ Closing in on Pop-III Stars: Constraints and Predictions Across the Spectrum
The absence of direct high redshift observations poses a significant challenge in understanding the properties of first stars. Nonetheless, the cumulative effect of entire stellar populations can be studied with current data. In this work we use a combination of high redshift observables in order to infer the formation and emission properties of the first stellar populations: high redshift UVLFs, the optical depth of CMB photons to reionization, hydrogen absorption lines in quasar spectra, and measurements of the soft cosmic X-ray background. We study two minimal models of stellar population: i) a single, Pop-II, stellar population which dominates throughout Cosmic Dawn, ii) two distinct stellar populations, Pop-II and Pop-III, dominating at different times with the transition between them taken as a free parameter. We set strong constraints on the properties of Pop-II stars, and upper limits on the formation and multi-wavelength emission of Pop-III stars. After applying the constraints above, we present the viable envelopes of the 21-cm global signal with and without Pop-III stars. We identify a region in the parameter space of the two population model which predicts a global 21-cm signal distinctive from that of the single population one. A measurement of such a signal would be a strong indication for the presence of Pop-III stars at early times.
comment: 12 pages, 4 figures
☆ Emission-Line Diagnostics at z>4: [OIII]λ4363/Hγ
We use JWST Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) observations from the the Cosmic Evolution Early Release survey (CEERS), GLASS-JWST ERS (GLASS), and JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) to measure rest-frame optical emission-line ratios of 90 galaxies at z>4. The stacked spectra of galaxies with and without a broad-line feature reveal a difference in the [OIII]$\lambda$ 4363 and H$\gamma$ ratios. This motivated our investigation of the [OIII]/H$\gamma$ vs [NeIII]/[OII] diagram. We define two AGN/SF classification lines based on 1869 SDSS galaxies at z$\sim$0. After applying a redshift correction to the AGN/SF lines we find 76.8% of BLAGN continue to land in the AGN region of the diagnostic largely due to the [NeIII]/[OII] ratio. However, 40.2% of non-BLAGN land in the AGN region as well, this could be due to star forming galaxies having harder ionization of there are narrow line AGN which are not accounted for. This indicates the potential of the [NeIII]/[OII] ratio to continue classifying galaxies to z$\sim$6. We further inspect galaxies without broad emission lines in each region of [OIII]/H\gamma vs [NeIII]/[OII] diagram and found that they have slightly stronger CIII]$\lambda$1908 fluxes and equivalent width when landing in the BLAGN region. However, the cause of this higher ionization is unclear. Additionally, we find that BLAGN are characterized by a higher ionization (at constant electron temperature) compared to non-broad line galaxies.
comment: 14 pages, 8 figures
☆ Ferrers bar response models: a grid calculation for Galactic models
This study numerically investigates the dynamics of barred spiral galaxies using 3D Ferrers bar response models. A total of 708 models were analyzed, incorporating variations in the axisymmetric potential (nucleus, bulge, disk, halo), bar length, mass, angular velocity, and disk stellar velocity dispersion. Model evaluation employed the Spearman correlation (to assess input-output relationships) and permutation feature importance in a Random Forest Regressor (to measure input variable impacts). Orbital configurations of test particles reveal the critical role of bar dynamics in shaping galaxies' morphological and kinematic properties. Key findings emphasize how bar potential influences major orbital families, affecting barred galaxies' long-term structure. These results provide deeper insights into galactic component interactions and a robust framework for understanding bar properties.
comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Revista Mexicana de Astronom\'ia y Astrof\'isica, April 2025 volume
☆ A Case Study of Interstellar Material Delivery: α Centauri
Interstellar material has been discovered in our Solar System, yet its origins and details of its transport are unknown. Here we present $\alpha$ Centauri as a case study of the delivery of interstellar material to our Solar System. $\alpha$ Centauri is a mature triple star system that likely harbours planets and is moving towards us with the point of closest approach approximately 28,000 years in the future. Assuming a current ejection model for the system, we find that such material can reach our Solar System and may currently be present here. The material that does reach us is mostly a product of low ($<2$ km/s) ejection velocities, and the rate at which it enters our Solar System is expected to peak around the time of $\alpha$ Centauri 's closest approach. If $\alpha$ Centauri ejects material at a rate comparable to our own Solar System, we estimate the current number of $\alpha$ Centauri particles larger than 100 m in diameter within our Oort Cloud to be $10^{6}$, and during $\alpha$ Centauri 's closest approach, this will increase by an order of magnitude. However, the observable fraction of such objects remains low as there is only a probability of $10^{-6}$ that one of them is within 10 au of the Sun. A small number ($\sim 10$) meteors greater than 100 micrometers from $\alpha$ Centauri may currently be entering Earth's atmosphere every year: this number is very sensitive to the assumed ejected mass distribution, but the flux is expected to increase as $\alpha$ Centauri approaches.
comment: Accepted for publication in PSJ (Jan 31, 2025). 15 pages, 2 tables, 9 figures (3 animations - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8bn7jytqoQZkbnryQRmKWargaY0uKyrX )
☆ PhotoD with LSST: Stellar Photometric Distances Out to the Edge of the Galaxy
As demonstrated with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), Pan-STARRS, and most recently with Gaia data, broadband near-UV to near-IR stellar photometry can be used to estimate distance, metallicity, and interstellar dust extinction along the line of sight for stars in the Galaxy. Anticipating photometric catalogs with tens of billions of stars from Rubin's Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), we present a Bayesian model and pipeline that build on previous work and can handle LSST-sized datasets. Likelihood computations utilize MIST/Dartmouth isochrones and priors are derived from TRILEGAL-based simulated LSST catalogs from P. Dal Tio et al. The computation speed is about 10 ms per star on a single core for both optimized grid search and Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods; we show in a companion paper by K. Mrakov\v{c}i\'c et al. how to utilize neural networks to accelerate this performance by up to an order of magnitude. We validate our pipeline, named PhotoD (in analogy with photo-z, photometric redshifts of galaxies) using both simulated catalogs and SDSS, DECam, and Gaia photometry. We intend to make LSST-based value-added PhotoD catalogs publicly available via the Rubin Science Platform with every LSST data release.
☆ DES to HSC: Detecting low surface brightness galaxies in the Abell 194 cluster using transfer learning
Low surface brightness galaxies (LSBGs) are important for understanding galaxy evolution and cosmological models. The upcoming large-scale surveys are expected to uncover a large number of LSBGs, requiring accurate automated or machine learning-based methods for their detection. We study the scope of transfer learning for the identification of LSBGs. We use transformer models divided into two categories: LSBG Detection Transformer (LSBG DETR) and LSBG Vision Transformer (LSBG ViT), trained on Dark Energy Survey (DES) data, to identify LSBGs from dedicated Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) observations of the Abell 194 cluster, which are two magnitudes deeper than DES. The data from DES and HSC were standardized based on pixel-level surface brightness. We used two transformer ensembles to detect LSBGs. This was followed by a single-component S\'ersic model fit and a final visual inspection to filter out potential false positives and improve sample purity. We present a sample of 171 low surface brightness galaxies (LSBGs) in the Abell 194 cluster using HSC data, including 87 new discoveries. Of these, 159 were identified using transformer models, and 12 additional LSBGs were found through visual inspection. The transformer model achieved a true positive rate (TPR) of 93% in HSC data without any fine-tuning. Among the LSBGs, 28 were classified as ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs). The number of UDGs and the radial UDG number density suggest a linear relationship between UDG numbers and cluster mass on a log scale. UDGs share similar S\'ersic parameters with dwarf galaxies and occupy the extended end of the $R_{\mathrm{eff}}-M_g$ plane, suggesting they might be an extended subpopulation of dwarf galaxies. We have demonstrated that transformer models trained on shallower surveys can be successfully applied to deeper surveys with appropriate data normalization.
comment: Accepted to A&A
☆ A JWST Project on 47 Tucanae: Kinematics, energy equipartition and anisotropy of multiple populations
Recent work with JWST has demonstrated its capability to identify and chemically characterize multiple populations in globular clusters down to the H-burning limit. In this study, we explore the kinematics of multiple populations in the globular cluster 47 Tucanae by combining data from JWST, HST, and Gaia. We analyzed velocity dispersion and anisotropy profiles from the cluster center out to $\sim$10$R_h$. Our findings indicate that while 1G stars are isotropic, 2G stars are significantly radially anisotropic. These results align with the predictions of simulations of the dynamical evolution of clusters where 2G stars are initially more centrally concentrated than 1G stars. Furthermore, we subdivided the 2G population into two subpopulations: $2G_A$ and $2G_B$, with the latter being more chemically extreme. We compared their dynamical profiles and found no significant differences. For the first time, we measured the degree of energy equipartition among the multiple populations of 47 Tucanae. Overall, within the analyzed radial range ($\sim$2-4$R_h$), both populations exhibit a low degree of energy equipartition. The most significant differences between 1G and 2G stars are observed in the tangential velocity component, where 2G stars are characterized by a stronger degree of energy equipartition than 1G stars. In the radial component, the behavior of 1G and 2G stars is more variable, with differences largely dependent on radius. Finally, our analysis reveals that the ratio of rotational velocity to velocity dispersion is larger for the 2G population, while 1G stars exhibit higher skewness in their tangential proper motions, providing further evidence of differences in the kinematic properties of the 1G and 2G populations.
☆ Detection of the Extended $γ$-ray Emission around TeV source 1LHAASO J0249+6022 with Fermi-LAT
1LHAASO J0249+6022 is an extended very-high-energy gamma-ray source discovered by the Large High-Altitude Air Shower Observatory. Based on nearly 16.1 years of data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope, we report the probable gamma-ray emission from 1LHAASO J0249+6022 in the 0.03-1 TeV energy range. The results show that its gamma-ray spectrum can be well fitted by a single power law with an index of 1.54 $\pm$ 0.17, and integral photon flux is (4.28 $\pm$ 1.03) $\times$ 10$^{-11}$ photons cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$. We also considered theoretically whether the non-thermal emission could originate from a pulsar wind nebula (PWN) scenario. Assuming that the particles injected into the nebula have a power-law distribution, the resulting spectrum from the inverse Compton scattering is consistent with the detected GeV and TeV gamma-ray fluxes. Our study shows that the PWN scenario is reasonable for 1LHAASO J0249+6022.
comment: 9 pages, 4 figures
☆ High-resolution radio observations of TeV candidate sources
Radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGN) with their jets pointed close to our line of sight constitute the majority of extragalactic $\gamma$-ray sources and significantly contribute to the radiation observed in the even higher energy regime. The upcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is expected to detect fainter TeV objects, leading to an anticipated increase in the proportion of non-blazar extragalactic high-energy sources. Here we present the results of our dual-frequency (1.7 and 5~GHz) European VLBI Network (EVN) and enhanced Multi Element Remotely Linked Interferometer Network (e-MERLIN) observations of two faint radio sources from the list of TeV candidate sources. They do not show signs of nuclear activity in their optical spectra, but they were hypothesized to contain faint AGN that is outshone by the host galaxy. We used the mas-scale resolution radio data to try to pinpoint the location of the compact radio emitting feature, determine its spectral index, radio power, brightness temperature and radio-X-ray luminosity ratio and thus identify the origin of the radio emission. Our results suggest that both optically passive-looking galaxies host faint compact radio-emitting AGN with steep spectra.
comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, published in the Proceedings of the 16th European VLBI Network Symposium (Bonn, Germany, 2-6 September 2024). Eds. E. Ros, P. Benke, S. Dzib, I. Rottmann, J.A. Zensus, Bonn: Max-Planck-Institut f\"ur Radioastronomie, pp. 141-144 Available at https://events.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de/indico/event/371/session/20/contribution/17/material/paper/0.pdf
☆ A comprehensive study of the gas-phase formation network of HC$_5$N: theory, experiments, observations and models
Cyanopolyynes are among the largest and most commonly observed interstellar Complex Organic Molecules in star-forming regions. They are believed to form primarily in the gas-phase, but their formation routes are not well understood. We present a comprehensive study of the gas-phase formation network of cyanobutadiyne, HC$_5$N, based on new theoretical calculations, kinetics experiments, astronomical observations, and astrochemical modeling. We performed new quantum mechanics calculations for six neutral-neutral reactions in order to derive reliable rate coefficients and product branching fractions. We also present new CRESU data on the rate coefficients of three of these reactions (C$_3$N + C$_2$H$_2$, C$_2$H + HC$_3$N, CN + C$_4$H$_2$) obtained at temperatures as low as 24 K. In practice, six out of nine reactions currently used in astrochemical models have been updated in our reviewed network. We also report the tentative detection of the $^{13}$C isotopologues of HC$_5$N in the L1544 prestellar core. We derived a lower limit of $^{12}$C/$^{13}$C > 75 for the HC$_5$N isotopologues, which does not allow to bring new constraints to the HC$_5$N chemistry. Finally, we verified the impact of the revised reactions by running the GRETOBAPE astrochemical model. We found good agreement between the HC$_5$N predicted and observed abundances in cold ($\sim$10 K) objects, demonstrating that HC$_5$N is mainly formed by neutral-neutral reactions in these environments. In warm molecular shocks, instead, the predicted abundances are a factor of ten lower with respect to observed ones. In this environment possessing an higher gas ionization fraction, we speculate that the contribution of ion-neutral reactions could be significant.
☆ Nuclear Stellar Disk-like Nature in the Kinematics of SiO Maser Stars around Sagittarius A*
We present a detailed analysis of the kinematics of SiO maser stars around the center of the Milky Way, Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*). We used the archive data in the SiO v=1, J=2-1 emission line obtained by the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) in 2017 and 2021 (#2016.1.00940.S, PI Darling, J. and #2019.1.00292.S, PI Paine, J.). We detected 37 SiO maser stars in the channel maps and derived their angular offsets relative to Sgr A* and LSR radial velocities. We derived the proper motions of 35 stars by comparing their angular offsets in the two epochs. The proper motions of Wolf-Rayet and O star in the Nuclear Star Cluster (NSC) are reported to be rather random, except for the co-moving clusters IRS13E and IRS13N (Tsuboi et al. 2022). However, the derived proper motions of SiO maser stars do not look completely random. The proper motions of the SiO maser stars show a tendency to lie along the Galactic plane. The proper motion amplitudes of SiO maser stars are larger than the LSR velocity amplitudes. We estimated the 3D motions from the proper motions and LSR velocities. Many 3D velocities are near to or larger than the upper limit velocities for Kepler orbits around Sgr A*, whose mass is assumed to be 4x10^6 Msun. These indicate that the SiO maser stars around Sgr A* are members of the Nuclear Stellar Disk rather than the NSC.
comment: 20 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables, submitted to PASJ
☆ More is better: Strong constraints on the stellar properties of LEGA-C z ~ 1 galaxies with Prospector
We present the stellar properties of 2908 galaxies at 0.6 < z < 1.0 from the LEGA-C survey. We emphasize the importance of high signal-to-noise, high spectral resolution spectroscopy in the inference of stellar population properties of galaxies. We estimate the galaxy properties with the SED fitting code Prospector, by fitting spectroscopy and broadband photometry together, drawn from the LEGA-C DR3 and UltraVISTA catalogs respectively. We report a positive correlation between light-weighted ages and stellar velocity dispersion ($\sigma_\star$). The trend with $\sigma_\star$ is weaker for the mass-weighted ages and stellar metallicity ($Z_\star$). On average, quiescent galaxies are characterized by high $Z_\star$, they are \sim 1.1 Gyr older, less dusty, with steeper dust attenuation slopes compared to star-forming galaxies. Conversely, star-forming galaxies are characterized by significantly higher dust optical depths and shallower (grayer) attenuation slopes. Low mass (high mass) star-forming galaxies have lower (higher) $Z_\star$, while their stellar populations are on average younger (older). A key pragmatic result of our study is that a linear-space metallicity prior is preferable to a logarithmic-space one when using photometry alone, as the latter biases the posteriors downward. Spectroscopy greatly improves stellar population measurements and is required to provide meaningful constraints on age, metallicity, and other properties. Pairing spectroscopy with photometry helps resolving the dust-age-metallicity degeneracy, yielding more accurate mass- and light-weighted ages, with ages inferred from photometry alone suffering such large uncertainties. Stellar metallicities are constrained by our spectroscopy, but precise measurements remain challenging (and impossible with photometry alone), particularly in the absence of Mg and Fe lines redward of 5000 $\AA$ in the observed spectrum.
comment: Accepted, 25 pages, 17 figures
☆ The connection between high-redshift galaxies and Lyman $α$ transmission in the Sherwood-Relics simulations of patchy reionisation
Recent work has suggested that, during reionisation, spatial variations in the ionising radiation field should produce enhanced Ly ${\alpha}$ forest transmission at distances of tens of comoving Mpc from high-redshift galaxies. We demonstrate that the Sherwood-Relics suite of hybrid radiation-hydrodynamical simulations are qualitatively consistent with this interpretation. The shape of the galaxy--Ly ${\alpha}$ transmission cross-correlation is sensitive to both the mass of the haloes hosting the galaxies and the volume averaged fraction of neutral hydrogen in the IGM, $\bar{x}_{\rm HI}$. The reported excess Ly ${\alpha}$ forest transmission on scales r ~ 10 cMpc at $\langle z \rangle \approx 5.2$ -- as measured using C IV absorbers as proxies for high-redshift galaxies -- is quantitatively reproduced by Sherwood-Relics at z = 6 if we assume the galaxies that produce ionising photons are hosted in haloes with mass $M_{\rm h}\geq 10^{10}~h^{-1}\,{\rm M}_\odot$. However, this redshift mismatch is equivalent to requiring $\bar{x}_{\rm HI}\sim 0.1$ at $z\simeq 5.2$, which is inconsistent with the observed Ly ${\alpha}$ forest effective optical depth distribution. We speculate this tension may be partly resolved if the minimum C IV absorber host halo mass at z > 5 is larger than $M_{\rm h}=10^{10}~h^{-1}\,{\rm M}_\odot$. After reionisation completes, relic IGM temperature fluctuations will continue to influence the shape of the cross-correlation on scales of a few comoving Mpc at $4 \leq z \leq 5$. Constraining the redshift evolution of the cross-correlation over this period may therefore provide further insight into the timing of reionisation.
comment: 15 pages, 14 figures. Submitted to MNRAS
☆ Turbulent transport in a non-Markovian velocity field
The commonly used quasilinear approximation allows one to calculate the turbulent transport coefficients for the mean of a passive scalar or a magnetic field in a given velocity field. Formally, the quasilinear approximation is exact when the correlation time of the velocity field is zero. We calculate the lowest-order corrections to the transport coefficients due to the correlation time being nonzero. For this, we use the Furutsu-Novikov theorem, which allows one to express the turbulent transport coefficients in a Gaussian random velocity field as a series in the correlation time. We find that the turbulent diffusivities of both the mean passive scalar and the mean magnetic field are suppressed. Nevertheless, contradicting a previous study, we show that the turbulent diffusivity of the mean magnetic field is smaller than that of the mean passive scalar. We also find corrections to the $\alpha$ effect.
comment: 26 pages, 1 figure
☆ Resolved Gas Temperatures and 12C/13C ratios in SVS13A from ALMA Observations of CH3CN and CH3-13-CN
Context. Multiple systems are common in field stars, and the frequency is found to be higher in early evolutionary stages. Thus, the study of young multiple systems during the embedded stages is key to have a comprehensive understanding of star formation. In particular, how material accretes from the large-scale envelope into the inner region and how this flow interacts with the system physically and chemically has not yet been well characterized observationally. Aims. We aim to provide a snapshot of the forming protobinary system SVS13A, consisting of VLA4A and VLA4B. This includes clear pictures of its kinematic structures, physical conditions, and chemical properties. Methods. We conducted ALMA observations toward SVS13A targeting CH3CN and CH3-13CN J=12-11 K-ladder line emission with a high spatial resolution of ~30 au at a spectral resolution of ~0.08 km s-1 Results. We perform LTE radiative transfer models to fit the spectral features of the line emission. We find the two-layer LTE radiative model including dust absorption is essential to interpret the CH3CN and CH3-13-CN line emission. We identify two major and four small kinematic components, and derive their physical and chemical properties. Conclusions. We find a possible infalling signature toward the bursting secondary source VLA4A, which may be fed by an infalling streamer from the large-scale envelope. The mechanical heating in the binary system, as well as the infalling shocked gas, likely play a role in the thermal structure of the protobinary system. By accumulating mass from the streamer, the system might have experienced a gravitationally unstable phase before the accretion outburst. Finally, the derived CH3CN/CH3-13-CN ratio is lower than the canonical ratio in the ISM and is different between VLA4A and VLA4B.
comment: 14 pages, 13 figures
☆ Contaminating Electromagnetic Transients in LISA Gravitational Wave Localization Volumes. I: The Intrinsic Rates
The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will soon detect gravitational waves (GWs) emitted by massive black hole (MBH) mergers. Some theoretical models have predicted transient electromagnetic (EM) emission from these mergers, enabling the association of LISA GW sources with their EM counterparts via telescope follow-up. However, the number of unrelated EM transients that might contaminate telescope searches for the true transient counterparts of LISA MBH mergers is unknown. We investigate the expected numbers of unrelated EM transients that will coincide with simulated LISA localization volumes of MBH mergers, as a function of the merger total mass and redshift. We find that the number of potential contaminants in LISA localization volumes drops to unity for mergers at $z \lesssim 0.8$ and at 1 hour before coalescence. After coalescence, the parameter space corresponding to a maximum of one potential contaminant expands to $z \lesssim 1.5$. In contrast, if the redshifts for all transients detected in LISA sky localization regions are not available, the number of potential contaminants increases by an average factor of $\sim100$, and never drops below unity. Overall, we expect the average number of contaminating transients in telescope follow-up of LISA MBH mergers to be non-negligible, especially without redshift information for the detected transients. We recommend that endeavors designing follow-up strategies of LISA events should focus on: (1) building large redshift catalogs for host galaxies, (2) developing robust real-time transient classification algorithms, (3) and coordinating telescope resources to obtain redshifts for candidate transient EM counterparts in a timely manner.
comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, accepted to ApJ
♻ ☆ Closing the stellar labels gap: Stellar label independent evidence for [$α/M$] information in Gaia BP/RP spectra
Data-driven models for stellar spectra which depend on stellar labels suffer from label systematics which decrease model performance: the "stellar labels gap". To close the stellar labels gap, we present a stellar label independent model for Gaia BP/RP spectra. We develop a novel implementation of a variational auto-encoder, which learns to generate an XP spectrum and accompanying 'scatter' without relying on stellar labels. We demonstrate that our model achieves competitive XP spectra reconstructions in comparison to stellar label dependent models. We find that our model learns stellar properties directly from the data itself. We then apply our model to XP/APOGEE giant stars to study the [$\alpha$/M] information in Gaia XP. We provide strong evidence that the XP spectra contain meaningful [$\alpha$/M] information by demonstrating that our model learns the $\alpha$-bimodality, without relying on stellar label correlations for stars with $T_{\rm eff} <$ 5000 K, while also being sensitive to the anomalous abundances of Gaia-Enceladus stars. We publicly release our trained model, codebase and data. Importantly, our stellar label independent model can be implemented for any/all XP spectra because our model performance scales with training object density, not training label density.
comment: 20 pages, 15 figures, published in ApJ. Code available at https://zenodo.org/records/14041979. Data available at https://zenodo.org/records/14041773
♻ ☆ Identification of 30,000 White Dwarf-Main Sequence binaries candidates from Gaia DR3 BP/RP(XP) low-resolution spectra
White dwarf-main sequence (WDMS) binary systems are essential probes for understanding binary stellar evolution and play a pivotal role in constraining theoretical models of various transient phenomena. In this study, we construct a catalog of WDMS binaries using Gaia DR3's low-resolution BP/RP (XP) spectra. Our approach integrates a model-independent neural network for spectral modelling with Gaussian Process Classification to accurately identify WDMS binaries among over 10 million stars within 1 kpc. This study identify approximately 30,000 WDMS binary candidates, including ~1,700 high-confidence systems confirmed through spectral fitting. Our technique is shown to be effective at detecting systems where the main-sequence star dominates the spectrum - cases that have historically challenged conventional methods. Validation using GALEX photometry reinforces the reliability of our classifications: 70\% of candidates with an absolute magnitude $M_{G} > 7$ exhibit UV excess, a characteristic signature of white dwarf companions. Our all-sky catalog of WDMS binaries expands the available dataset for studying binary evolution and white dwarf physics and sheds light on the formation of WDMS.
comment: 30 pages, 12 figures, Submitted to ApJS
♻ ☆ Accelerated Emergence of Evolved Galaxies in Early Overdensities at $z\sim5.7$
We report the identification of two galaxy overdensities at $z\sim5.7$ in the sightline of the galaxy cluster Abell 2744. These overdensities consist of 25 and 17 member galaxies, spectroscopically confirmed with JWST NIRSpec/MSA and NIRCam/WFSS. Each overdensity has a total stellar mass of $\sim2\times10^{10} M_\odot$ and a star formation rate of $\sim200 M_\odot$/yr within a central region of radius $R=2$ Mpc (physical). The sensitive PRISM spectra allow us to identify six galaxies that show weak Ha+[NII] emissions within the overdensities ($27\pm6\%$), whereas the fraction of such galaxies is found significantly lower ($6\pm2\%$) in field samples of the equivalent redshift range. These weak emission line galaxies, dubbed as wELGs, exhibit a strong continuum break at $4000$AA rest-frame, a characteristic feature of evolved stellar populations. The high observed fraction of wELGs in the two overdensities is consistent with the idea that high-density environments are an ideal site where galaxies can accelerate their evolutionary pace compared to field analogs. Our study pinpoints an early onset of environmental effects, already important within one billion years after the Big Bang, and provides a complementary perspective on the emergence of quenched, massive galaxies at lower redshifts. Potential contributions from black hole accretion feedback to the reduction of star formation activity are discussed, but the connection to the local environments remains unclear.
comment: Submitted to ApJ; Accepted for publication
♻ ☆ Two-temperature treatments in magnetically arrested disk GRMHD simulations more accurately predict light curves of Sagittarius A*
The Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration (EHTC) observed the Galactic centre source Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) and used emission models primarily based on single ion temperature (1T) general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations. This predicted emission is strongly dependent on a modelled prescription of the ion-to-electron temperature ratio. The most promising models are magnetically arrested disk (MAD) states. However, nearly all MAD models exhibit larger temporal fluctuations in radiative 230 GHz emission compared to observations. This limitation possibly stems from the fact that the actual temperature ratio depends on microphysical dissipation, radiative processes and other effects not captured in ideal fluid simulations. Therefore, we investigate the effects of two-temperature (2T) thermodynamics in MAD GRMHD simulations of Sgr A*, where the temperatures of both species are evolved. We find that the 230 GHz synchrotron flux variability more closely matches historical observations when we include the 2T treatment compared to 1T simulations. For the low accretion rates of Sgr A*, a common assumption is to neglect radiative cooling. However, we find that the radiative cooling of electrons-via synchrotron, inverse Compton, and bremsstrahlung processes-reduces the electron temperature in the inner disk, where the EHT observes, by about 10%, which, in turn, decreases both the (sub)millimetre synchrotron flux and its temporal fluctuations compared to uncooled simulations.
♻ ☆ New constraints on the evolution of the MHI-M* scaling relation combining CHILES and MIGHTEE-HI data
The improved sensitivity of interferometric facilities to the 21-cm line of atomic hydrogen (HI) enables studies of its properties in galaxies beyond the local Universe. In this work, we perform a 21 cm line spectral stacking analysis combining the MIGHTEE and CHILES surveys in the COSMOS field to derive a robust HI-stellar mass relation at z=0.36. In particular, by stacking thousands of star-forming galaxies subdivided into stellar mass bins, we optimize the signal-to-noise ratio of targets and derive mean HI masses in the different stellar mass intervals for the investigated galaxy population. We combine spectra from the two surveys, estimate HI masses, and derive the scaling relation log10(MHI) = (0.32 +- 0.04)log10(M*) + (6.65 +- 0.36). Our findings indicate that galaxies at z=0.36 are HI richer than those at z=0, but HI poorer than those at z=1, with a slope consistent across redshift, suggesting that stellar mass does not significantly affect HI exchange mechanisms. We also observe a slower growth rate HI relative to the molecular gas, supporting the idea that the accretion of cold gas is slower than the rate of consumption of molecular gas to form stars. This study contributes to understanding the role of atomic gas in galaxy evolution and sets the stage for future development of the field in the upcoming SKA era.
comment: 23 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
♻ ☆ Cold fronts in galaxy clusters I: A case for the large-scale global eigen modes in unmagnetized and weakly magnetized cluster core
Galaxy clusters show large-scale azimuthal X-ray surface brightness fluctuations known as cold fronts. Cold fronts are argued to originate due to sloshing driven by sub-halo passage at close proximity to the cluster center. While this causes large-scale perturbations, the physical mechanisms that can sustain spiral density structures are not clear. In this work, we explore whether long wavelength thermal instability is an explanation for cold front formation in a cluster core which is perturbed by sub-halos or AGN activity. Using global linear perturbation analysis, we show that unstable internal gravity waves form large-scale three-dimensional spirals, akin to observed cold fronts. We explore if the presence of magnetic field (along spherical $\hat{\phi}$) may support such structures (by suppressing small scale Kelvin-Helmholtz modes) or disrupt them (by promoting additional thermal instability). We find that latter happens at shorter wavelengths and above characteristic Brunt V\"ais\"al\"a frequency ($>N_{\rm BV}$). Our work implies that large-scale spirals are sustained over a long timescale ($>N^{-1}_{\rm BV}$) even in presence of aligned magnetic fields that is otherwise supportive against mixing at the interface. Secondly, short-wavelength (but relatively longer along the field) unstable compressive modes may form within or in the vicinity of such spirals. The instability is an overstable slow wave, and grows in 2D at timescales $\gtrsim 2-3$ times longer than the spiral growth timescale (via thermal instability). Thus this instability cannot destroy the large scale coherence.
comment: 16 pages, 8 figures in main content and 3 figures in Appendix, accepted in MNRAS
♻ ☆ Indirect Detection of eV Dark Matter via Infrared Spectroscopy
Infrared spectroscopy has been developed significantly. In particular, infrared photons can be measured with high spectral and angular resolution in state-of-art spectrographs. They are sensitive to monochromatic photons due to the decay and annihilation of particles beyond the Standard Model, such as dark matter (DM), while insensitive to background photons that form a continuous spectrum. In this paper, we study the indirect detection of the DM decaying into infrared light using infrared spectrographs. In particular, we show that serious thermal and astrophysical noises can be overcome. As concrete examples, the Warm INfrared Echelle spectrograph to Realize Extreme Dispersion and sensitivity (WINERED) installed at the Magellan Clay 6.5m telescope and Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) at the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) are discussed. We show that a few hours of measurements of a faint dwarf spheroidal galaxy with WINERED (NIRSpec-like spectrograph) in the Magellan telescope (JWST) can probe an axion-like particle DM in the mass range $m_\phi=1.8 - 2.7\,$eV ($0.5-4\,$eV) with a photon coupling $g_{\phi\gamma\gamma}\gtrsim 10^{-11}{\rm GeV}^{-1}$. Complemental approaches, taking advantage of the high resolutions, such as the measurement of the Doppler shift of the signal photon lines and the possible search of the DM decay around the Milky Way galaxy center with Infrared Camera and Spectrograph (IRCS) at 8.2m Subaru telescope, are also presented.
comment: v2: 27 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables. Based on the published version with additional typo corrections in the caption of Table 1 and within Figures 1 and 2 to match the main discussion
♻ ☆ Signatures of Rapidly Rotating Stars with Chemically Homogeneous Evolution in the First Galaxies
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has revealed an unexpectedly high abundance of UV luminous galaxies at redshifts $z\gtrsim 10$, challenging `standard' galaxy formation models. This study investigates the role of rapidly rotating (massive) stars undergoing chemically homogeneous evolution (CHE) in reconciling this potential tension. These stars are more compact, hotter, and exhibit enhanced UV emission. We find that the rest-frame UV luminosity of star-forming galaxies can be significantly enhanced by a factor of $\sim 3-6$ when CHE stars above a minimum initial mass of $m_{\star,\min}^{\rm CHE}\sim 2-10\ \rm M_\odot$ account for more than half of the total stellar mass following a Salpeter initial mass function. As a result, the UV luminosity functions observed at $z\sim 12-16$ can be reproduced with less extreme values of star formation efficiency and UV luminosity stochastic variability. Our results highlight the potential of CHE in explaining the UV-bright galaxy populations detected by JWST and call for future work to explore the broader astrophysical implications of CHE and its associated phenomena in the early universe, such as gamma-ray bursts, compact object binaries, and metal enrichment.
comment: 8+4 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in ApJL, see Figs. 2 and 3 for main results
♻ ☆ Hanging on the cliff: Extreme mass ratio inspiral formation with local two-body relaxation and post-Newtonian dynamics
Extreme mass ratio inspirals (EMRIs) are anticipated to be primary gravitational wave sources for LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna). They form in dense nuclear clusters when a compact object (CO) is captured by the central massive black holes (MBHs) due to frequent two-body interactions among orbiting objects. We present a novel Monte Carlo approach to evolve the post-Newtonian (PN) equations of motion of a CO orbiting an MBH accounting for two-body relaxation locally on the fly, without the assumption of orbit-averaging. We estimate the fraction $S(a_0)$ of EMRIs to total captures (including direct plunges, DPs) as a function of the initial semi-major axis $a_0$ for COs around MBHs of $M_\bullet\in[10^4\,{\rm M}_\odot,4\times10^6\,{\rm M}_\odot]$. Previous results indicate $S(a_0)\rightarrow 0$ at large $a_0$, with a sharp transition from EMRIs to DPs around a critical scale $a_{\rm c}$. This notion has been recently challenged for low-mass MBHs, with EMRIs forming at $a\gg a_{\rm c}$, the so-called "cliffhangers''. Our simulations confirm their existence, at larger numbers than previously expected. Cliffhangers start to appear for $M_\bullet\lesssim3\times 10^5\,{\rm M}_\odot$ and can account for up to 55% of the overall EMRIs formed. We find $S(a_0)\gg 0$ for $a\gg a_{\rm c}$, reaching values as high as 0.6 for $M_\bullet=10^4\,{\rm M}_\odot$, much larger than previously found. We find that the PN description of the system greatly enhances the number of EMRIs by shifting $a_{\rm c}$ to larger values at all MBH masses, and that the local treatment of relaxation significantly boosts the number of cliffhangers for small MBHs. Our work shows the limitations of standard assumptions for estimating EMRI formation rates, most importantly their dynamical models. Future estimates of rates and properties of EMRIs detectable by LISA should account for these improvements.
comment: Accepted for publication in A&A; 22 pages, 15 figures, 1 table
First Search for Pulsed CH Maser Emission Stimulated by a Pulsar FAST
We present the first search for pulsed CH maser emission potentially stimulated by PSR J1644$-$4559, conducted using the ultra-wide-bandwidth low-frequency receiver on Murriyang, CSIRO's Parkes Radio Telescope. Observations targeted three CH $\Lambda$-doublet transitions at 3264, 3335, and 3349 MHz, with a variability timescale of 78 ms. We detected ten CH emission features at 3335 and 3349 MHz, and seven features at 3264 MHz, during both pulsar-ON and pulsar-OFF phases. The observed velocities align with the OH emission and absorption reported by a previous study, suggesting a close spatial association between CH and OH molecules. The derived column densities for CH clouds within the Parkes beam range from $0.05$ to $9.8 \times 10^{13}$ cm$^{-2}$, indicating that these clouds are likely in diffuse and translucent states. Upper limits for CH column densities within the pulsar beam ranged from $0.3$ to $9.8 \times 10^{13}$ cm$^{-2}$. Comparison of these column densities suggests that CH clouds may exhibit clumpiness and substructure. No significant stimulated emission feature was detected in the optical depth spectra. Additionally, as part of our search for pulsed stimulated emission, we investigated the potential CH absorption of the pulsar signal and found none, in agreement with astrophysical expectations. The upper limits for the potential maser amplification factors towards PSR J1644$-$4559 at 3264, 3335, and 3349 MHz are 1.014, 1.009, and 1.009, respectively. This study demonstrates the feasibility of detecting pulsed CH maser emission in the interstellar medium stimulated by pulsar photons.
comment: If you make use of the CH spectral line dataset in a publication, we request that you acknowledge the source of the information by referencing the DOI: https://doi.org/10.57760/sciencedb.Fastro.00022 and by quoting the web address of "NAOC - The Commensal Radio Astronomy FAST Survey (CRAFTS) Data Community (ScienceDB . Fastro)": https://www.scidb.cn/en/c/o00138
♻ ☆ Little Red Dots: Rapidly Growing Black Holes Reddened by Extended Dusty Flows
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations have revolutionized extragalactic research, particularly with the discovery of little red dots (LRD), which we propose are dust-reddened broad-line active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Their unique v-shape spectral feature observed through JWST/NIRCam challenges us to discern the relative contributions of the galaxy and AGN. We study a spectral energy distribution (SED) model for LRDs from rest-frame UV to infrared bands. We hypothesize that the incident radiation from an AGN, characterized by a typical SED, is embedded in an extended dusty medium with an extinction law similar to those seen in dense regions such as Orion Nebula or certain AGN environments. The UV-optical spectrum is described by dust-attenuated AGN emission, featuring a red optical continuum at $\lambda>4000$ A and a flat UV spectral shape established through a gray extinction curve at $\lambda<3000$ A, due to the absence of small-size grains. There is no need for additional stellar emission or AGN scattered light. In the infrared, the SED is shaped by an extended dust and gas distribution ($\gamma<1$; $\rho\propto r^{-\gamma}$) with a characteristic gas density of $\simeq 10-10^3~{\rm cm}^{-3}$, which allows relatively cool dust temperatures to dominate the radiation, thereby shifting the energy peak from near- to mid-infrared bands. This model, unlike the typical AGN hot torus models, can produce an infrared SED flattening that is consistent with LRD observations through JWST MIRI. Such a density structure can arise from the coexistence of inflows and outflows during the early assembly of galactic nuclei. This might be the reason why LRDs emerge preferentially in the high-redshift universe younger than one billion years.
comment: 16 pages, 7 figures; accepted to ApJ
♻ ☆ Estimate Sonic Mach Number in the Interstellar Medium with Convolutional Neural Network
Understanding the role of turbulence in shaping the interstellar medium (ISM) is crucial for studying star formation, molecular cloud evolution, and cosmic ray propagation. Central to this is the measurement of the sonic Mach number ($M_s$), which quantifies the ratio of turbulent velocity to the sound speed. In this work, we introduce a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based approach for estimating $M_s$ directly from spectroscopic observations. The approach leverages the physical correlation between increasing $M_s$ and the shock-induced small-scale fluctuations that alter the morphological features in intensity, velocity centroid, and velocity channel maps. These maps, derived from 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence simulations, serve as inputs for the CNN training. By learning the relationship between these structural features and the underlying turbulence properties, CNN can predict $M_s$ under various conditions, including different magnetic fields and levels of observational noise. The median uncertainty of the CNN-predicted $M_s$ ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 depending on the noise level. While intensity maps offer lower uncertainty, channel maps have the advantage of predicting the 3D $M_s$ distribution, which is crucial in estimating 3D magnetic field strength. Our results demonstrate that machine-learning-based tools can effectively characterize complex turbulence properties in the ISM.
comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
♻ ☆ Extremely Dense Gas around Little Red Dots and High-redshift Active Galactic Nuclei: A Non-stellar Origin of the Balmer Break and Absorption Features
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has uncovered low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at high redshifts of $z\gtrsim 4-7$, powered by accreting black holes (BHs) with masses of $\sim 10^{6-8}~M_\odot$. One remarkable distinction of these JWST-identified AGNs, compared to their low-redshift counterparts, is that at least $\sim 20\%$ of them present H$\alpha$ and/or H$\beta$ absorption, which must be associated with extremely dense ($\gtrsim 10^9~{\rm cm}^{-3}$) gas in the broad-line region or its immediate surroundings. These Balmer absorption features unavoidably imply the presence of a Balmer break caused by the same dense gas. In this Letter, we quantitatively demonstrate that a Balmer break can form in AGN spectra without stellar components, when the accretion disk is heavily embedded in dense neutral gas clumps with densities of $\sim 10^{9-11}~{\rm cm}^{-3}$, where hydrogen atoms are collisionally excited to the $n=2$ states and effectively absorb the AGN continuum at the bluer side of the Balmer limit. The non-stellar origin of a Balmer break offers a potential solution to the large stellar masses and densities inferred for little red dots (LRDs) when assuming that their continuum is primarily due to stellar light. Our calculations indicate that the observed Balmer absorption blueshifted by a few hundreds ${\rm km~s}^{-1}$ suggests the presence of dense outflows in the nucleus at rates exceeding the Eddington value. Other spectral features such as higher equivalent widths of broad H$\alpha$ emission and presence of OI lines observed in high-redshift AGNs including LRDs align with the predicted signatures of a dense super-Eddington accretion disk.
comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in ApJL
♻ ☆ Gravitational Wave Forecasts Constrained by JWST AGN Observations for Early Massive Black Hole Mergers
Massive black holes (BHs) grow by gas accretion and mergers, observable through electromagnetic (EM) and gravitational wave (GW) emission. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has detected faint active galactic nuclei (AGNs), revealing an abundant population of accreting BHs with masses of $M_\bullet\sim 10^{6-8}~M_\odot$. This mass range overlaps with the detection scopes of space-based GW interferometers and approaches the upper bounds of the predicted mass of seed BHs. We model BH mass assembly in light of the new JWST findings to investigate their formation channels and predict merger events. Two types of seed BHs are considered: heavy seeds ($M_\bullet\sim 10^{2-5}~M_\odot$) formed in rare and overdense cosmic regions, and light seeds ($M_\bullet\sim 10^{1-3}~M_\odot$) formed as stellar remnants in less massive dark-matter halos. The BHs grow through episodic accretion and merger events, which we model by fitting the AGN luminosity function to observational data including JWST-identified AGNs at $z\sim 5$. We find that heavy seeds alone struggle to explain quasars and faint JWST-selected AGNs simultaneously, requiring the more abundant light seeds. The observed merger rate of BHs from heavy seeds alone is limited to $\lesssim 10^{-1}~{\rm yr}^{-1}$ for major mergers at $z\geq5$. However, the presence of light seeds increases the major merger rate by several orders of magnitude, which peaks at a total BH mass of $M_\bullet\simeq 2\times 10^3~M_\odot$ over $5
comment: 24 pages, 15 figures, 5 tables, accepted by PRD
♻ ☆ On the Age Calibration of Open Clusters using Red Clump Stars
In this study, we extend the dust-independent Hatzidimitriou (1991) relation between cluster age and $d_{B-R}$ color difference between the red giant branch (RGB) and red clump to younger cluster ages. We perform membership analysis on fourteen galactic open clusters using Gaia DR3 astrometry, then compute the difference in color of the RGB and red clump $d_{B-R}$ using Gaia photometry. We also compute $d_{B-R}$ for five fields surrounding Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) clusters. We find that the trend derived from older clusters does not extrapolate to younger ages and becomes double-valued. We confirm that $d_{B-R}$ is independent of metallicity. Current stellar evolutionary isochrones do not quantitatively reproduce the trend and furthermore predict an increased color gap with a decrease in metallicity that is not echoed in the data. Integrated light models based on current isochrones exaggerate the color change over the $-0.5 <$ [Fe/H] $< 0$ interval at the few-percent level.
comment: 12 pages, 12 figures
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 21
☆ Measuring the Sun's Core with Neutrino Measurements: A Solar Orbiter Concept
Traditional neutrino detectors are built deep underground to reduce backgrounds. The neutrino solar orbiting laboratory ($\nu$SOL) collaboration has been developing a concept to improve neutrino measurement not with a larger detector underground, but instead we use the nuclear excitation from the neutrino interaction to produce a multi-pulse signal. Cerium-doped gadolinium aluminum gallium garnet (GAGG) is a new scintillator which has 23\% gallium by mass. When a neutrino interacts with the GAGG, about 10\% of the time it will be in an excited nuclear state rather than in the base energy level. A segmented detector looking for the pulses separated by distance and time has the potential to greatly limit background noise from solar wind, cosmic rays, and galactic gamma rays. A polar LEO CubeSat mission is currently in development to measure the GCR backgrounds outside the Van Allen Belts. In this summary of my presentation I will quickly lay the groundwork of the interaction of interest and what a solar orbiter's detector could look like. I will then explore what measurements a near-solar orbiter could make. With these measurements in mind, I will discuss the feasibility of a direct observation of the core's shape, and I will discuss how a solar orbiter's measurements could improve a Standard Solar Model search and compare that measurement with the current global neutrino measurements. I will conclude with a discussion of what these observables could tell us about the solar interior.
comment: 6 Pages; Originally presented at the 245th AAS conference, National Harbor, MD, Jan 2025
☆ Environmental effects on nearby debris discs
We probe the effect of the ISM on debris disc occurrence rates and on the morphologies of the discs. We used results from the Herschel Space Observatory DUNES and DEBRIS surveys of 295 nearby FGK dwarf stars imaged at 100 $\mu$m and 160 $\mu$m. Most of the 48 debris discs in this sample have small optical depths, making them more likely to be affected by the ISM compared to optically thick discs. Since the stars in our sample are located within the Local Interstellar Cloud, we can infer that their debris discs encounter similar conditions. This allows us to use the stellar space velocity as a single indicator of the forces that can act on the debris disc dust grains when they interact with the ISM. The observed debris disc occurrence rates seem to depend on the stellar space velocities, as expected under the hypothesis that stars with higher space velocities have a higher probability of losing their circumstellar dust. The percentage of sources with debris discs in our sample reaches a maximum of $\approx$25% for stars with low space velocity component values, $|U_{\mathrm{rel}}|$, relative to the local ISM, and decreases for larger $|U_{\mathrm{rel}}|$ values down to the 10% level. A decrease in the average disc fractional luminosity as a function of $|U_{\mathrm{rel}}|$ is also observed. These dependences do not disappear after accounting for the reported higher dispersion of $U$ values with age. In extended discs, the impact of the ISM could also explain the links observed between the stellar space velocities and the debris disc projected ellipticities, position angles, and radii. Although these indications may not be fully conclusive on their own, they collectively reinforce the hypothesis that the ISM influences the occurrence rates and morphologies of debris discs.
comment: 13 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A on 6 January 2025
☆ The Stellar Abundances and Galactic Evolution Survey (SAGES). II. Machine Learning-Based Stellar parameters for 21 million stars from the First Data Release
Stellar parameters for large samples of stars play a crucial role in constraining the nature of stars and stellar populations in the Galaxy. An increasing number of medium-band photometric surveys are presently used in estimating stellar parameters. In this study, we present a machine-learning approach to derive estimates of stellar parameters, including [Fe/H], logg, and Teff, based on a combination of medium-band and broad-band photometric observations. Our analysis employs data primarily sourced from the SAGE Survey , which aims to observe much of the Northern Hemisphere. We combine the $uv$-band data from SAGES DR1 with photometric and astrometric data from Gaia EDR3, and apply the random forest method to estimate stellar parameters for approximately 21 million stars. We are able to obtain precisions of 0.09 dex for [Fe/H], 0.12 dex for logg, and 70 K for Teff. Furthermore, by incorporating 2MASS and WISE infrared photometric and GALEX ultraviolet data, we are able to achieve even higher precision estimates for over 2.2 million stars. These results are applicable to both giant and dwarf stars. Building upon this mapping, we construct a foundational dataset for research on metal-poor stars, the structure of the Milky Way, and beyond. With the forthcoming release of additional bands from SAGE Survey such DDO51 and H-alpha, this versatile machine learning approach is poised to play an important role in upcoming surveys featuring expanded filter sets
comment: Accepted by ApJS.12 pages, 12 figures, 3 tables
☆ Realistic predictions for Gaia black hole discoveries: comparison of isolated binary and dynamical formation models SP
Astrometry from Gaia has enabled discovery of three dormant black holes (BHs) in au-scale binaries. Numerous models have been proposed to explain their formation, including several that have forecasted Gaia detections. However, previous works have used simplified detectability metrics that do not capture key elements of the Gaia astrometric orbit selection function. We apply a realistic forward-model of Gaia astrometric orbit catalogs to BH binary populations generated through (a) isolated binary evolution (IBE) and (b) dynamical formation in star clusters. For both formation channels, we analyze binary populations in a simulated Milky Way-like galaxy with a realistic metallicity-dependent star formation history and 3D dust map. We generate epoch astrometry for each binary from the Gaia scanning law and fit it with the cascade of astrometric models used in Gaia DR3. The IBE model of Chawla et al. (2022) predicts that no BH binaries should have been detected in DR3 and thus significantly underpredicts the formation rate of Gaia BHs. In contrast, the dynamical model of Di Carlo et al. (2024) overpredicts the number of BHs receiving DR3 orbital solutions by a factor of $\sim$8. The two models predict very different orbital period distributions, with the IBE model predicting only binaries that avoided common envelope evolution and have $P_{\text{orb}} \gtrsim 2,000$ d to be detectable, and the dynamical formation model predicting a period distribution that is roughly log-uniform. Adopting the dynamical channel as a fiducial model and rescaling by a factor of 1/8 to match DR3, we predict that $\sim$30 BH binaries will be detected in Gaia DR4, representing $\sim0.1\%$ of Milky Way BHs with luminous companions in au-scale orbits.
comment: 17 pages, 14 figures, Submitted to PASP
☆ Population Synthesis of Gravitational Wave Sources
The simulation of gravitational wave source populations and their progenitors is an endeavor more than eighty years in the making. This is in part due to a wide variety of theoretical uncertainties that must be taken into account when describing how stellar populations evolve over cosmic time to produce double stellar remnant binaries. Population synthesis software has been developed as a means to investigate these uncertainties under a wide variety of physical assumptions and stellar population formation environments. In this chapter we discuss the development history of population synthesis software with a special focus on work aimed at understanding the formation of gravitational wave populations. We detail the assortment of population synthesis tools in use today that simulate GW populations which are born and evolve in different astrophysical environments. We further discuss the GW population rates and features associated with each environment that have been predicted for both ground and space-based GW detectors. We finish with considerations of future work that combines possible constraints from electromagnetic surveys that may provide key findings that break current degeneracies in population synthesis predictions of GW source populations.
comment: To appear as a chapter for the Encyclopedia of Astrophysics (edited by I. Mandel, section editor J. Andrews) to be published by Elsevier as a Reference Module. 14 pages with 4 figures and 1 table
☆ A Case Study of Interstellar Material Delivery: α Centauri
Interstellar material has been discovered in our Solar System, yet its origins and details of its transport are unknown. Here we present $\alpha$ Centauri as a case study of the delivery of interstellar material to our Solar System. $\alpha$ Centauri is a mature triple star system that likely harbours planets and is moving towards us with the point of closest approach approximately 28,000 years in the future. Assuming a current ejection model for the system, we find that such material can reach our Solar System and may currently be present here. The material that does reach us is mostly a product of low ($<2$ km/s) ejection velocities, and the rate at which it enters our Solar System is expected to peak around the time of $\alpha$ Centauri 's closest approach. If $\alpha$ Centauri ejects material at a rate comparable to our own Solar System, we estimate the current number of $\alpha$ Centauri particles larger than 100 m in diameter within our Oort Cloud to be $10^{6}$, and during $\alpha$ Centauri 's closest approach, this will increase by an order of magnitude. However, the observable fraction of such objects remains low as there is only a probability of $10^{-6}$ that one of them is within 10 au of the Sun. A small number ($\sim 10$) meteors greater than 100 micrometers from $\alpha$ Centauri may currently be entering Earth's atmosphere every year: this number is very sensitive to the assumed ejected mass distribution, but the flux is expected to increase as $\alpha$ Centauri approaches.
comment: Accepted for publication in PSJ (Jan 31, 2025). 15 pages, 2 tables, 9 figures (3 animations - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8bn7jytqoQZkbnryQRmKWargaY0uKyrX )
☆ PhotoD with LSST: Stellar Photometric Distances Out to the Edge of the Galaxy
As demonstrated with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), Pan-STARRS, and most recently with Gaia data, broadband near-UV to near-IR stellar photometry can be used to estimate distance, metallicity, and interstellar dust extinction along the line of sight for stars in the Galaxy. Anticipating photometric catalogs with tens of billions of stars from Rubin's Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), we present a Bayesian model and pipeline that build on previous work and can handle LSST-sized datasets. Likelihood computations utilize MIST/Dartmouth isochrones and priors are derived from TRILEGAL-based simulated LSST catalogs from P. Dal Tio et al. The computation speed is about 10 ms per star on a single core for both optimized grid search and Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods; we show in a companion paper by K. Mrakov\v{c}i\'c et al. how to utilize neural networks to accelerate this performance by up to an order of magnitude. We validate our pipeline, named PhotoD (in analogy with photo-z, photometric redshifts of galaxies) using both simulated catalogs and SDSS, DECam, and Gaia photometry. We intend to make LSST-based value-added PhotoD catalogs publicly available via the Rubin Science Platform with every LSST data release.
☆ A JWST Project on 47 Tucanae: Kinematics, energy equipartition and anisotropy of multiple populations
Recent work with JWST has demonstrated its capability to identify and chemically characterize multiple populations in globular clusters down to the H-burning limit. In this study, we explore the kinematics of multiple populations in the globular cluster 47 Tucanae by combining data from JWST, HST, and Gaia. We analyzed velocity dispersion and anisotropy profiles from the cluster center out to $\sim$10$R_h$. Our findings indicate that while 1G stars are isotropic, 2G stars are significantly radially anisotropic. These results align with the predictions of simulations of the dynamical evolution of clusters where 2G stars are initially more centrally concentrated than 1G stars. Furthermore, we subdivided the 2G population into two subpopulations: $2G_A$ and $2G_B$, with the latter being more chemically extreme. We compared their dynamical profiles and found no significant differences. For the first time, we measured the degree of energy equipartition among the multiple populations of 47 Tucanae. Overall, within the analyzed radial range ($\sim$2-4$R_h$), both populations exhibit a low degree of energy equipartition. The most significant differences between 1G and 2G stars are observed in the tangential velocity component, where 2G stars are characterized by a stronger degree of energy equipartition than 1G stars. In the radial component, the behavior of 1G and 2G stars is more variable, with differences largely dependent on radius. Finally, our analysis reveals that the ratio of rotational velocity to velocity dispersion is larger for the 2G population, while 1G stars exhibit higher skewness in their tangential proper motions, providing further evidence of differences in the kinematic properties of the 1G and 2G populations.
☆ A comprehensive study of the gas-phase formation network of HC$_5$N: theory, experiments, observations and models
Cyanopolyynes are among the largest and most commonly observed interstellar Complex Organic Molecules in star-forming regions. They are believed to form primarily in the gas-phase, but their formation routes are not well understood. We present a comprehensive study of the gas-phase formation network of cyanobutadiyne, HC$_5$N, based on new theoretical calculations, kinetics experiments, astronomical observations, and astrochemical modeling. We performed new quantum mechanics calculations for six neutral-neutral reactions in order to derive reliable rate coefficients and product branching fractions. We also present new CRESU data on the rate coefficients of three of these reactions (C$_3$N + C$_2$H$_2$, C$_2$H + HC$_3$N, CN + C$_4$H$_2$) obtained at temperatures as low as 24 K. In practice, six out of nine reactions currently used in astrochemical models have been updated in our reviewed network. We also report the tentative detection of the $^{13}$C isotopologues of HC$_5$N in the L1544 prestellar core. We derived a lower limit of $^{12}$C/$^{13}$C > 75 for the HC$_5$N isotopologues, which does not allow to bring new constraints to the HC$_5$N chemistry. Finally, we verified the impact of the revised reactions by running the GRETOBAPE astrochemical model. We found good agreement between the HC$_5$N predicted and observed abundances in cold ($\sim$10 K) objects, demonstrating that HC$_5$N is mainly formed by neutral-neutral reactions in these environments. In warm molecular shocks, instead, the predicted abundances are a factor of ten lower with respect to observed ones. In this environment possessing an higher gas ionization fraction, we speculate that the contribution of ion-neutral reactions could be significant.
☆ Nuclear Stellar Disk-like Nature in the Kinematics of SiO Maser Stars around Sagittarius A*
We present a detailed analysis of the kinematics of SiO maser stars around the center of the Milky Way, Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*). We used the archive data in the SiO v=1, J=2-1 emission line obtained by the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) in 2017 and 2021 (#2016.1.00940.S, PI Darling, J. and #2019.1.00292.S, PI Paine, J.). We detected 37 SiO maser stars in the channel maps and derived their angular offsets relative to Sgr A* and LSR radial velocities. We derived the proper motions of 35 stars by comparing their angular offsets in the two epochs. The proper motions of Wolf-Rayet and O star in the Nuclear Star Cluster (NSC) are reported to be rather random, except for the co-moving clusters IRS13E and IRS13N (Tsuboi et al. 2022). However, the derived proper motions of SiO maser stars do not look completely random. The proper motions of the SiO maser stars show a tendency to lie along the Galactic plane. The proper motion amplitudes of SiO maser stars are larger than the LSR velocity amplitudes. We estimated the 3D motions from the proper motions and LSR velocities. Many 3D velocities are near to or larger than the upper limit velocities for Kepler orbits around Sgr A*, whose mass is assumed to be 4x10^6 Msun. These indicate that the SiO maser stars around Sgr A* are members of the Nuclear Stellar Disk rather than the NSC.
comment: 20 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables, submitted to PASJ
☆ Spectroscopic Diagnosis of a B-Class Flare and an Associated Filament Eruption
The flare ribbon and an associated filament eruption are diagnosed using O iv 1401.16 A, Si iv 1402.77 A, and Mg ii k 2796.35 A spectral lines provided by IRIS. The flare ribbons have downflow (redshifts) in all these lines, and this redshift decreases from the transition region to the chromosphere. While the overlapping region (flare-ribbon+filament rise/eruption is dominated by upflows(blueshifts) in all three spectral lines. We found an extremely blueshifted Si iv profile (i.e., blueshift around -180 km/s) in the overlapping region. The mean non-thermal velocity (v_nt) in the flare ribbons is higher in O iv than Si iv. While, in the overlapping region, O iv have lower v_nt than Si iv. Note that very high v_nt around 80 km/s (in Si iv) exists in this weak B-class flare. The Mg ii k line widths are almost the same in the flare ribbon and overlapping region but, they are extremely broad than previously reported. We found double peak profiles of Si iv and O iv in the overlapping region. Most probably, one peak is due to downflow (flare ribbon) and another due to upflow (filament rise/eruption). We report a high redshift of more than 150 km/s in the weak B-class flare. In some cases, both peaks show upflows which might be the result of the superposition of two different sources, i.e., overlapping of two different velocity distributions in the line of sight.
comment: 19 pages, 07 figure, Accepted for Publication in Astrophysics and Space Science
☆ Turbulent transport in a non-Markovian velocity field
The commonly used quasilinear approximation allows one to calculate the turbulent transport coefficients for the mean of a passive scalar or a magnetic field in a given velocity field. Formally, the quasilinear approximation is exact when the correlation time of the velocity field is zero. We calculate the lowest-order corrections to the transport coefficients due to the correlation time being nonzero. For this, we use the Furutsu-Novikov theorem, which allows one to express the turbulent transport coefficients in a Gaussian random velocity field as a series in the correlation time. We find that the turbulent diffusivities of both the mean passive scalar and the mean magnetic field are suppressed. Nevertheless, contradicting a previous study, we show that the turbulent diffusivity of the mean magnetic field is smaller than that of the mean passive scalar. We also find corrections to the $\alpha$ effect.
comment: 26 pages, 1 figure
☆ Three-dimensional simulations of accretion disks in pre-CE systems
Before a binary system enters into a common envelope (CE) phase, accretion from the primary star onto the companion star through Roche Lobe overflow (RLOF) will lead to the formation of an accretion disk, which may generate jets. Accretion before and during the CE may alter the outcome of the interaction. Previous studies have considered different aspects of this physical mechanism. Here we study the properties of an accretion disk formed via 3D hydrodynamic simulations of the RLOF mass transfer between a 7 M$_\odot$, red supergiant star and a 1.4 M$_\odot$, neutron star companion. We simulate only the volume around the companion for improved resolution. We use a 1D implicit MESA simulation of the evolution of the system during 30,000 years between the on-set of the RLOF and the CE to guide the binary parameters and the mass-transfer rate, while we simulate only 21 years of the last part of the RLOF in 3D using an ideal gas isothermal equation of state. We expect that a pre-CE disk under these parameters will have a mass of $\sim 5\times 10^{-3}$ M$_\odot$ and a radius of $\sim$40 R$_\odot$ with a scale height of $\sim$5 R$_\odot$. The temperature profile of the disk is shallower than that predicted by the formalism of Shakura and Sunyaev, but more reasonable cooling physics would need to be included. We stress test these results with respect to a number of physical and numerical parameters, as well as simulation choices, and we expect them to be reasonable within a factor of a few for the mass and 15% for the radius. We also contextualize our results within those presented in the literature, in particular with respect to the dimensionality of simulations and the adiabatic index. We consider what properties of magnetic fields and jets may be supported by our disk and discuss prospects for future work.
comment: 17 pages, 20 figures
☆ Resolved Gas Temperatures and 12C/13C ratios in SVS13A from ALMA Observations of CH3CN and CH3-13-CN
Context. Multiple systems are common in field stars, and the frequency is found to be higher in early evolutionary stages. Thus, the study of young multiple systems during the embedded stages is key to have a comprehensive understanding of star formation. In particular, how material accretes from the large-scale envelope into the inner region and how this flow interacts with the system physically and chemically has not yet been well characterized observationally. Aims. We aim to provide a snapshot of the forming protobinary system SVS13A, consisting of VLA4A and VLA4B. This includes clear pictures of its kinematic structures, physical conditions, and chemical properties. Methods. We conducted ALMA observations toward SVS13A targeting CH3CN and CH3-13CN J=12-11 K-ladder line emission with a high spatial resolution of ~30 au at a spectral resolution of ~0.08 km s-1 Results. We perform LTE radiative transfer models to fit the spectral features of the line emission. We find the two-layer LTE radiative model including dust absorption is essential to interpret the CH3CN and CH3-13-CN line emission. We identify two major and four small kinematic components, and derive their physical and chemical properties. Conclusions. We find a possible infalling signature toward the bursting secondary source VLA4A, which may be fed by an infalling streamer from the large-scale envelope. The mechanical heating in the binary system, as well as the infalling shocked gas, likely play a role in the thermal structure of the protobinary system. By accumulating mass from the streamer, the system might have experienced a gravitationally unstable phase before the accretion outburst. Finally, the derived CH3CN/CH3-13-CN ratio is lower than the canonical ratio in the ISM and is different between VLA4A and VLA4B.
comment: 14 pages, 13 figures
☆ Nuclear Fusion Enhancement by Heavy Nuclear Catalysts
We seek to understand the effect of high electron density in the proximity of a heavy nucleus on the fusion reaction rates in a hot plasma phase. We investigate quantitatively the catalytic effect of gold ($Z=79$) ions embedded in an electron plasma created due to plasmonic focusing of high-intensity short laser pulses. Using self-consistent strong plasma screening, we find highly significant changes in the internuclear potential of light elements present nearby. For gold, we see a $14\,$keV change in the internuclear potential near the nuclear surface, independent of the long-distance thermal Debye-H\"uckel screening. The dense polarization cloud of electrons around the gold catalyst leads to a $\sim 1.5$ enhancement of proton-boron ($^{11}$B) fusion above $T=100\,$keV.
♻ ☆ Closing the stellar labels gap: Stellar label independent evidence for [$α/M$] information in Gaia BP/RP spectra
Data-driven models for stellar spectra which depend on stellar labels suffer from label systematics which decrease model performance: the "stellar labels gap". To close the stellar labels gap, we present a stellar label independent model for Gaia BP/RP spectra. We develop a novel implementation of a variational auto-encoder, which learns to generate an XP spectrum and accompanying 'scatter' without relying on stellar labels. We demonstrate that our model achieves competitive XP spectra reconstructions in comparison to stellar label dependent models. We find that our model learns stellar properties directly from the data itself. We then apply our model to XP/APOGEE giant stars to study the [$\alpha$/M] information in Gaia XP. We provide strong evidence that the XP spectra contain meaningful [$\alpha$/M] information by demonstrating that our model learns the $\alpha$-bimodality, without relying on stellar label correlations for stars with $T_{\rm eff} <$ 5000 K, while also being sensitive to the anomalous abundances of Gaia-Enceladus stars. We publicly release our trained model, codebase and data. Importantly, our stellar label independent model can be implemented for any/all XP spectra because our model performance scales with training object density, not training label density.
comment: 20 pages, 15 figures, published in ApJ. Code available at https://zenodo.org/records/14041979. Data available at https://zenodo.org/records/14041773
♻ ☆ Alfvén pulse at chromospheric footpoints of magnetic loops and generation of the super-Dreicer electric field
A self-similar solution of the linearised magnetohydrodynamic equations describing the propagation of the Alfv\'en pulse in an axially symmetric magnetic tube of variable diameter is obtained. The electric field component induced by the non-linear Alfv\'en wave and directed along the tube surface, i.e., accelerating particles along the magnetic field, is determined on the basis of the perturbation theory and specified to the case of a magnetic flux tube homogeneous over its cross section. For the chromospheric tubes, whose configuration is given by the barometric law of plasma pressure decrease, the conditions for achieving the super-Dreicer electric field limit necessary to drive the accelerated high-energy electrons into the coronal part of the loop are established.
♻ ☆ Coronal hole picoflare jets are progenitors of both fast and Alfvénic slow solar wind
Solar wind, classified by its bulk speed and the Alfv\'enic nature of its fluctuations, generates the heliosphere. The elusive physical processes responsible for the generation of the different types of this wind are a topic of active debate. Recent observations reveal intermittent jets, with kinetic energy in the picoflare range, emerging from dark areas of a polar coronal hole threaded by open magnetic field lines. These could substantially contribute to solar wind. However, their ubiquity and direct links to solar wind have not been established. Here, we report a unique set of remote-sensing and in situ observations from the Solar Orbiter spacecraft that establish a unified picture of fast and Alfv\'{e}nic slow wind, connected to the similar widespread picoflare jet activity in two coronal holes. Radial expansion of coronal holes ultimately regulates the speed of the emerging wind.
comment: Published in Astronomy and Astrophysics
♻ ☆ Identification of 30,000 White Dwarf-Main Sequence binaries candidates from Gaia DR3 BP/RP(XP) low-resolution spectra
White dwarf-main sequence (WDMS) binary systems are essential probes for understanding binary stellar evolution and play a pivotal role in constraining theoretical models of various transient phenomena. In this study, we construct a catalog of WDMS binaries using Gaia DR3's low-resolution BP/RP (XP) spectra. Our approach integrates a model-independent neural network for spectral modelling with Gaussian Process Classification to accurately identify WDMS binaries among over 10 million stars within 1 kpc. This study identify approximately 30,000 WDMS binary candidates, including ~1,700 high-confidence systems confirmed through spectral fitting. Our technique is shown to be effective at detecting systems where the main-sequence star dominates the spectrum - cases that have historically challenged conventional methods. Validation using GALEX photometry reinforces the reliability of our classifications: 70\% of candidates with an absolute magnitude $M_{G} > 7$ exhibit UV excess, a characteristic signature of white dwarf companions. Our all-sky catalog of WDMS binaries expands the available dataset for studying binary evolution and white dwarf physics and sheds light on the formation of WDMS.
comment: 30 pages, 12 figures, Submitted to ApJS
♻ ☆ Signatures of Rapidly Rotating Stars with Chemically Homogeneous Evolution in the First Galaxies
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has revealed an unexpectedly high abundance of UV luminous galaxies at redshifts $z\gtrsim 10$, challenging `standard' galaxy formation models. This study investigates the role of rapidly rotating (massive) stars undergoing chemically homogeneous evolution (CHE) in reconciling this potential tension. These stars are more compact, hotter, and exhibit enhanced UV emission. We find that the rest-frame UV luminosity of star-forming galaxies can be significantly enhanced by a factor of $\sim 3-6$ when CHE stars above a minimum initial mass of $m_{\star,\min}^{\rm CHE}\sim 2-10\ \rm M_\odot$ account for more than half of the total stellar mass following a Salpeter initial mass function. As a result, the UV luminosity functions observed at $z\sim 12-16$ can be reproduced with less extreme values of star formation efficiency and UV luminosity stochastic variability. Our results highlight the potential of CHE in explaining the UV-bright galaxy populations detected by JWST and call for future work to explore the broader astrophysical implications of CHE and its associated phenomena in the early universe, such as gamma-ray bursts, compact object binaries, and metal enrichment.
comment: 8+4 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in ApJL, see Figs. 2 and 3 for main results
♻ ☆ Magnetic field Amplification in a Rotating Astrophysical Plasma Sphere: $α$ and $β$ Effects
We investigated the generation of the $\alpha$ and $\beta$ effects in a rotating spherical plasma system with oppositely polarized kinetic helicity in the northern and southern hemispheres and examined their contributions to the induction of magnetic fields. We found that the $\alpha$ effect is relatively small, and its sign depends on the polarization of kinetic helicity. In contrast, the $\beta$ effect remains negative regardless of the sign of kinetic helicity. Despite its small magnitude, the $\alpha$ effect plays a crucial role in determining the polarity of helical magnetic structures, while a negative $\beta$ indicates energy diffusion from turbulent regions into the large-scale magnetic field. We derived the $\alpha$ and $\beta$ effects with oppositely polarized kinetic helicity using different approaches, incorporating large-scale magnetic data and turbulent kinetic data. These were used to reproduce the large-scale magnetic field and compare it with DNS results. In the kinematic regime, where the magnetic field strength is weak, our results align well; however, in regions with strong nonlinear magnetic effects, the magnetic field reproduced using turbulent kinetic data diverges. This divergence is attributed to insufficient quenching of the $\beta$ effect, suggesting that including the second-moment terms of velocity in the magnetic field effect would improve the accuracy of the $\beta$ coefficient. In this study, we considered the case of a rotating plasma sphere with $Pr_M = 1$ and low Reynolds numbers. However, in reality, Reynolds numbers are much higher, and $Pr_M$ is much less than 1, which necessitates further studies on this topic. We plan to address this in future research.
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena 33
☆ Quantifying Advantages of a Moving Mesh in Nuclear Hydrodynamics
Many astrophysical explosions, such as type Ia supernovae, classical novae, and X-ray bursts, are dominated by thermonuclear runaway. To model these processes accurately, one must evolve nuclear reactions concurrently with hydrodynamics. We present an application of the moving mesh technique to this field of computation with the aim of explicitly testing the advantages of the method against the fixed mesh case. By way of traditional Strang splitting, our work couples a 13 isotope nuclear reaction network to a 1D moving mesh, Cartesian geometry hydrodynamics code. We explore three reacting problems: an acoustic pulse, a burning shock, and an advecting deflagration. Additionally using the shock jump conditions, we semi-analytically solve the burning shock problem under the assumption of quick, complete burning with the hope of establishing a useful and easy to set-up test problem. Strong moving mesh advantages are found in advecting, deflagrating flame fronts, where the technique dramatically reduces numerical diffusion that would otherwise lead to very fast artificial deflagration.
comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, 5 tables. ApJ accepted
☆ New stellar bow shocks and bubbles found around runaway stars
Runaway stars with peculiar high velocities can generate stellar bow shocks. Only a few bow shocks show clear radio emission. Our goal is to identify and characterize new stellar bow shocks around O and Be runaway stars in the infrared (IR), and to study their possible radio emission and nature. Our input data is a catalog of O and Be runaways compiled using Gaia DR3. We used WISE IR images to search for bow shocks around these runaways, Gaia DR3 data to determine the actual motion of the runaway stars corrected for interstellar medium (ISM) motion caused by Galactic rotation, and archival radio data to search for emission signatures. We finally explored the radio detectability of these sources under thermal and nonthermal scenarios. We found 9 new stellar bow shock candidates, 3 new bubble candidates, and 1 intermediate structure candidate. One of them is an in situ bow shock candidate. We also found 17 already known bow shocks in our sample, though we discarded one, and 62 miscellaneous sources showing some IR emission around the runaways. We geometrically characterized the sources in IR using the WISE-4 band and estimated the ISM density at the bow shock positions, obtaining median values of ~6 and ~4 cm$^{-3}$ using 2D and 3D peculiar velocities. Most of the new discovered bow shocks come from new runaway discoveries. Within our samples we found that ~24% of the O-type runaway stars show bow shocks, while this decreases to ~3% for Be-type runaway stars. Two bow shocks present radio emission but not as clear counterparts, and two others show hints of radio emission. The physical scenarios indicate that two sources could still be compatible with nonthermal radio emission. The new sample of O and Be runaway stars allowed us to discover both new stellar bow shocks and bubbles. Their geometrical characterization can be used to assess the physical scenario of the radio emission. (Abridged)
comment: 19 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A
☆ Ball Lightning as a profound manifestation of the Dark Matter physics
Ball lighting (BL) has been observed for centuries. There are large number of books, review articles, and original scientific papers devoted to different aspects of BL phenomenon. Yet, the basic features of this phenomenon have never been explained by known physics. The main problem is the source which could power the dynamics of the BL. We advocate an idea that the dark matter in form of the axion quark nuggets (AQN) made of standard model quarks and gluons (similar to the old idea of the Witten's strangelets) could internally generate the required power. The corresponding macroscopically large object in form of the AQN behaves as {\it chameleon}: it does not interact with the surrounding material in dilute environment and serves as perfect cold DM candidate. However, AQN becomes strongly interacting object in sufficiently dense environment. The AQN model was invented long ago without any relation to the BL physics. It was invented with a single motivation to explain the observed similarity $\Omega_{\rm DM}\sim \Omega_{\rm visible}$ between visible and DM components. This relation represents a very generic feature of this framework, not sensitive to any parameters of the construction. However, with the same set of parameters being fixed long ago this model is capable to address the key elements of the BL phenomenology, including the source of the energy powering the BL events. In particular, we argue that the visible size of BL, its typical life time, the frequency of appearance , etc are all consistent with suggested proposal when BL represents a profound manifestation of the DM physics represented by the AQN objects. We also formulate a unique possible test which can refute or unambiguously substantiate this unorthodox proposal on nature of BL.
comment: 24 pages
☆ Carpet-3 detection of a photon-like air shower with estimated primary energy above 100 TeV in a spatial and temporal coincidence with GRB 221009A
The brightest cosmic gamma-ray burst (GRB) ever detected, GRB 221009A, was accompanied by photons of very high energies. These gamma rays may be used to test both the astrophysical models of the burst and our understanding of long-distance propagation of energetic photons, including potential new-physics effects. Here we present the observation of a photon-like air shower with the estimated primary energy of $300^{+43}_{-38}$ TeV, coincident (with the chance probability of $\sim 9\cdot 10^{-3}$) with the GRB in its arrival direction and time. Making use of the upgraded Carpet-3 muon detector and new machine learning analysis, we estimate the probability that the primary was hadronic as $\sim 3 \cdot 10^{-4}$. This is the highest-energy event ever associated with any GRB.
comment: 11 pages, 9 figures
☆ Modulation of X-ray flux by obscuration of neutron star boundary layer
The quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) observed in the X-ray variability of both black hole (BH) and neutron star (NS) systems provide a tool for probing strong gravity and dense matter equations of state. Nevertheless, the mechanism of QPO modulation in NS systems, where the amplitudes of QPOs with frequencies approaching kHz range are very high in comparison to BH high-frequency QPOs, remains an unsolved puzzle. Relativistic ray tracing of photons emitted from the immediate vicinity of compact objects has, to date, been used to investigate various mechanisms that explain the observed weak BH QPOs. However, it has not been applied to model the NS QPO signal, which requires incorporating the NS surface and a bright boundary layer (BL) on it. Here, we explore the QPO modulation mechanisms based on the BL obscuration. Using simplified models of axisymmetric oscillations of thick accretion discs (tori), we demonstrate that the disc oscillations drive the high NS QPO amplitudes through BL obscuration, which is relevant especially for vertical oscillations. We also demonstrate that obscuration effects enable the observability of the Keplerian frequency in the case of discs that decay due to instabilities.
comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal
☆ Constraints on minimally and conformally coupled ultralight dark matter with the EPTA SP
Millisecond pulsars are extremely stable natural timekeepers. Pulsar Timing Array experiments, tracking subtle changes in the pulsars' rotation periods, can shed light on the presence of ultralight particles in our Galaxy. In this conference paper, we start by reviewing the most conservative scenario, in which ultralight particles interact only gravitationally. In this setting, we show that Pulsar Timing Arrays are able to constrain the presence of ultralight fields up to a few tenths of the observed dark matter abundance. Then, we consider conformally coupled ultralight candidates, demonstrating that the constraints on the universal scalar coupling of the field to Standard Model particles improve on existing bounds by several orders of magnitude, in the relevant mass range analyzed by Pulsar Timing Arrays. The discussion presented here is based on [1,2].
comment: 9 pages refs. included, 3 figures. Contribution to the proceedings of the 2nd General Meeting of the COST Action COSMICWISPers (CA21106)
☆ Mixing neutron star material into the jets in the common envelope jets supernova r-process scenario
I find that the accretion disk around the neutron star (NS) that enters the core of a massive evolved star in the frame of the common-envelope jets supernova (CEJSN) r-process scenario can penetrate the crust of the NS, mix neutron-rich crust material into the disk, and enrich the jets that the disk launches with the neutron-rich material. As the NS accretes at high rates from the core inside which it revolves, it forms an accretion disk with high density. In the CEJSN r-process scenario, the very high density in the accretion disk results in low electron fraction gas, enabling the r-process. Jets carry the r-process elements out. The new claim in this study is that the high-density accretion disk destroys part of the NS crust and entrains this mass. The Kelvin-Helmholtz instability mixes material from the deeper crust. The total neutron-rich mass that the disk mixes and the jets carry can be up to ~0.01Mo. Enriching the accretion disk with neutron-rich material ensures a low electron fraction as required by the r-process nucleosynthesis and the ejection of massive r-process ejecta, ~0.01-0.03Mo. I strengthen the CEJSN r-process scenario but do not claim it is the main r-process site. I only claim that two or more r-process sites contribute to r-process nucleosynthesis.
comment: Will be submitted in two days to allow for comments (including missing references and r-process sites)
☆ Search for a diffuse flux of photons with energies above tens of PeV at the Pierre Auger Observatory
Diffuse photons of energy above 0.1 PeV, produced through the interactions between cosmic rays and either interstellar matter or background radiation fields, are powerful tracers of the distribution of cosmic rays in the Galaxy. Furthermore, the measurement of a diffuse photon flux would be an important probe to test models of super-heavy dark matter decaying into gamma-rays. In this work, we search for a diffuse photon flux in the energy range between 50 PeV and 200 PeV using data from the Pierre Auger Observatory. For the first time, we combine the air-shower measurements from a 2 km$^2$ surface array consisting of 19 water-Cherenkov surface detectors, spaced at 433 m, with the muon measurements from an array of buried scintillators placed in the same area. Using 15 months of data, collected while the array was still under construction, we derive upper limits to the integral photon flux ranging from 13.3 to 13.8 km$^{-2}$ sr$^{-1}$ yr$^{-1}$ above tens of PeV. We extend the Pierre Auger Observatory photon search program towards lower energies, covering more than three decades of cosmic-ray energy. This work lays the foundation for future diffuse photon searches: with the data from the next 10 years of operation of the Observatory, this limit is expected to improve by a factor of $\sim$20.
comment: Submitted to JCAP
☆ A Compact theorem on the compactness of ultra-compact objects with monotonically decreasing matter fields
Self-gravitating horizonless ultra-compact objects that possess light rings have attracted the attention of physicists and mathematicians in recent years. In the present compact paper we raise the following physically interesting question: Is there a lower bound on the global compactness parameters ${\cal C}\equiv\text{max}_r\{2m(r)/r\}$ of spherically symmetric ultra-compact objects? Using the non-linearly coupled Einstein-matter field equations we explicitly prove that spatially regular ultra-compact objects with monotonically decreasing density functions (or monotonically decreasing radial pressure functions) are characterized by the lower bound ${\cal C}\geq1/3$ on their dimensionless compactness parameters.
comment: 5 pages
☆ Consistent crust-core interpolation and its effect on non-radial neutron star oscillations
To model the structure of neutron stars (NSs) theoretically,it is common to consider layers with different density regimes. Matching the equation of state (EoS) for the crust and core and obtaining a suitable description of these extreme conditions are crucial for understanding the properties of these compact objects. In this work, we construct ten different NS EoSs incorporating three distinct crust models, which are connected to the core using a thermodynamically and causally consistent formalism. For cold NSs, we propose a linear relationship between pressure and energy density in a narrow region between the crust and core, effectively establishing an interpolation function in the pressure-baryonic chemical potential plane. We then compare this EoS matching method with the classical approach, which neglects causal and thermodynamic consistency. We solve the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equation to obtain the mass-radius relationship and compare our results with observational constraints on NSs. Furthermore, we investigate the influence of the new matching formalism on non-radial oscillation frequencies and damping times. Our findings suggest that the method used to glue the crust and core EoS impacts NS observables, such as the radius, oscillation frequencies, and damping times of non-radial modes, which may be crucial for interpreting future gravitational wave observations from neutron star mergers or isolated pulsars. The effects are particularly noticeable for low-mass NSs, regardless of the specific EoS model chosen. In particular, we find that the $p_1$ oscillation mode exhibits significant differences in frequencies among alternative matching methods, whereas the fundamental $f$-mode remains unaffected by changes in crust models or interpolation schemes.
comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, IWARA2024 proceedings published in Astronomische Nachrichten
☆ Probing New Physics with Multi-Messenger Astronomy
The burgeoning field of multi-messenger astronomy is poised to revolutionize our understanding of the most enigmatic astrophysical phenomena in the Universe. At the same time, it has opened a new window of opportunity to probe various particle physics phenomena. This is illustrated here with a few example new physics scenarios, namely, decaying heavy dark matter, pseudo-Dirac neutrinos and light dark sector physics, for which new constraints are derived using recent multi-messenger observations.
comment: 8 pages, 4 figures; Contribution to the Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Interconnections between Particle Physics and Cosmology - PPC 2024, 14-18 Oct 2024, IIT Hyderabad, India
☆ Discovery of an RRAT-like pulsar via its single pulses in an MWA imaging survey
We report the discovery of PSR J0031$-$5726 in the GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky MWA eXtended imaging survey at a Galactic latitude of $b \approx -60^\circ$. The pulsar exhibits both sporadic, extremely bright pulses reminiscent of rotating radio transients (RRATs) as well as a persistent, dimmer pulses. The bright pulses tend to arrive at later rotation phases than their dimmer counterparts, and have dramatically varying polarization angle curves, such that the integrated profile appears almost completely depolarized down to the system noise level. The rotation measure of individual pulses was found to sometimes vary by up to ${\sim}0.8\,$rad/m$^2$, but was otherwise generally consistent with its average (ionosphere-corrected) value of $10.0 \pm 0.1\,$rad/m$^2$. We surmise that J0031$-$5726 may represent a class of pulsar that is intermediate between normal pulsars and RRATs.
comment: 16 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
☆ Self-consistent scenario for jet and stellar explosion in collapsar: General relativistic magnetohydrodynamics simulation with dynamo
A resistive magnetohydrodynamics simulation with a dynamo term is performed for modeling the collapsar in full general relativity. As an initial condition, a spinning black hole and infalling stellar matter are modeled based on a stellar evolution result, superimposing a weak toroidal magnetic field. After the growth of a massive torus around the black hole, the magnetic field is amplified in it, developing poloidal fields via dynamo. In an early stage of the torus growth, magnetic fluxes that fall to the vicinity of the central black hole are swallowed by the black hole and global poloidal magnetic fields that can be the source of the Blandford-Znajek mechanism are not developed. However, in a later stage in which the ram pressure of the infalling matter becomes weak, the magnetic field amplified by the black hole spin via the winding becomes large enough to expel the infalling matter by the magnetic pressure, and subsequently, a global poloidal magnetic field that penetrates the black hole is established, launching a jet along the spin axis by the Blandford-Znajek mechanism with the luminosity suitable for explaining typical long gamma-ray bursts. Together with the jet launch, the effectively viscous effect in the inner region of the torus and the magnetocentrifugal effect drive the stellar explosion with the explosion energy comparable to typical or powerful supernovae. We also find large amounts of synthesized $^{56}$Ni and Zn associated with the stellar explosion. In the presence of jet launching, $r$-process elements are weakly synthesized. The numerical results of the explosion energy, ejecta mass, and $^{56}$Ni mass are in a good agreement with those for observed broad-lined type Ic supernovae. Our result illustrates a self-consistent scenario for the gamma-ray-burst-associated broad-lined type Ic supernovae.
comment: 22 pages, 13 figures. submitted to PRD
☆ Thirty-five years of timing of M53A with Arecibo and FAST
PSR B1310+18A is a 33-ms binary pulsar in a 256-day, low eccentricity orbit with a low-mass companion located in NGC 5024 (M53). In this Letter, we present the first phase-coherent timing solution for this pulsar (designated as M53A) derived from a 35-year timing baseline; this combines the archival Arecibo Observatory data with the recent observations from the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). We find that the spin period derivative of the pulsar is between 6.1 and $7.5 \times 10^{-19} \rm \, s\, s^{-1}$, which implies a characteristic age between 0.70 and 0.85 Gyr. The timing solution also includes a precise position and proper motion for the pulsar, enabling the identification of the companion of M53A in Hubble Space Telescope data as a Helium white dwarf (He WD) with a mass of $M_{\rm WD}=0.39^{+0.05}_{-0.07} \, \rm M_{\odot}$ and a cooling age of $0.14^{+0.04}_{-0.03}\, \rm Gyr$, confirming that the system formed recently in the history of the GC. The system resembles, in its spin and orbital characteristics, similarly wide pulsar - He WD systems in the Galactic disk. We conclude by discussing the origin of slow pulsars in globular clusters, showing that none of the slow pulsars in low-density globular clusters are as young as the systems observed in the densest known globular clusters.
comment: 12 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
☆ A search for extremely-high-energy neutrinos and first constraints on the ultra-high-energy cosmic-ray proton fraction with IceCube
We present a search for the diffuse extremely-high-energy neutrino flux using $12.6$ years of IceCube data. The non-observation of neutrinos with energies well above $10 \, \mathrm{PeV}$ constrains the all-flavor neutrino flux at $10^{18} \, \mathrm{eV}$ to a level of $E^2 \Phi_{\nu_e + \nu_\mu + \nu_\tau} \simeq 10^{-8} \, \mathrm{GeV} \, \mathrm{cm}^{-2} \, \mathrm{s}^{-1} \, \mathrm{sr}^{-1}$, the most stringent limit to date. Using this data, we constrain the proton fraction of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) above $\simeq 30 \, \mathrm{EeV}$ to be $\lesssim 70\,$% (at $90\,$% CL) if the cosmological evolution of the sources is comparable to or stronger than the star formation rate. This result complements direct air-shower measurements by being insensitive to uncertainties associated with hadronic interaction models. It is the first such result to disfavor the ``proton-only" hypothesis for UHECRs using neutrino data.
☆ Collisionless shocks having relativistic velocities in relativistically hot plasmas
Shocks in relativistically hot plasmas are thought to exist in various high-energy astrophysical phenomena, but it is not clear how relativistic collisionless shocks are formed, whether particles are accelerated by the shock as in the case of cold upstream. In this work, collisionless shocks with a relativistic shock velocity in relativistically hot unmagnetized electron-positron plasmas are investigated by two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. It is shown that the upstream flow is dissipated by the Weibel instability, so that the relativistic collisionless shock is formed as in the case of cold upstream. The density and magnetic field structures around the shock front are almost independent of the upstream temperature when the spatial scale is normalized by the inertial length scale which takes into account the relativistic temperature. This can be understood by considering the pressure anisotropy, which asymptotically approaches a finite value due to the relativistic beaming effect, even as the temperature becomes relativistically hotter and hotter. In addition, as long as the shock velocity is relativistic, some particles are accelerated, forming a power-law energy spectrum similar to that in the cold upstream.
comment: 8 pages, 6 figures
☆ Exploring blazars through sonification. Visual and auditory insights into multifrequency variability
Using open astronomical multifrequency databases, we constructed light curves and developed a comprehensive visualisation and sonification analysis for the blazars Mrk~501, Mrk~1501, Mrk~421, BL~Lacerta, AO~0235+164, 3C~66A, OJ~049, OJ~287, and PKS~J2134-0153. This study employed Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) and Parameter Mapping Sonification (PMSon) techniques to generate waveforms, spectrograms, and sonifications. These representations demonstrate that data visualisation and sonification are powerful tools for analysing astronomical objects like blazers, providing insights into their multifrequency variability. This work highlights how sonification and visualisation can aid in identifying potential patterns, power variations, regularities, and gaps in the data. This multimodal approach also underscores the importance of inclusivity in scientific communication, offering accessible methods for exploring the complex behaviour of blazers.
comment: 12 pages, 9 figures
♻ ☆ PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 I: X-ray exploration of a low-mass cluster with exceptionally-distant radio relics
Relics are diffuse, highly-polarized radio sources that trace merger-driven shocks at the periphery of merging galaxy clusters. The LOFAR survey recently discovered a rare example of double relics in the low-mass cluster PSZ2 G181.06+48.47. Through a detailed exploration of new Chandra and XMM-Newton observations, we reveal that PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 has a lower mass ($M_{500,X}=2.32^{+0.29}_{-0.25}\times10^{14}$ M$_{\odot}$) than previously thought. Despite its cool global temperature of $kT_{500}=3.62^{+0.15}_{-0.07}$ keV, PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 is one of the most disturbed clusters in the Planck sample, with a complex morphological and thermodynamic structure. We discover a set of three discontinuities within <500 kpc of the cluster center, and, from a surface brightness analysis, place $5\sigma$ upper limits of $M_{NE}<1.43$ and $M_{SW}<1.57$ for any shock associated with the relic locations. We also revise established scaling relations for double radio-relics by adding 12 new systems not included in previous work. The PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 relics have the widest separation (scaled for $r_{500}$) of all known double-relic systems. The exceptional distance from the cluster center ($>r_{200}$), indicates the relics may be associated with shocks in the ``run-away" phase. We propose that this late-stage, post-apocenter merger is captured as the two subclusters with a mass ratio of 1.2-1.4 fall back into each other. The outer relic shocks were likely produced at the first core passage, while the inner discontinuities are associated with the second infall.
comment: Resubmitted to ApJ on Feb 4, 2025, after addressing the referee comments. 28 pages, 10 figures. Companion paper discussing the radio properties can be found at arXiv:2501.08390. Companion weak-lensing reconstruction paper can be found at arXiv:2501.09067
♻ ☆ Bayesian analysis of hybrid neutron star EoS constraints within a nonlocal color superconducting quark matter model
We present a physics-informed Bayesian analysis of equation of state constraints using observational data for masses, radii and tidal deformability of pulsars and a generic class of hybrid neutron star equation of state with color superconducting quark matter on the basis of a recently developed nonlocal chiral quark model. The nuclear matter phase is described within a relativistic density functional model of the DD2 class and the phase transition is obtained by a Maxwell construction. We find the region in the two-dimensional parameter space spanned by the vector meson coupling and the scalar diquark coupling, where three conditions are fulfilled: 1) the Maxwell construction can be performed, 2) the maximum mass of the hybrid neutron star is not smaller than 2.0 M$_\odot$ and 3) the onset density of the phase transition is not below the nuclear saturation density $n_0=0.15$ fm$^{-3}$. The result of this study shows that the favorable neutron star equation of state has low onset masses for the occurrence of a color superconducting quark matter core between $0.5-0.7~M_\odot$ and maximum masses in the range $2.15 - 2.22~M_\odot$. In the typical mass range of $1.2 - 2.0~M_\odot$, the radii of these stars are between 11.9 and 12.4 km, almost independent of the mass. In principle, hybrid stars would allow for larger maximum masses than provided by the hadronic reference equation of state.
comment: 21 pages, 12 figures, 2 tables, extended version with additional text, figures, table and references
♻ ☆ Transition from adiabatic inspiral to plunge for eccentric binaries
Black hole binaries with small mass ratios will be critical targets for the forthcoming Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission. They also serve as useful tools for understanding the properties of binaries at general mass ratios. In its early stages, such a binary's gravitational-wave-driven inspiral can be modeled as the smaller body flowing through a sequence of geodesic orbits of the larger black hole's spacetime. Its motion through this sequence is determined by the rate at which backreaction changes an orbit's integrals of motion $E$, $L_z$, and $Q$. Key to the motion being close to a geodesic at any moment is the idea that the effect of backreaction is small compared to a ``restoring force'' arising from the potential which governs geodesic motion. This restoring force holds the small body on a geodesic trajectory as the backreaction causes that geodesic to slowly evolve. As the inspiraling body approaches the last stable orbit (LSO), the restoring force becomes weaker and the backreaction becomes stronger. Once the small body evolves past the LSO, its trajectory converges to a plunging geodesic. This work aims to smoothly connect these two disparate regimes: the slowly evolving adiabatic inspiral and the final plunge. Past work has focused on this transition to plunge for circular systems. Here, we study the transition for binaries with eccentricity. A well-defined eccentric transition will make it possible to develop small-mass-ratio binary waveform models that terminate in a physically reasonable way, rather than abruptly terminating as an inspiral-only model ends. A model that can explore the parameter space of eccentricity may also be useful for understanding the final cycles of eccentric binaries at less extreme mass ratios, such as those likely to be observed by ground-based detectors.
comment: 21 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Physical Review D
♻ ☆ Approximate helical symmetry in compact binaries
The inspiral of a circular, non-precessing binary exhibits an approximate helical symmetry. The effects of eccentricity, precession, and radiation reaction break the exact symmetry. We estimate the failure of this symmetry using the flux of the BMS charge corresponding to helical symmetry carried away by gravitational waves. We analytically compute the helical flux for binaries moving on eccentric orbits and quasi-circular orbits without precession using post-Newtonian theory. The helical flux is non-vanishing at the 0PN order for eccentric orbits as expected. We analytically predict the helical flux to be at a relative 5PN order for quasi-circular non-precessing binaries. This prediction is compared with 113 quasi-circular non-precessing numerical relativity waveforms from the SXS catalog. We find good agreement between analytical and numerical results for quasi-circular non-precessing binaries establishing that helical symmetry starts to break at 5PN for these binaries.
comment: 9+1 pages, 4 figures. Comments welcome
♻ ☆ Hybrid stars in light of the HESS J1731-347 remnant and the PREX-II experiment
The recent analysis on the central compact object in the HESS J1731-347 remnant suggests interestingly small values for its mass and radius. Such an observation favors soft nuclear models that may be challenged by the observation of massive compact stars. In contrast, the recent PREX-II experiment, concerning the neutron skin thickness of $^{208}$Pb, points towards stiff equations of state that favor larger compact star radii. In the present study, we aim to explore the compatibility between stiff hadronic equations of state (favored by PREX-II) and the HESS J1731-347 remnant in the context of hybrid stars. For the construction of hybrid equations of state we use three widely employed Skyrme models combined with the well-known vector MIT bag model. Furthermore we consider two different scenarios concerning the energy density of the bag. In the first case, that of a constant bag parameter, we find that the resulting hybrid equations of state are strongly disfavored by the observation of $\sim2 M_\odot$ pulsars. However, the introduction of a Gaussian density dependence yields results that are compatible with the conservative $2 M_\odot$ constraint. The utilization of recent data based on the observation of PSR J0030+0451, PSR J0952-0607 and GW190814 allows for the imposition of additional constraints on the relevant parameters and the stiffness of the two phases. Interestingly, we find that the derived hybrid equations of state do not satisfy the PSR J0030+0451 constraints in $1\sigma$ and only marginally agree with the $2\sigma$ estimations. In addition, we estimate that the observation of massive pulsars, like PSR J0952-0607, in combination with the existence of HESS J1731-347, may require a strong phase transition below $\sim 1.7n_0$. Finally, we show that the supermassive compact object involved in GW190814 could potentially be explained as a rapidly rotating hybrid star.
comment: v1: 15 pages, 15 figures, 6 tables; v2: 15 pages, 15 figures, 6 tables, updated to match the published version; Accepted for publication in Physical Review D
♻ ☆ Impact of chaotic magnetic field on physical properties of rotating neutron stars
Observations reveal that magnetic fields on neutron stars (NSs) are in the range of $10^{8-15}$ G. Apart from being celestial bodies, NSs are normally rotating. In this work, we study the impact of a chaotic magnetic field on the physical properties of the rotating NSs. i.e. mass, radius, Kepler frequency, and moment of inertia. We employ an equation of state of NSs with the nuclei in the crust and hyperons in the core. Hartle-Thorne formalism as an approximation of the rotating NSs is utilized. For the magnetic field ansatz, we use the one coupled to the energy density. We find that the magnetic field can decrease radius of NS. NSs formed with higher central magnetic field strength and higher-order surface magnetic field strength exhibit a lower maximum mass compared to those formed with lower central magnetic field strength and lower-order surface magnetic field strength. In contrast, the increment of the magnetic field can increase the compactness and deformation of rotating NSs. As the magnetic field strength increases, the mass-radius curve begins to resemble that of quark stars. The presence of chaotic magnetic field enhances the Kepler frequency of rotating NSs, whereas it simultaneously tend to decreases their moment of inertia. The moment of inertia of rotating NSs with chaotic magnetic fields at $\Omega=1000$ s$^{-1}$ and $\Omega=3000$ s$^{-1}$ is consistent with the constraint range obtained from pulsar mass measurements, gravitational wave event data, and X-ray observations of emissions from hotspots on NS surfaces measured by NICER.
comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, 1 table
♻ ☆ Speed of sound bounds and first-order phase transitions in compact stars
In the present study, we employ three distinct, physically motivated speed of sound bounds to construct hybrid models, where the high-density phase is described by the maximally stiff equation of state. In particular, we consider the bounds related to special relativity, relativistic kinetic theory and conformality. The low-density hadronic phase is described by a state-of-the-art microscopic relativistic Brueckner-Hartree-Fock theory. This work aims to access the effect of the different speed of sound constraints on the relevant parameter space of the key parameters of first-order phase transitions by utilizing recent astronomical data. This involves a systematic analysis that also includes two distinct schemes for the construction of hybrid models (abrupt and smooth). Finally, a relevant discussion is conducted on the possible occurrence of a thermodynamic inconsistency that is related to the stability of the high-density phase over hadronic matter at large densities.
comment: v1: 11 pages, 8 figures; v2: 12 pages, 10 figures; updated to match the published version; accepted for publication in Physical Review C
♻ ☆ Fast radio bursts as precursor radio emission from monster shocks
It has been proposed recently that the breaking of MHD waves in the inner magnetosphere of strongly magnetized neutron stars can power different types of high-energy transients. Motivated by these considerations, we study the steepening and dissipation of a strongly magnetized fast magnetosonic wave propagating in a declining background magnetic field, by means of particle-in-cell simulations that encompass MHD scales. Our analysis confirms the formation of a monster shock as $B^2-E^2 \to 0$, that dissipates about half of the fast magnetosonic wave energy. It also reveals, for the first time, the generation of a high-frequency precursor wave by a synchrotron maser instability at the monster shock front, carrying a fraction of $\sim 10^{-3}$ of the total energy dissipated at the shock. The spectrum of the precursor wave exhibits several sharp harmonic peaks, with frequencies in the GHz band under conditions anticipated in magnetars. Such signals may appear as fast radio bursts.
comment: 10 pages, 6 figures
♻ ☆ BASS XLVII: 22 GHz Radio Atlas of Swift-BAT Selected AGN
We present the third phase of the largest high-frequency, high-resolution imaging survey of 231 nearby, hard X-ray selected AGN, with a very high $98 \pm 1\%$ detection fraction. This survey presents VLA 22 GHz radio observations with 1" spatial resolution covering over $6$ orders of magnitude in radio luminosity in nearby AGN that span $\sim4$ orders of magnitude in black hole mass and X-ray luminosity. We identify three different radio morphologies: $44 \pm 3\%$ (102/231) are compact or unresolved, $46 \pm 3\%$ (106/231) show an extended structure (star formation, possible one-sided jets, etc.), and $8 \pm 2\%$ (19/231) have a biconical or two-sided jet-like morphology. The remaining $2 \pm 1\%$ (4/231) sources are non-detections. The radio-to-X-ray luminosity ratios of the Swift-BAT AGN ($\text{L}_R/\text{L}_{14-195 \text{keV}} \sim 10^{-5.5}$ and $\text{L}_R/\text{L}_{2-10 \text{keV}} \sim 10^{-5}$) with a scatter of $\sim0.5$ dex are similar to that of coronally active stars ($\text{L}_R/\text{L}_X \sim 10^{-5}$). For most targets, extended emission in radio-quiet objects is broadly consistent with the expectation for star formation from previous FIR observations, once the contribution from the radio core has been subtracted. Our sample represents nearby analogs of distant AGN at the peak of black hole growth, and thus the high detection fraction in our work has important implications for future high frequency AGN radio surveys with the next generation VLA (ngVLA) or Square Kilometre Array (SKA), both of which should detect large fractions of more distant AGN.
comment: 26 pages, 8 figures, 4tables. Accepted for publication in ApJ
♻ ☆ Dark I-Love-Q
For neutron stars, there exist universal relations insensitive to the equation of states, the so called I-Love-Q relations, which show the connections among the moment of inertia, tidal Love number and quadrupole moment. In this paper, we show that these relations also apply to dark stars, bosonic or fermionic. The relations can be extended to higher ranges of the variables, clarifying the deviations for dark stars in the literature, as those curves all approximate the ones generated by a polytropic equation of state, when taking the low density (pressure) limit. Besides, we find that for equation of states with scaling symmetries, the I-Love-Q curves do not change when adjusting the scaling parameters.
comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables; v2: relative fractional error panels added, numerical accuracy improved, references added and scaling symmetries discussed; v3: published version
♻ ☆ Deriving pulsar pair-production multiplicities from pulsar wind nebulae using H.E.S.S. and LHAASO observations
Pulsar Wind Nebulae (PWNe) dominate the galactic gamma-ray sky at very high energies, and are major contributors to the leptonic cosmic ray flux. However, whether or not pulsars also accelerate ions to comparable energies is not yet experimentally confirmed. We aim to constrain the birth period and pair-production multiplicity for a set of pulsars. In doing so, we aim to constrain the proportion of ions in the pulsar magnetosphere and hence the proportion of ions that could enter the pulsar wind. We estimate possible ranges of the value of the average pair production multiplicity for a sample of 26 pulsars in the Australia Telescope National Facility (ATNF) catalogue, which have also been observed by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) telescopes. We then derive lower limits for the pulsar birth periods and average pair production multiplicities for a subset of these sources where the extent of the pulsar wind nebula and surrounding supernova shell have been measured in the radio. We also derive curves for the average pair production multiplicities as a function of birth period for sources recently observed by the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). We show that there is a potential for hadrons entering the pulsar wind for most of the H.E.S.S. and LHAASO sources we consider, dependent upon the efficiency of luminosity conversion into particles. We also present estimates of the pulsar birth period for six of these sources, which all fall into the range of $\simeq$10-50 ms.
comment: 8 pages, 5 figures. Accepted in Astronomy & Astrophysics. Reproduced with permission from Astronomy & Astrophysics, \copyright ESO
♻ ☆ Quantum Bayesian Inference with Renormalization for Gravitational Waves
Advancements in gravitational-wave interferometers, particularly the next generation, are poised to profoundly impact gravitational wave astronomy and multimessenger astrophysics. A hybrid quantum algorithm is proposed to carry out quantum inference of parameters from compact binary coalescences detected in gravitational-wave interferometers. It performs quantum Bayesian Inference with Renormalization and Downsampling (qBIRD). We choose binary black hole (BBH) mergers from LIGO observatories as the first case to test the algorithm, but its application can be extended to more general instances. The quantum algorithm is able to generate corner plots of relevant parameters such as chirp mass, mass ratio, spins, etc. by inference of simulated gravitational waves with known injected parameter values with zero noise, Gaussian noise and real data, thus recovering an accuracy equivalent to that of classical Markov Chain Monte Carlo inferences. The simulations are performed with sets of 2 and 4 parameters. These results enhance the possibilities to extend our capacity to track signals from coalescences over longer durations and at lower frequencies extending the accuracy and promptness of gravitational wave parameter estimation.
comment: (6 pages, 4 figures)
♻ ☆ A geometric template bank for the detection of spinning low-mass compact binaries with moderate orbital eccentricity
Compact binaries on eccentric orbits are another class of gravitational-wave (GW) sources that can provide a wealth of information on binary formation pathways and astrophysical environments. However, historically, eccentricity is often neglected in modelled GW searches for compact binaries. We show that currently used modelled searches that employ quasi-circular template banks are highly ineffectual in detecting binary neutron star (BNS) and neutron star--black hole (NSBH) systems with orbital eccentricities in the range of $[10^{-5},0.15]$ at a GW frequency of $15$Hz. For populations of moderately eccentric BNS and NSBH binaries with (anti-)aligned component spins, we demonstrate that quasi-circular template banks fail to detect up to $\sim 40\%$ of such systems. To alleviate these inefficiencies, we develop the first \emph{geometric} template bank for the search of BNSs and NSBH binaries that includes masses, (anti-)aligned spins and moderate eccentricity. Utilising the post-Newtonian inspiral waveform {\tt TaylorF2Ecc} and a global coordinate transformation, we construct a globally flat metric to efficiently place eccentric templates. Our geometric template bank is highly effectual, and significantly improves the recovery of eccentric signals with less than $6\%$ of signals missed due to the finite template spacing in the bank.
comment: Version accepted in Physical Review D
♻ ☆ Synthetic pulsar lightcurves from global kinetic simulations and comparison with the Fermi-LAT catalog
Rotation-powered pulsars represent the main class of identified gamma-ray sources in the Galaxy. The wealth of observational data collected by the AGILE and Fermi gamma-ray space telescopes in the GeV range, and by ground-based Cherenkov telescopes in the TeV band provide invaluable insights into how relativistic plasmas dissipate and accelerate particles. Decoding the information contained in the gamma-ray pulses profile is an important step to understand how pulsars work. In this study, we aim at putting an ab initio plasma model of pulsar magnetospheres to the test, in light of the most recent gamma-ray observations in the GeV and TeV bands. To this end, we present of a new series of global particle-in-cell simulations of an inclined pulsar magnetosphere. High-quality synthetic pulse profiles in the synchrotron and inverse Compton channels are reconstructed to study in greater details their morphology and their energy dependence. We also perform a fit of observed lightcurves with the model, using the third Fermi-LAT gamma-ray pulsar catalog. Reconnection in the wind current sheet powers synchrotron and inverse Compton emission. The modeled pulse profiles reproduce some of the salient features of observed gamma-ray pulsars, including the mysterious Vela-like lightcurves, such as: the generic double-peaked structure, the presence of a bridge or third peak in between the main pulses, the pulse narrowing with increasing energy. The bolometric synchrotron radiative efficiency is strictly limited by the reconnection rate. Our global kinetic simulations are able to match observed pulse profiles. Such direct comparisons will help drive and focus future simulation developments.
comment: 16 pages, 13 figures, 1 appendix, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics
♻ ☆ Deciphering the Multi-Wavelength Flares of the Most Distant Very High-Energy (>100 GeV) Gamma-ray Emitting Blazar
This study analyzes the multi-wavelength flaring activity of the distant flat spectrum radio quasar (FSRQ) OP 313 (z=0.997) during November 2023 to March 2024, using data from Fermi-Large Area Telescope, Swift X-ray Telescope, and Ultraviolet and Optical Telescope. The analysis highlights two significant very high energy(VHE) detection epochs and GeV gamma-ray flaring episodes, providing insight into jet emission processes and radiative mechanisms. Key findings include broadband spectral energy distribution (SED) evolution, including enigmatic X-ray spectral changes. Modeling of the multi-wavelength SED with a one-zone leptonic radiative processes attributes the emissions to synchrotron radiation, Synchrotron Self-Compton (SSC), and External Compton (EC) mechanisms, with torus photons as the primary source for EC processes. The results suggest that the gamma-ray emitting region lies outside the broad-line region but within the dusty torus. Furthermore, we find that the radiated power is significantly smaller than the total jet power, suggesting that most of the bulk energy remains within the jet even after passing through the blazar emission zone. These findings advance our understanding of particle acceleration, jet dynamics, and photon field interactions in FSRQs.
♻ ☆ Strange stars admixed with mirror dark matter: confronting observations of XTE J1814-338
In this paper, we explore a novel framework for explaining the mass and radius relationships of observed neutron stars by considering strange stars (SSs) admixed with mirror dark matter (MDM). We develop a theoretical model that incorporates non-commutative algebra to describe the interactions between ordinary strange quark matter (SQM) and MDM, which are predicted to form compact objects that could explain recent astrophysical data, including observations of PSR J0740+6620, PSR J0030+0451, PSR J0437-4715, and the central compact object in HESS J1731-347. Notably, we demonstrate that the exotic mass-radius measurement of XTE J1814-338 can be explained by the presence of a mirror SS with an ordinary SQM core. In contrast to other explanations based on boson stars, our SS+MDM model offers a natural explanation for this system. We provide detailed mass-radius comparisons with observational data and discuss future observations that could test the predictions of our model, offering new insights into neutron star structure and the role of dark matter in compact objects.
comment: 8 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in PRD
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics 11
☆ Astromer 2
Foundational models have emerged as a powerful paradigm in deep learning field, leveraging their capacity to learn robust representations from large-scale datasets and effectively to diverse downstream applications such as classification. In this paper, we present Astromer 2 a foundational model specifically designed for extracting light curve embeddings. We introduce Astromer 2 as an enhanced iteration of our self-supervised model for light curve analysis. This paper highlights the advantages of its pre-trained embeddings, compares its performance with that of its predecessor, Astromer 1, and provides a detailed empirical analysis of its capabilities, offering deeper insights into the model's representations. Astromer 2 is pretrained on 1.5 million single-band light curves from the MACHO survey using a self-supervised learning task that predicts randomly masked observations within sequences. Fine-tuning on a smaller labeled dataset allows us to assess its performance in classification tasks. The quality of the embeddings is measured by the F1 score of an MLP classifier trained on Astromer-generated embeddings. Our results demonstrate that Astromer 2 significantly outperforms Astromer 1 across all evaluated scenarios, including limited datasets of 20, 100, and 500 samples per class. The use of weighted per-sample embeddings, which integrate intermediate representations from Astromer's attention blocks, is particularly impactful. Notably, Astromer 2 achieves a 15% improvement in F1 score on the ATLAS dataset compared to prior models, showcasing robust generalization to new datasets. This enhanced performance, especially with minimal labeled data, underscores the potential of Astromer 2 for more efficient and scalable light curve analysis.
comment: 10 pages, 17 figures
☆ Quantifying Advantages of a Moving Mesh in Nuclear Hydrodynamics
Many astrophysical explosions, such as type Ia supernovae, classical novae, and X-ray bursts, are dominated by thermonuclear runaway. To model these processes accurately, one must evolve nuclear reactions concurrently with hydrodynamics. We present an application of the moving mesh technique to this field of computation with the aim of explicitly testing the advantages of the method against the fixed mesh case. By way of traditional Strang splitting, our work couples a 13 isotope nuclear reaction network to a 1D moving mesh, Cartesian geometry hydrodynamics code. We explore three reacting problems: an acoustic pulse, a burning shock, and an advecting deflagration. Additionally using the shock jump conditions, we semi-analytically solve the burning shock problem under the assumption of quick, complete burning with the hope of establishing a useful and easy to set-up test problem. Strong moving mesh advantages are found in advecting, deflagrating flame fronts, where the technique dramatically reduces numerical diffusion that would otherwise lead to very fast artificial deflagration.
comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, 5 tables. ApJ accepted
☆ Competition between Increasing and Decreasing Effects of the Afterpulsing Rate of PMTs during Night-Sky Observations
Photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) have been widely used in imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs). The Large-Sized Telescopes (LSTs) of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO), the latest-generation IACTs, are optimized for challenging observations of low-energy gamma rays, specifically in the 20 to 150 GeV range. To this end, PMTs with an exceptionally low afterpulsing probability have been developed and installed. However, the afterpulsing rate increases over time due to the infiltration of atmospheric molecules, particularly helium, into the tube. Interestingly, we found that the afterpulsing rate decreases when PMTs are operated at high voltage and exposed to light -- a condition naturally met during IACT observations. To evaluate the latest instrument response, after five years of operation, we removed several PMTs from the first LST, which is currently the only operational telescope among the CTAO instruments. Our laboratory measurements showed no increase in afterpulsing compared to pre-installation values. This suggests that the decrease in afterpulsing during operation offsets the increase, thereby maintaining the long-term performance of the PMTs.
comment: The 6th International Workshop on New Photon-Detector (PD24)
☆ Differentiable Cosmological Hydrodynamics for Field-Level Inference and High Dimensional Parameter Constraints
Hydrodynamical simulations are the most accurate way to model structure formation in the universe, but they often involve a large number of astrophysical parameters modeling subgrid physics, in addition to cosmological parameters. This results in a high-dimensional space that is difficult to jointly constrain using traditional statistical methods due to prohibitive computational costs. To address this, we present a fully differentiable approach for cosmological hydrodynamical simulations and a proof-of-concept implementation, diffhydro. By back-propagating through an upwind finite volume scheme for solving the Euler Equations jointly with a dark matter particle-mesh method for Poisson equation, we are able to efficiently evaluate derivatives of the output baryonic fields with respect to input density and model parameters. Importantly, we demonstrate how to differentiate through stochastically sampled discrete random variables, which frequently appear in subgrid models. We use this framework to rapidly sample sub-grid physics and cosmological parameters as well as perform field level inference of initial conditions using high dimensional optimization techniques. Our code is implemented in JAX (python), allowing easy code development and GPU acceleration.
comment: 14 pages, 10 figures
☆ MAISTEP -- a new grid-based machine learning tool for inferring stellar parameters I. Ages of giant-planet host stars
Our understanding of exoplanet demographics partly depends on their corresponding host star parameters. With the majority of exoplanet-host stars having only atmospheric constraints available, robust inference of their parameters is susceptible to the approach used. The goal of this work is to develop a grid-based machine learning tool capable of determining the stellar radius, mass, and age using only atmospheric constraints and to analyse the age distribution of stars hosting giant planets. Our machine learning approach involves combining four tree-based machine learning algorithms (Random Forest, Extra Trees, Extreme Gradient Boosting, and CatBoost) trained on a grid of stellar models to infer stellar radius, mass, and age using Teff, [Fe/H], and luminosities. We perform a detailed statistical analysis to compare the inferences of our tool with those based on seismic data from the APOKASC and LEGACY samples. Finally, we apply our tool to determine the ages of stars hosting giant planets. Comparing the stellar parameter inferences from our machine learning tool with those from the APOKASC and LEGACY, we find a bias (and a scatter) of -0.5\% (5\%) and -0.2\% (2\%) in radius, 6\% (5\%) per cent and -2\% (3\%) in mass, and -9\% (16\%) and 7\% (23\%) in age, respectively. Therefore, our machine learning predictions are commensurate with seismic inferences. When applying our model to a sample of stars hosting Jupiter-mass planets, we find the average age estimates for the hosts of Hot Jupiters, Warm Jupiters, and Cold Jupiters to be 1.98, 2.98, and 3.51 Gyr, respectively. These statistical ages of the host stars confirm previous predictions - based on stellar model ages for a relatively small number of hosts, as well as on the average age-velocity dispersion relation - that stars hosting Hot Jupiters are statistically younger than those hosting Warm and Cold Jupiters.
comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics Journal
☆ Development and Quality Control of PMT Modules for the Large-Sized Telescopes of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory
The camera of the Large-Sized Telescopes (LSTs) of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) consists of 1855 pixels that are grouped into 265 high-performance photomultiplier tube (PMT) modules. Each module comprises a seven-light-guide plate, seven PMT units, a slow control board, and a readout board with a trigger board. %In this paper we describe The requirements for the PMT modules include various aspects, such as photon detection efficiency, dynamic range, buffer depth, and test pulse functionality. We have developed a high-performance PMT module that fulfills all these requirements. Mass-production and quality control (QC) of modules for all four LSTs of the northern CTAO have been completed. Here we report on the technical details of each element of the module and its performance, together with the methods and results of QC measurements.
comment: Published in NIM A
☆ Resolved Stellar Mass Estimation of Nearby Late-type Galaxies for the SPHEREx Era: Dependence on Stellar Population Synthesis Models
The upcoming all-sky infrared spectrophotometric SPHEREx mission is set to provide spatially resolved stellar mass maps of nearby galaxies, offering more detailed insights than integrated light observations. In this study, we develop a strategy for estimating stellar mass using SPHEREx by examining the dependence on different stellar population synthesis (SPS) models and proposing new scaling relations based on simulated SPHEREx data. We estimate the resolved stellar masses of 19 nearby late-type galaxies from the PHANGS-MUSE survey, treating these as fiducial masses. By testing four SPS models covering infrared wavelengths, i.e., E-MILES, Bruzual \& Charlot 2003 (BC03), Charlot \& Bruzual 2019 (CB19), and FSPS, we find systematic differences in mass-to-light ratios at $3.6~{\rm \mu m}$ ($M_{\ast}/L_{\rm 3.6\mu m}$) among the SPS models. In particular, BC03 and CB19 yield mass-to-light ratios on average $\sim0.2-0.3~{\rm dex}$ lower than those from E-MILES and FSPS. These mass-to-light ratios strongly correlate with stellar age, indicating a significant impact of young stellar populations on stellar mass measurements. Our analysis, incorporating fiducial masses and simulated SPHEREx data, identifies the $1.6~{\rm \mu m}$ band as the optimal wavelength for stellar mass estimation, with the lowest scatter ($0.15-0.20~{\rm dex}$) of the stellar mass. This scatter can be further reduced to $0.10-0.12~{\rm dex}$ across all SPS models by incorporating optical and SPHEREx colors. These results can provide guidance for measuring the stellar masses of the numerous nearby galaxies that SPHEREx will survey.
comment: Accepted for publication in AJ, 29 pages, 14 figures, 2 tables, 1 appendix
♻ ☆ Use the 4S (Signal-Safe Speckle Subtraction): Explainable Machine Learning reveals the Giant Exoplanet AF Lep b in High-Contrast Imaging Data from 2011
The main challenge of exoplanet high-contrast imaging (HCI) is to separate the signal of exoplanets from their host stars, which are many orders of magnitude brighter. HCI for ground-based observations is further exacerbated by speckle noise originating from perturbations in Earth's atmosphere and imperfections in the telescope optics. Various data post-processing techniques are used to remove this speckle noise and reveal the faint planet signal. Often, however, a significant part of the planet signal is accidentally subtracted together with the noise. In the present work, we use explainable machine learning to investigate the reason for the loss of the planet signal for one of the most used post-processing methods: principal component analysis (PCA). We find that PCA learns the shape of the telescope point spread function for high numbers of PCA components. This representation of the noise captures not only the speckle noise but also the characteristic shape of the planet signal. Building on these insights, we develop a new post-processing method (4S) that constrains the noise model to minimize this signal loss. We apply our model to 11 archival HCI datasets from the VLT-NACO instrument in the L'-band and find that our model consistently outperforms PCA. The improvement is largest at close separations to the star ($\leq 4 \lambda /D$) providing up to 1.5 magnitudes deeper contrast. This enhancement enables us to detect the exoplanet AF Lep b in data from 2011, 11 years before its subsequent discovery. We present updated orbital parameters for this object.
comment: Accepted for publication in AJ, 27 pages, 18 figures. We have added a new section explaining the mathematical differences between PCA, LOCI and 4S. The data and code are now fully available and documented, see https://fours.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ Raw data: https://zenodo.org/records/11456704 Intermediate results: https://zenodo.org/records/11457071
♻ ☆ MauveSim: the instrument simulator software for the Mauve mission
We present MauveSim, the instrument simulator software for Mauve, the latest mission from Blue Skies Space dedicated to time-domain stellar astronomy. The tool is designed to generate simulated stellar spectra, enabling the assessment of various scientific objectives, as well as determining limiting magnitudes and conducting signal-to-noise (S/N) analyses. MauveSim functions as an end-to-end simulator that takes an input stellar spectrum-either observed or synthetic-and produces a simulated observation based on the instrument's performance and characteristics. The results of MauveSim have been validated against instrument performance data from extensive ground testing campaigns, ensuring that the software reflects the most up-to-date understanding of the payload performance. Accessible to all scientists involved in the mission, MauveSim serves as a crucial tool for target selection and observation planning.
comment: 9 pages, 2 tables, 13 figures, submitted to RASTI
♻ ☆ The SAP-1 Payload: A Technology Demonstration for Space-Based Microbiology Experiments
The SSPACE Astrobiology Payload (SAP) series, starting with the SAP-1 project is designed to conduct in-situ microbiology experiments in low earth orbit. This payload series aims to understand the behaviour of microbial organisms in space, particularly those critical for human health, and the corresponding effects due to microgravity and solar/galactic radiation. SAP-1 focuses on studying Bacillus clausii and Bacillus coagulans, bacteria beneficial to humans. It aims to provide a space laboratory for astrobiology experiments under microgravity conditions. The hardware developed for these experiments is indigenous and tailored to meet the unique requirements of autonomous microbiology experiments by controlling pressure, temperature, and nutrition flow to bacteria. A rotating platform, which forms the core design, is innovatively utilised to regulate the flow and mixing of nutrients with dormant bacteria. The technology demonstration models developed at SSPACE have yielded promising results, with ongoing efforts to refine, adapt for space conditions, and prepare for integration with nanosatellites or space modules. The anticipated payload will be compact, approximately 1U in size (10cm x 10cm x 10cm), consume less than 5W power, and offer flexibility for various microbiological studies.
comment: 20 Pages, Published in Advances in Space Research
♻ ☆ A geometric template bank for the detection of spinning low-mass compact binaries with moderate orbital eccentricity
Compact binaries on eccentric orbits are another class of gravitational-wave (GW) sources that can provide a wealth of information on binary formation pathways and astrophysical environments. However, historically, eccentricity is often neglected in modelled GW searches for compact binaries. We show that currently used modelled searches that employ quasi-circular template banks are highly ineffectual in detecting binary neutron star (BNS) and neutron star--black hole (NSBH) systems with orbital eccentricities in the range of $[10^{-5},0.15]$ at a GW frequency of $15$Hz. For populations of moderately eccentric BNS and NSBH binaries with (anti-)aligned component spins, we demonstrate that quasi-circular template banks fail to detect up to $\sim 40\%$ of such systems. To alleviate these inefficiencies, we develop the first \emph{geometric} template bank for the search of BNSs and NSBH binaries that includes masses, (anti-)aligned spins and moderate eccentricity. Utilising the post-Newtonian inspiral waveform {\tt TaylorF2Ecc} and a global coordinate transformation, we construct a globally flat metric to efficiently place eccentric templates. Our geometric template bank is highly effectual, and significantly improves the recovery of eccentric signals with less than $6\%$ of signals missed due to the finite template spacing in the bank.
comment: Version accepted in Physical Review D
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics 30
☆ Tomographic halo model of the unWISE-Blue galaxies using cross-correlations with BOSS CMASS galaxies
The halo model offers a framework for investigating galaxy clustering, and for understanding the growth of galaxies and the distribution of galaxies of different types. Here, we use the halo model to study the small-scale clustering and halo occupation distribution (HOD) of the unWISE-Blue galaxy sample, an infrared-selected sample of $\sim$100 million galaxies across the entire extragalactic sky at $z\sim 0.5$ $-$ similar redshifts to the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) CMASS sample. Although the photometric unWISE galaxies cannot be easily split in redshift, we use their cross-correlation with the BOSS CMASS sample to tomographically probe the HOD of the unWISE galaxies at $0.45 < z < 0.75$. To do so, we develop a new method for applying the halo model to cross-correlations between a photometric sample and a spectroscopic sample in narrow redshift bins, incorporating halo exclusion, post-Limber corrections, and redshift-space distortions. We reveal strong evolution in the CMASS HOD, and modest evolution in the unWISE-Blue HOD. For unWISE-Blue, we find that the average bias and mean halo mass drop from $b = 1.6$ and $\log_{10}(M_{\mathrm{h}}/M_{\odot}) \sim 13.4$ at $z \sim 0.5$ to $b = 1.4$ and $\log_{10}(M_{\mathrm{h}}/M_{\odot}) \sim 13.1$ at $z \sim 0.7$, and that the satellite fraction drops modestly from $\sim$20% to $\sim$10% in the same range. These results are useful for creating mock samples of the unWISE-Blue galaxies. Furthermore, the techniques developed to obtain these results are applicable to other tomographic cross-correlations between photometric samples and narrowly-binned spectroscopic samples, such as clustering redshifts.
comment: 19 pages, 10 figures, to be submitted to OJAp
☆ Bounds on Velocity-Dependent Dark Matter-Baryon Scattering from Large-Scale Structure
We explore interacting dark matter (DM) models that allow DM and baryons to scatter off of each other with a cross section that scales with relative particle velocity. Using the effective field theory of large-scale structure, we perform the first analysis of BOSS full-shape galaxy clustering data for velocity-dependent DM-baryon interactions. We determine that while the addition of BOSS full-shape data visibly modifies the shape of the posterior distribution, it does not significantly alter the 95% confidence level intervals for the interaction cross section obtained from an analysis of the cosmic microwave (CMB) anisotropy from Planck measurements alone. Moreover, in agreement with previous findings, we note that the DM-baryon interacting model presents a good fit to both large-scale structure (LSS) data and CMB data and alleviates the $S_8$ tension between the two data sets. After combining LSS and CMB data with weak lensing data from the Dark Energy Survey, we find a $\gtrsim2\sigma$ preference for non-zero interactions between DM and baryons in a velocity-independent model. We also explore a scenario where only a fraction of DM undergoes scattering with baryons; we find a similar $\gtrsim2\sigma$ preference for the presence of interactions. Our results suggest that a suppression of the linear matter power spectrum at small scales may be needed to resolve certain discrepancies between LSS and CMB data that are found in the cold DM (CDM) scenario.
comment: 49 pages, 38 figures, submitted to JCAP
☆ An Alcock-Paczynski Test on Reionization Bubbles for Cosmology
In this paper, we propose an Alcock-Paczy\'nski (AP) test to constrain cosmology using HII bubbles during the Epoch of Reionization. Similarly to cosmic voids, a stack of HII bubbles is spherically symmetric because ionizing fronts propagate isotropically on average (even if individual bubbles may not be spherical), making them standard spheres to be used in an AP test. Upcoming 21-cm observations, from the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) for instance, will contain tomographic information about HII regions during reionization. However, extracting the bubbles from this signal is made difficult because of instrumental noise and foreground systematics. Here, we use a neural network to reconstruct neutral-fraction boxes from the noisy 21-cm signal, from which we extract bubbles using a watershed algorithm. We then run the purely geometrical AP test on these stacks, showing that a SKA-like experiment will be able to constrain the product of the angular-diameter distance $D_{\text{A}}$ and Hubble parameter $H$ at reionization redshifts with $\sim 2\%$ precision, robustly to astrophysical and cosmological uncertainties within the models tested here. This AP test, whether performed on 21-cm observations or other large surveys of ionized bubbles, will allow us to fill the knowledge gap about the expansion rate of our Universe at reionization redshifts.
comment: 22 pages, 12 figures, 2 tables. Comments welcome
☆ Probing large-scale structures with the 2-point function and the power spectrum: insights into cosmic clustering evolution
Understanding the large-scale structure of the Universe requires analysis of cosmic clustering and its evolution over time. In this work, we investigate the clustering properties of SDSS blue galaxies, which are excellent tracers of dark matter, along two distinct epochs of the Universe, utilizing estimators like the 2-point angular correlation function (2PACF), the angular power spectra, among others. Considering a model-independent approach, we perform analyses in two disjoint redshift shells, $0 \leq z < 0.06$ and $0.06 \leq z < 0.12$, to investigate the distribution of large cosmic structures. Using Bayesian inference methods, we constrain the parameter that quantifies the galaxy clustering in the 2PACF, enabling us to perform comparisons among different regions on the sky and between different epochs in the Universe regarding the gravitational action on matter structures. Our analyses complement previous efforts to map large-scale structures in the Local Universe. In addition, this study reveals differences regarding the clustering of large cosmic structures comparing two epochs of the Universe, analyses done with diverse estimators. Results reveal, clearly, distinct evolutionary signatures between the two redshift shells. Moreover, we had the opportunity to test the concordance cosmological model under extreme conditions in the highly non-linear Local Universe, computing the amplitude of the angular power spectrum at very small scales. Ultimately, all our analyses serve as a set of consistency tests of the concordance cosmological model, the $\Lambda$CDM.
comment: 18 pages, 18 figures
☆ Primordial Sharp Features through the Nonlinear Regime of Structure Formation
Sudden violations of the slow-roll regime during inflation, a natural prediction of many UV-complete inflationary models, give rise to sharp features in the primordial power spectrum. At large scales, these features provide a unique window into the physics of inflation, with constraints primarily derived from Cosmic Microwave Background observations of linearly evolved primordial fluctuations. However, on smaller scales, it is less clear whether primordial features would survive the late-time nonlinear cosmological evolution, as they are expected to be washed out by mode coupling. In this paper, we run dedicated N-body simulations to tackle this question. We demonstrate that, while oscillatory-like patterns are erased over time by nonlinearities, signatures of primordial sharp features can persist through the nonlinear regime of structure formation. Those take the form of a localised power enhancement or decrease in the matter power spectrum, whose amplitude and position can in principle be used to recover the scale of the primordial feature, and an oscillatory pattern in the halo mass function. While these findings highlight the power for constraining inflationary physics at small scales, they also show the challenges posed by potential degeneracies with other physical processes relevant in the nonlinear regime of structure formation such as non-cold dark matter candidates. Our results open new avenues for probing inflationary physics in large scale structures and galactic physics and emphasise the need for refined theoretical tools to robustly constrain primordial features.
comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables
☆ Gravitational lensing: towards combining the multi-messengers
The next generation of gravitational wave detectors and electromagnetic telescopes are beckoning the onset of the multi-messenger era and the exciting science that lies ahead. Multi-messenger strong gravitational lensing will help probe some of the most important questions of the Universe in an unprecedented manner. In particular, understanding the nature of gravitational wave sources, the underlying physical processes and mechanisms that produce emissions well before or right until the time of the merger, their associations to the seemingly distinct populations of gamma ray bursts, fast radio bursts and kilonovae. Not to mention, multi-messenger lensing will offer unique probes of test of gravity models and constraints on cosmological parameters complementary to other probes. Enabling multi-messenger science calls for concerted follow-up efforts and development of new and shared resources required in the community.
comment: 19 pages, 5 figures, Review article in the Royal Society Theo Murphy Meeting on "Multi-messenger Gravitational Lensing", accepted in Philosophical Transactions A
☆ Testing the Equivalence Principle on Cosmological Scales Using Peculiar Acceleration Power Spectrum
While the (weak) Equivalence Principle (EP) has been rigorously tested within the solar system, its validity on cosmological scales, particularly in the context of dark matter and dark energy, remains uncertain. In this study, we propose a novel method to test EP on cosmological scales by measuring the peculiar acceleration power spectrum of galaxies using the redshift drift technique. We develop an EP estimator, $E_{\rm ep}$, to evaluate the consistency of the peculiar acceleration power spectrum across different tracers. By calculating the ratio of the peculiar acceleration power spectra of tracers, the ensemble average of $E_{\rm ep}$ is expected to be unity if EP holds on cosmological scales for these tracers. We validate this estimator using N-body simulations, focusing on four redshift bins with $z\leq 1.5$ and scales of $k$ in the range of $0.007$ and $0.32$ $h/\rm Mpc$. By measuring $E_{\rm ep}$ using i) different samples of dark matter particle mock data and ii) low-mass and high-mass halo mock data, we find that the measured $E_{\rm ep}$ values are consistent with unity within the $2\sigma$ level, supporting the validity of $E_{\rm ep}$ on the linear cosmological scales. Taking advantage of advanced observing capabilities, such as next-generation facilities that extend beyond the Square Kilometer Array, the proposed method offers a promising approach for future cosmological tests of EP.
comment: 8 pages, 3 figures
☆ Constraints on minimally and conformally coupled ultralight dark matter with the EPTA SP
Millisecond pulsars are extremely stable natural timekeepers. Pulsar Timing Array experiments, tracking subtle changes in the pulsars' rotation periods, can shed light on the presence of ultralight particles in our Galaxy. In this conference paper, we start by reviewing the most conservative scenario, in which ultralight particles interact only gravitationally. In this setting, we show that Pulsar Timing Arrays are able to constrain the presence of ultralight fields up to a few tenths of the observed dark matter abundance. Then, we consider conformally coupled ultralight candidates, demonstrating that the constraints on the universal scalar coupling of the field to Standard Model particles improve on existing bounds by several orders of magnitude, in the relevant mass range analyzed by Pulsar Timing Arrays. The discussion presented here is based on [1,2].
comment: 9 pages refs. included, 3 figures. Contribution to the proceedings of the 2nd General Meeting of the COST Action COSMICWISPers (CA21106)
☆ Extended Effective Field Theory of Dark Energy: Ghost Condensate Dark Energy with Sextic Dispersion Relation in de Sitter Spacetime
We continue our studies of the ghost condensate (GC) with sixth-order dispersion relation. Contrary to the GC with quartic dispersion relation, we find that the correction to the Newtonian potential explicitly depends on the space and time dependence of matter density. At late times when the Newtonian potential becomes time-independent, one obtains similar oscillatory behavior at the distance $\frac{M_\textrm{Pl}}{M^2}$, but this time at the time scale $\frac{M^4}{M_\textrm{Pl}^3}$, where $M^2$ is the ghost field velocity. We also show that the speed of gravitational wave is modified in a frequency dependent manner at momenta close to $\frac{M_\textrm{Pl}}{\sqrt{|\sigma_1|}}$, where $\sigma_1$ is the coefficient of $\gamma^{ij} \nabla_i K_{lr} \nabla_j K^{lr}$ operator in the unitary gauge action.
comment: 13 pages
☆ On likelihood-based analysis of the gravitationally (de)lensed CMB
By reducing variance induced by gravitational lensing, likelihood-based de-lensing techniques have true potential to extract significantly more information from deep and high-resolution Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) data than traditional methods. We derive here optimal data compression statistics for the lensed CMB, and clarify the role of each term, demonstrating their direct analogs in the quadratic estimator (QE) framework. We discuss in this light pros and cons of practical implementations, including the MUSE approach, as used in the latest SPT-3G cosmological analysis, and give improvements. We discuss pathways for porting the large robustness and redundancy toolbox of the QE approach to beyond-QE with simple means.
comment: 9 pages, no figure!
☆ The Spectrum of Global Axion Strings SP
The post-inflationary Peccei-Quinn (PQ) symmetry breaking scenario provides a unique opportunity to pinpoint the QCD axion dark matter mass, which is a crucial input for laboratory experiments that are designed for probing specific mass ranges. Predicting their mass requires a precise knowledge of how axions are produced from the decay of topological defects in the early Universe that are inevitably formed. In this contribution, we present recent results on the analysis of the spectrum of axions radiated from global strings based on large scale numerical simulations of the cosmological evolution of the PQ field on a static lattice. We highlight several systematic effects that have been overlooked in previous works, such as the dependence on the initial conditions, contaminations due to oscillations in the spectrum, and discretisation effects; some of which could explain the discrepancy in the current literature. Taking these uncertainties into account and performing the extrapolation to cosmologically relevant string tensions, we find that the dark matter mass is predicted to be in the range of $95\,\mu\text{eV} \lesssim m_a \lesssim 450 \, \mu\text{eV}$, which will be probed by some of the next generation direct detection experiments.
comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, contribution to the proceedings of the 2nd General Meeting and 2nd Training School of the COST Action COSMIC WISPers (COSMICWISPers)
☆ Differentiable Cosmological Hydrodynamics for Field-Level Inference and High Dimensional Parameter Constraints
Hydrodynamical simulations are the most accurate way to model structure formation in the universe, but they often involve a large number of astrophysical parameters modeling subgrid physics, in addition to cosmological parameters. This results in a high-dimensional space that is difficult to jointly constrain using traditional statistical methods due to prohibitive computational costs. To address this, we present a fully differentiable approach for cosmological hydrodynamical simulations and a proof-of-concept implementation, diffhydro. By back-propagating through an upwind finite volume scheme for solving the Euler Equations jointly with a dark matter particle-mesh method for Poisson equation, we are able to efficiently evaluate derivatives of the output baryonic fields with respect to input density and model parameters. Importantly, we demonstrate how to differentiate through stochastically sampled discrete random variables, which frequently appear in subgrid models. We use this framework to rapidly sample sub-grid physics and cosmological parameters as well as perform field level inference of initial conditions using high dimensional optimization techniques. Our code is implemented in JAX (python), allowing easy code development and GPU acceleration.
comment: 14 pages, 10 figures
☆ Primordial Black Hole Formation via Inverted Bubble Collapse
We propose a novel mechanism of primordial black hole (PBH) formation through inverted bubble collapse. In this scenario, bubbles nucleate sparsely in an incomplete first-order phase transition, followed by a bulk phase transition in the rest of the universe that inverts these pre-existing bubbles into false vacuum regions. These spherically symmetric false-vacuum bubbles subsequently collapse to form PBHs. Unlike conventional PBH formation mechanisms associated with domain wall collapse or bubble coalescence, our inverted bubble collapse mechanism naturally ensures spherical collapse. We demonstrate that, when applied to the electroweak phase transition, this mechanism can produce highly monochromatic PBHs with masses up to ${\cal O}(10^{-6}\,\text{-}\,10^{-5}) M_\odot$, which potentially explain the microlensing events observed in the OGLE and Subaru HSC data.
comment: 8 pages, 3 figures
☆ Elucidating the Dark Energy and Dark Matter Phenomena Within the Scale-Invariant Vacuum (SIV) Paradigm
The enigmatic phenomenon of dark energy (DE) is regarded as the elusive entity driving the accelerated expansion of our Universe. A plausible candidate for DE is the non-zero Einstein Cosmological Constant $\Lambda_{E}$ manifested as a constant energy density of the vacuum, yet it seemingly defies gravitational effects. In this work, we interpret the non-zero $\Lambda_{E}$ through the lens of scale-invariant cosmology. We revisit the conformal scale factor $\lambda$ and its defining equations within the Scale-Invariant Vacuum (SIV) paradigm. Furthermore, we address the profound problem of the missing mass across galactic and extragalactic scales by deriving an MOND-like relation, $g \sim \sqrt{a_0\,g_N}$, within the SIV context. Remarkably, the values obtained for $\Lambda_{E}$ and the MOND fundamental acceleration, $a_0$, align with observed magnitudes, specifically, $a_0 \approx 10^{-10} \, \mathrm{m} \, \mathrm{s}^{-2}$ and $\Lambda_{E} \approx 1.8 \times 10^{-52} \, \mathrm{m}^{-2}$. Moreover, we propose a novel early dark energy term, $\tilde{T}_{\mu\nu} \sim \kappa H$, within the SIV paradigm, which holds potential relevance for addressing the Hubble tension. Keywords: cosmology; theory; dark energy; dark matter; MOND; Weyl integrable geometry.
comment: 13 pages, no figures
☆ Cosmic Shear Nulling as a geometrical cosmological probe: methodology and sensitivity to cosmological parameters and systematics
In tomographic weak lensing surveys, the presence of nulling properties reveals symmetries inherent in the data, which rely solely on the geometrical properties of the Universe. Ensuring its validity thus provides us with constraints on the cosmological parameters that describe the background evolution, particularly the redshift dependence of the cosmological angular distance. This forms the basis of the tomographic cosmic shear nulling test that we introduce here. We outline how such a test can be executed, what it can constrain, and its specific efficiency in constraining cosmological parameters. Additionally, we explore its sensitivity to astrophysical effects such as magnification bias and reduced shear corrections, as well as observational systematics like errors in the mean redshift of the source bins. Our findings indicate that in a scenario akin to that of Euclid, this nulling test can bring significant and complementary constraints on basic cosmological parameters such as $\{\Omega_m,{\rm w}_0\}$, provided that the mean redshift of the bins are known at a level of $10^{-3}$. We conclude that the combination of nulling as a cosmological probe or a consistence test with usual weak lensing and galaxy clustering probes could allow to better keep systematics under control and bring more precise results in the future.
comment: 16 pages, 10 figures, Submitted to PRD
☆ The SRG/eROSITA all-sky survey: The morphologies of clusters of galaxies I: A catalogue of morphological parameters
The first SRG/eROSITA all-sky X-ray survey, eRASS1, resulted in a catalogue of over twelve thousand optically-confirmed galaxy groups and clusters in the western Galactic hemisphere. Using the eROSITA images of these objects, we measure and study their morphological properties, including their concentration, central density and slope, ellipticity, power ratios, photon asymmetry, centroid shift and Gini coefficient. We also introduce new forward-modelled parameters which take account of the instrument point spread function (PSF), which are slosh, which measures how asymmetric the surface brightness distribution is, and multipole magnitudes, which are analogues to power ratios. Using simulations, we find some non forward-modelled parameters are strongly biased due to PSF and data quality. For the same clusters, we find similar values of concentration and central density compared to results by ourselves using Chandra and previous results from XMM-Newton. The population as a whole has log concentrations which are typically around 0.3 dex larger than South Pole Telescope or Planck-selected samples and the deeper eFEDS sample. The exposure time, detection likelihood threshold, extension likelihood threshold and number of counts affect the concentration distribution, but generally not enough to reduce the concentration to match the other samples. The concentration of clusters in the survey strongly affects whether they are detected as a function of redshift and luminosity. We introduce a combined disturbance score based on a Gaussian mixture model fit to several of the parameters. For brighter clusters, around 1/4 of objects are classified as disturbed using this score, which may be due to our sensitivity to concentrated objects.
comment: Accepted by A&A, 32 pages, 24 figures
☆ Dynamical Solution to the Eta Problem in Spectator Field Models
We study a class of spectator field models that addresses the eta problem while providing a natural explanation for the observed slight deviation of the spectrum of curvature perturbations from scale-invariance. In particular, we analyze the effects of quantum corrections on the quadratic potential of the spectator field given by its gravitational coupling to the Ricci scalar and the inflaton energy, so-called the Hubble-induced mass term. These quantum corrections create a minimum around which the potential is flatter and to which the spectator field is attracted. We demonstrate that this attractor dynamics can naturally generate the observed slightly red-tilted spectrum of curvature perturbations. Furthermore, focusing on a curvaton model with a quadratic vacuum potential, we compute the primordial non-Gaussianity parameter $f_{\text{NL}}$ and derive a predictive relationship between $f_{\text{NL}}$ and the running of the scalar spectral index. This relationship serves as a testable signature of the model. Finally, we extend the idea to a broader class of models where the spectator field is an angular component of a complex scalar field.
♻ ☆ PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 I: X-ray exploration of a low-mass cluster with exceptionally-distant radio relics
Relics are diffuse, highly-polarized radio sources that trace merger-driven shocks at the periphery of merging galaxy clusters. The LOFAR survey recently discovered a rare example of double relics in the low-mass cluster PSZ2 G181.06+48.47. Through a detailed exploration of new Chandra and XMM-Newton observations, we reveal that PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 has a lower mass ($M_{500,X}=2.32^{+0.29}_{-0.25}\times10^{14}$ M$_{\odot}$) than previously thought. Despite its cool global temperature of $kT_{500}=3.62^{+0.15}_{-0.07}$ keV, PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 is one of the most disturbed clusters in the Planck sample, with a complex morphological and thermodynamic structure. We discover a set of three discontinuities within <500 kpc of the cluster center, and, from a surface brightness analysis, place $5\sigma$ upper limits of $M_{NE}<1.43$ and $M_{SW}<1.57$ for any shock associated with the relic locations. We also revise established scaling relations for double radio-relics by adding 12 new systems not included in previous work. The PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 relics have the widest separation (scaled for $r_{500}$) of all known double-relic systems. The exceptional distance from the cluster center ($>r_{200}$), indicates the relics may be associated with shocks in the ``run-away" phase. We propose that this late-stage, post-apocenter merger is captured as the two subclusters with a mass ratio of 1.2-1.4 fall back into each other. The outer relic shocks were likely produced at the first core passage, while the inner discontinuities are associated with the second infall.
comment: Resubmitted to ApJ on Feb 4, 2025, after addressing the referee comments. 28 pages, 10 figures. Companion paper discussing the radio properties can be found at arXiv:2501.08390. Companion weak-lensing reconstruction paper can be found at arXiv:2501.09067
♻ ☆ Redshift space distortions in Lagrangian space and the linear large scale velocity field of dark matter
Untangling the connection between redshift space coordinates, a velocity measurement, and three dimensional real space coordinates, is a cosmological problem that is often modeled through a linear understanding of the velocity-position coupling. This linear information is better preserved in the Lagrangian space picture of the matter density field. Through Lagrangian space measurements, we can extract more information and make more accurate estimates of the linear growth rate of the universe. In this paper, we address the linear modelling of matter particle velocities through transfer functions, and in doing so examine to what degree the decrease in correlation with initial conditions may be contaminated by velocity-based nonlinearities. With a thorough analysis of the monopole-quadrupole ratio, we find the best-fit values for the Eulerian velocity dispersion, $\sigma_p = 378.3$ km/s for a Lorentzian finger-of-God damping factor and $\sigma_p = 254.6$ km/s for a Gaussian one. The covariance of the cosmological linear growth rate $f$, is estimated in the Eulerian and Lagrangian cases. Comparing Lagrangian and Eulerian, we find that the error in $f$ improves by a factor of 3, without the need for nonlinear velocity dispersion modelling.
comment: 12 pages, 9 figures; version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. D
♻ ☆ Cosmological Dynamics in Interacting Scalar-Torsion f(T,$φ$) Gravity: Investigating Energy and Momentum Couplings
We investigate the cosmological dynamics of a homogeneous scalar field non-minimally coupled to torsion gravity, which also interacts with cold dark matter through energy and momentum transfer. The matter and radiation perfect fluids are modeled using the Sorkin-Schutz formalism. We identify scaling regimes of the field during both the radiation and matter eras. Additionally, we discovered a field-dominated scaling attractor; however, it does not exhibit accelerated expansion, making it unsuitable for describing dark energy. Nevertheless, we find two attractor solutions that do exhibit accelerated expansion: one is a quintessence-like fixed point, and the other is a de Sitter fixed point.
comment: 18 pages, 8 figures. Updated to match the published version in PRD
♻ ☆ Weak Lensing analysis of Abell 2390 using short exposures
We present a weak lensing analysis of the galaxy cluster Abell 2390 at z = 0.23 using second moment shape measurements made in 411 short 60s exposures. The exposures are obtained in three broadband photometric filters (g, r, i) using WIYN-ODI. Shape measurement in individual exposures is done using a moment matching algorithm. Forced measurement is used when the moment matching algorithm fails to converge at low signal to noise ratio (SNR). The measurements made in individual images are combined using inverse error weight to obtain accurate shape of sources and hence recover shear. We use PhoSim simulations to validate shear measurements recovered by our pipeline. We find the mass of Abell 2390 is in agreement with previously published results. We also find the E-Mode maps show filamentary structures consistent with baryonic structures and recovers most clusters/groups of galaxies found using Optical and X-Ray data. Thus we demonstrate the feasibility of using Weak Lensing to map large scale structure of the universe. We also find the central portion of the cluster has a bimodal mass distribution and the relative orientation of the peaks are similar to X-Ray. We discuss earlier research on this galaxy cluster and show that a late stage merger accounts for all the observed data.
comment: Published in ApJ
♻ ☆ Cosmological Correlators at Finite Coupling
We study finite-coupling effects of QFT on a rigid de Sitter (dS) background taking the $O(N)$ vector model at large $N$ as a solvable example. Extending standard large $N$ techniques to the dS background, we analyze the phase structure and late-time four-point functions. Explicit computations reveal that the spontaneous breaking of continuous symmetries is prohibited due to strong IR effects, akin to flat two-dimensional space. Resumming loop diagrams, we compute the late-time four-point functions of vector fields at large $N$, demonstrating that their spectral density is meromorphic in the spectral plane and positive along the principal series. These results offer highly nontrivial checks of unitarity and analyticity for cosmological correlators.
comment: v2: 26 pages, 3 figures, corrected typos, added references, improved discussion of symmetry breaking
♻ ☆ Search for a Gravitational-Wave Background from Sound Speed Resonance from Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo's First Three Observing Runs
We search for a stochastic gravitational-wave background (SGWB) originating from scalar-induced gravitational waves (SIGWs) with the sound speed resonance (SSR) effect using data from Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo's first three observing runs. The SSR mechanism, characterized by an oscillating sound speed squared term, can induce a nonperturbative parametric amplification of specific perturbation modes during inflation, leading to enhanced primordial curvature perturbations and a significant SIGW signal. We perform a Bayesian analysis to constrain the model parameters describing the SGWB spectrum from the SSR effect. Our results show no statistically significant evidence for the presence of such a signal in the current data. Consequently, we place an upper limit of $|\tau_0| \lesssim 5.9 \times 10^3\,\mathrm{s}$ at $95\%$ confidence level on the start time of the oscillation in the SSR model. These results demonstrate the capability of current gravitational wave detectors to probe inflation models through the SSR mechanism and paves the way for future searches with improved sensitivity.
comment: 14 pages, 2 figures, accepted by JCAP
♻ ☆ Can we distinguish the adiabatic fluctuations and isocurvature fluctuations with pulsar timing arrays? SC
Understanding the nature of primordial fluctuations is pivotal to unraveling the Universe's early evolution. While these fluctuations are observed to be nearly scale-invariant, quasi-adiabatic, and Gaussian on large scales, their small-scale behavior remains poorly constrained, offering a potential window into new physics. Recent detections of a stochastic gravitational wave background in the nanohertz frequency range by pulsar timing arrays (PTAs), including NANOGrav, PPTA, EPTA+InPTA, and CPTA, align with astrophysical predictions from supermassive black hole binaries but could also encode signatures of primordial phenomena. We investigate whether the observed signal originates from primordial isocurvature or adiabatic fluctuations by fitting them to the latest NANOGrav dataset. Through comprehensive Bayesian model comparison, we evaluate the distinguishability of these scenarios given current PTA sensitivities. Our results demonstrate that existing data cannot conclusively differentiate between isocurvature and adiabatic sources, highlighting the need for enhanced observational capabilities to probe the primordial universe at small scales.
comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, version accepted for publication in Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron. (SCPMA);
♻ ☆ ZTF SN Ia DR2: Colour standardisation of Type Ia Supernovae and its dependence on environment
As type Ia supernova (SN Ia) cosmology transitions from a statistics-dominated to a systematics-dominated era, it is crucial to understand the remaining unexplained uncertainties that affect their luminosity, such as those stemming from astrophysical biases. SNe Ia are standardisable candles whose absolute magnitude reaches a scatter of 0.15 mag when empirical correlations with their light-curve stretch and colour and with their environment are accounted for. We investigate the dependence of the standardisation process of SNe Ia on the astrophysical environment, focusing on colour standardisation. We used the volume-limited ZTF SN Ia DR2 sample, which offers unprecedented statistics for the low-redshift ($z < 0.06$) range. We first studied the colour distribution, to then select a dustless subsample of objects. We then examined the colour-residual relation and its associated parameter $\beta$. Finally, we investigated the colour dependence of the environment-dependent magnitude offsets (steps) to separate their intrinsic and extrinsic components. Our sample of nearly 1,000 SNe probes the red tail of the colour distribution up to $c = 0.8$. The dustless sample exhibits a significantly shorter red tail ($4.3\sigma$) than the whole sample, but the distributions around $c\sim0$ are similar for both samples. This suggests that the reddening above $c\geq0.2$ is dominated by interstellar dust absorption of the host. The colour-residual relation is linear with SN colour. We found indications of a potential evolution of $\beta$ with the stellar host mass, with $\beta\sim3.6$ for low-mass galaxies, compared to $\beta=3.05\pm0.06$ for the full sample. Finally, in contrast to recent claims from the literature, we found no evolution of steps as a function of SN colour. This suggests that dust may not be the dominating mechanism for the dependence on the environment of the magnitude of SNe Ia.
comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics
♻ ☆ Does the magneto-thermal instability survive whistler-suppression of thermal conductivity in galaxy clusters?
The hot and dilute intracluster medium (ICM) plays a central role in many key processes that shape galaxy clusters.Nevertheless, the nature of plasma turbulence and particle transport in the ICM remain poorly understood, and quantifying the effect of kinetic plasma instabilities on the macroscopic dynamics represents an outstanding problem. Here we focus on the impact of whistler-wave suppression of the heat flux on the magnetothermal instability (MTI), which is expected to drive significant turbulent motions in the periphery of galaxy clusters. We perform small-scale Boussinesq simulations with a sub-grid closure for the thermal diffusivity in the regime of whistler-wave suppression. Our model is characterized by a single parameter that quantifies the collisionality of the ICM on the astrophysical scales of interest that we tune to explore a range appropriate for the periphery of galaxy clusters. We find that the MTI is qualitatively unchanged for weak whistler suppression. Conversely, with strong suppression the magnetic dynamo is interrupted and MTI turbulence dies out. In the astrophysically relevant limit, however, the MTI is likely to be supplemented by additional sources of turbulence. Investigating this scenario, we show that the inclusion of external forcing has a beneficial impact and revives even MTI simulations with strong whistler suppression. As a result, the plasma remains buoyantly unstable, with important consequences for turbulent mixing in the ICM.
comment: 7 pages, 4 figures. Final version published in A&A
♻ ☆ Dimensionality Reduction Techniques for Statistical Inference in Cosmology
We explore linear and non-linear dimensionality reduction techniques for statistical inference of parameters in cosmology. Given the importance of compressing the increasingly complex data vectors used in cosmology, we address questions that impact the constraining power achieved, such as: Are currently used methods effectively lossless? Under what conditions do nonlinear methods, typically based on neural nets, outperform linear methods? Through theoretical analysis and experiments with simulated weak lensing data vectors we compare three standard linear methods and neural network based methods. We propose two linear methods that outperform all others while using less computational resources: a variation of the MOPED algorithm we call e-MOPED and an adaptation of Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA), which is a method new to cosmology but well known in statistics. Both e-MOPED and CCA utilize simulations spanning the full parameter space, and rely on the sensitivity of the data vector to the parameters of interest. The gains we obtain are significant compared to compression methods used in the literature: up to 30% in the Figure of Merit for $\Omega_m$ and $S_8$ in a realistic Simulation Based Inference analysis that includes statistical and systematic errors. We also recommend two modifications that improve the performance of all methods: First, include components in the compressed data vector that may not target the key parameters but still enhance the constraints on due to their correlations. The gain is significant, above 20% in the Figure of Merit. Second, compress Gaussian and non-Gaussian statistics separately -- we include two summary statistics of each type in our analysis.
comment: 23 pages, 9 figures. Comments welcome. To be submitted to PRD. Implementation examples in https://github.com/98minsu/CosmoCompression/ v3: edits with a new toy model to help understand the results
♻ ☆ Effects of Subhalos on Interpreting Highly Magnified Sources Near Lensing Caustics
Large magnification factors near gravitational lensing caustics of galaxy cluster lenses allow the study of individual stars or compact stellar associations at cosmological distances. We study how the presence of sub-galactic subhalos, an inevitable consequence of cold dark matter, can alter the property of caustics and hence change the interpretation of highly magnified sources that lie atop them. First, we consider a galaxy cluster halo populated with subhalos sampled from a realistic subhalo mass function calibrated to $N$-body simulations. Then, we compare a semi-analytical approximation and an adaptive ray-shooting method which we employ to quantify the property of the caustics. As a case study, we investigate Earendel, a $z = 6.2$ candidate of magnified single or multiple star system with a lone lensed image atop the critical curve in the Sunrise Arc. We find that the source size constraint ($\lesssim 0.3\, \mathrm{pc}$) previously derived from macro lens models should be relaxed by a factor of a few to ten when subhalos are accounted for, therefore allowing the possibility of a compact star cluster. The subhalos could introduce an astrometric perturbation that is $\lesssim 0.5''$, which does not contradict observation. These conclusions are largely robust to changes in the subhalo population. Subhalos therefore should be seriously accounted for when interpreting the astrophysical nature of similar highly magnified sources uncovered in recent high-$z$ observations.
comment: 21 pages, 7 figures; updated to match the manuscript accepted to ApJ
♻ ☆ KiDS-1000: Weak lensing and intrinsic alignment around luminous red galaxies
We study the properties of luminous red galaxies (LRGs) selected from the fourth data release of the Kilo Degree Survey (KiDS-1000) via galaxy-galaxy lensing of the background galaxies from KiDS-1000. We used a halo model formalism to interpret our measurements and obtain estimates of the halo masses as well as the satellite fractions of the LRGs, resulting in halo masses of $2.7 \times 10^{12} h^{-1} {\rm M}_{\odot}
comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication by A&A
♻ ☆ Geometrical origin for the compaction function for primordial black hole formation
We propose a geometrical origin for the Shibata-Sasaki compaction function, which is known to be a reliable indicator of primordial black hole formation at least during radiation domination. In the long-wavelength limit, we identify it with a compactness function in the static spacetime obtained by removing the cosmological scale factor from the metric and this explains why it cannot be greater than $1/2$. If its maximum is below $1/2$, the perturbation is of type I. If its maximum equals $1/2$, it corresponds to an extremal surface, which is simultaneously a bifurcating trapping horizon and admits a circular photon orbit in the static spacetime. In the long-wavelength regime of the physical expanding Universe, the Shibata-Sasaki compaction reaches its maximum value of $1/2$ at maximal and minimal surfaces on the constant time spacelike hypersurface, which feature a type II perturbation and both correspond to photon spheres expanding along with the cosmological expansion. Thus, the Shibata-Sasaki compaction measures how close to the type II configuration the perturbed region is.
comment: 19 pages, 2 figures, minor correction, accepted for publication in Physical Review D
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 12
☆ Ball Lightning as a profound manifestation of the Dark Matter physics
Ball lighting (BL) has been observed for centuries. There are large number of books, review articles, and original scientific papers devoted to different aspects of BL phenomenon. Yet, the basic features of this phenomenon have never been explained by known physics. The main problem is the source which could power the dynamics of the BL. We advocate an idea that the dark matter in form of the axion quark nuggets (AQN) made of standard model quarks and gluons (similar to the old idea of the Witten's strangelets) could internally generate the required power. The corresponding macroscopically large object in form of the AQN behaves as {\it chameleon}: it does not interact with the surrounding material in dilute environment and serves as perfect cold DM candidate. However, AQN becomes strongly interacting object in sufficiently dense environment. The AQN model was invented long ago without any relation to the BL physics. It was invented with a single motivation to explain the observed similarity $\Omega_{\rm DM}\sim \Omega_{\rm visible}$ between visible and DM components. This relation represents a very generic feature of this framework, not sensitive to any parameters of the construction. However, with the same set of parameters being fixed long ago this model is capable to address the key elements of the BL phenomenology, including the source of the energy powering the BL events. In particular, we argue that the visible size of BL, its typical life time, the frequency of appearance , etc are all consistent with suggested proposal when BL represents a profound manifestation of the DM physics represented by the AQN objects. We also formulate a unique possible test which can refute or unambiguously substantiate this unorthodox proposal on nature of BL.
comment: 24 pages
☆ Titan's Fluvial and Lacustrine Landscapes
In this chapter we begin with a review of Titan's fluvial and lacustrine landscapes as observed with Cassini remote sensing data, and what the many discoveries have revealed about Titan's surface materials and climate. Yet Cassini remote sensing data are coarse, topographic data are largely lacking, and the absence of in situ field measurements means we have little understanding of what the surface is composed of. At present, our knowledge of Titan's hydrology is comparable to that of Mars in the 1970's during the Viking era. Fortunately, the coming decades promise many new and exciting discoveries that can be achieved through Earth-based experiments, numerical modeling, and a continued commitment to the exploration of Titan by future missions, including both Dragonfly and orbiting assets. We therefore close the chapter with a discussion about what can be done with the current Cassini data and how new data, from both Dragonfly and a potential future orbiter, would allow us to leverage Titan to help solve some of the largest problems both here on Earth and on hydrologic planets and exoplanets more generally.
comment: 26 pages, 7 figures
☆ Modelling a Transiting Circumbinary Disc in the HD98800 System
We present synthetic optical light curves of the hierarchical HD98800 quadruple system over a decade-long period when the circumbinary disc encircling the system's B binary is expected to eclipse the light from the A binary. We produce and compare light curves of this transit event using hydrodynamical models with different values of the disc's gas mass, dust mass, and $\alpha$-viscosity to determine the observable effect of each parameter. These comparisons provide insight that could aid in the analysis of observational data from the system when the real transit occurs and provide recommendations for how such observations should be made. We find that a higher dust mass or higher value of $\alpha$ correspond to a longer transit, with the gas mass having a more minor effect on the overall shape and duration of the transit. A higher $\alpha$ has an observable effect on the viscous spreading at the outer edge of the disc, though is countered through truncation by the outer binary. It is also shown that long-term interactions between the outer binary and disc can excite spiral arms in the disc, which introduce observable asymmetries to the light curve. Our models suggest that the transit should have begun at the time of writing, but no dimming has yet been observed. It is likely that the disc has a smaller radial extent than our models, due to a lower viscosity than can be simulated with SPH. The transit is expected to last 8-11 years, ending in late 2034 at the latest.
comment: 12 pages, 13 figures
☆ The structure of $κ$ Cygnid and August Draconid meteoroid streams
Meteoroid streams can be complex structures shaped by the processes of their formation and subsequent orbital evolution. The first step of their understanding is mapping their current stage. We used precise data from the European Fireball Network to disentangle the situation with meteor showers active in August and having radiants in the Cygnus-Draco area. In total, 179 fireballs observed between 2016-2024 were analyzed. We confirmed that two showers, $\kappa$ Cygnids and August Draconids, are present. The meteoroid swarm producing $\kappa$ Cygnids is locked in the 5:3 main-motion resonance with Jupiter with orbital period 7.12 years and has a limited extent of $\leq$ 90 degrees in mean anomaly. The shower is therefore markedly active only once or twice during each seven-year period. The orbits have wide range of inclinations, 28-44 degrees. There is a correlation between inclination, perihelion distance, and argument of perihelion due to observational selection effects. The radiant area is almost 30 degrees long in declination. August Draconids have even more extended radiant and can be divided into three branches depending on the position of the perihelion relative to the ecliptic plane. Neither of the showers can be described by a single set of orbital elements. We provide sets of representative orbits and identifications with showers previously reported in the literature. Physical properties of meteoroids and possible parent bodies are also discussed.
comment: A&A accepted version
☆ MAISTEP -- a new grid-based machine learning tool for inferring stellar parameters I. Ages of giant-planet host stars
Our understanding of exoplanet demographics partly depends on their corresponding host star parameters. With the majority of exoplanet-host stars having only atmospheric constraints available, robust inference of their parameters is susceptible to the approach used. The goal of this work is to develop a grid-based machine learning tool capable of determining the stellar radius, mass, and age using only atmospheric constraints and to analyse the age distribution of stars hosting giant planets. Our machine learning approach involves combining four tree-based machine learning algorithms (Random Forest, Extra Trees, Extreme Gradient Boosting, and CatBoost) trained on a grid of stellar models to infer stellar radius, mass, and age using Teff, [Fe/H], and luminosities. We perform a detailed statistical analysis to compare the inferences of our tool with those based on seismic data from the APOKASC and LEGACY samples. Finally, we apply our tool to determine the ages of stars hosting giant planets. Comparing the stellar parameter inferences from our machine learning tool with those from the APOKASC and LEGACY, we find a bias (and a scatter) of -0.5\% (5\%) and -0.2\% (2\%) in radius, 6\% (5\%) per cent and -2\% (3\%) in mass, and -9\% (16\%) and 7\% (23\%) in age, respectively. Therefore, our machine learning predictions are commensurate with seismic inferences. When applying our model to a sample of stars hosting Jupiter-mass planets, we find the average age estimates for the hosts of Hot Jupiters, Warm Jupiters, and Cold Jupiters to be 1.98, 2.98, and 3.51 Gyr, respectively. These statistical ages of the host stars confirm previous predictions - based on stellar model ages for a relatively small number of hosts, as well as on the average age-velocity dispersion relation - that stars hosting Hot Jupiters are statistically younger than those hosting Warm and Cold Jupiters.
comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics Journal
☆ Dust supply to slose binary systems
Context. Binary systems can be born surrounded by circumbinary discs. The gaseous discs surrounding either of the two stellar companions can have their life extended by the supply of mass arriving from the circumbinary disc. Aims. The objective of this study is to investigate the gravitational interactions exerted by a compact and eccentric binary system on the circumbinary and circumprimary discs, and the resulting transport of gas and solids between the disc components. Methods. We assume that the gas in the system behaves as a fluid and model its evolution by means of high resolution hydrodynamical simulations. Dust grains are modeled as Lagrangian particles that interact with the gas and the stars. Results. Models indicate that significant fluxes of gas and dust proceed from the circumbinary disc toward the circumprimary disc. For the applied system parameters, grains of certain sizes are segregated outside the tidal gap generated by the stars. Consequently, the size distribution of the transported dust is not continuous but it presents a gap in the mm size range. In close binaries, the lifetime of an isolated circumprimary disc is found to be short, approximately 10 5 years, because of its small mass. However, because of the influx of gas from beyond the tidal gap, the disc around the primary star can survive much longer, about 10 6 years, as long as gas accretion from the circumbinary disc continues. The supply of solids and the extended lifetime of a circumbinary disc also aids in the possible formation of giant planets. Compared to close binary systems without a circumbinary disc, we expect a higher frequency of single- or multiple- planet systems. Additionally, a planetesimal or debris belt can form in proximity of the truncation radius of the circumprimary disc and/or around the location of the exterior edge of the tidal gap.
comment: Accepted for publication on Astronomy and Astrophysics
☆ From Streaming Instability to the Onset of Pebble Accretion I. Investigating the Growth Modes in Planetesimal Rings
Context. The localized formation of planetesimals can be triggered with the help of streaming instability when the local pebble density is high. This can happen at various locations in the disk leading to the formation of local planetesimal rings. The planetesimals in these rings subsequently grow from mutual collisions and by pebble accretion. Aims. We investigate the early growth of protoplanetary embryos from a ring of planetesimals created from streaming instability to see if they reach sizes where they accrete pebbles efficiently. Methods. We simulate the early stages of planet formation for rings of planetesimals that we assume were created by streaming instability at various separations from the star and for various stellar masses using a semi-analytic model. Results. The rings in the inner disk are able to produce protoplanetary embryos in a short time whereas at large separations there is little to no growth. The growth of the largest bodies is significantly slower around lower-mass stars. Conclusions. The formation of planetary embryos from filaments during the disk lifetime is possible but strongly dependent on the separation from the star and the mass of the host star. It remains difficult to form the seeds of pebble accretion early in the outer disk \sim 50AU, especially for low-mass stars.
comment: 16 pages, 19 figures
☆ Amplifying Resonant Repulsion with Inflated Young Planets, Overlooked Inner Planets, and Non-zero Initial $Δ$
Most multi-planet systems around mature ($\sim 5$-Gyr-old) host stars are non-resonant. Even the near-resonant planet pairs still display 1-2\% positive deviation from perfect period commensurabilities ($\Delta$) near first-order mean motion resonances (MMR). Resonant repulsion due to eccentricity tides was one of the first mechanisms proposed to explain the observed positive $\Delta$. However, the inferred rates of tidal dissipation are often implausibly rapid (with a reduced tidal quality factor $Q_p^\prime \lesssim 10$). In this work, we attempt to amplify eccentricity tides with three previously ignored effects. 1) Planets tend to be inflated when they were younger. 2) Kepler-like Planets likely form as resonant chains parked at the disk inner edge, overlooked inner planets could have contributed to tidal dissipation of the whole system. 3) Disk migration captures planets into first-order MMR with non-zero initial deviation $\Delta$, thereby lowering the amount of dissipation needed. We show that even after accounting for all three effects, $Q_p^\prime$ can only be amplified by about one order of magnitude, and still falls short of $Q_p^\prime$ values of Solar System planets. Therefore, eccentricity tides alone cannot fully explain the observed $\Delta$ distribution. Other effects such as obliquity tides, planetesimal scattering, expanding disk inner edge, disk turbulence, divergent encounters, and dynamical instabilities must have contributed to dislodging planets from first-order MMR.
comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, accepted to AAS Journals
♻ ☆ Hidden under a warm blanket: If planets existed in protostellar disks, they would hardly produce observable substructures
The onset of planet formation is actively under debate. Recent mass measurements of disks around protostars suggest an early start of planet formation in the Class 0/I disks. However, dust substructures, one possible signature of forming planets, are rarely observed in the young Class 0/I disks, while they are ubiquitous in the mature Class II disks. It is not clear whether the lack of dust substructures in the Class 0/I disks indicates absence of planets or whether it is due to other physical effects such as temperature and dust opacity. Here we consider the effect of temperature on the ability of planets to produce dust substructures. We prescribe the evolution of the disk and the protostar from Class 0 to Class II phase and calculate the disk temperature using radiative transfer models at various stages of the evolution. We use the mid-plane temperature to calculate the disk scale height and the minimum planet mass needed to open observable dust gaps using the thermal criterion. We find that this minimum planet mass decreases as a function of time. Particularly, we find that if a planet up to ${\sim}5$ M$_{\oplus}$ in the inner ${\sim}5$ au or up to ${\sim}10-50$ M$_{\oplus}$ at radii ${\gtrsim}5$ au was already formed in the early protostellar phase ($t< 2\times 10^5$ yr) it would barely produce any dust substructures. We conclude that a major contribution to the observed lack of substructures (if produced by planets) in the early protostellar phase - lowering their frequency by ${\sim}50\%$ - could be elevated temperatures rather than the absence of planets.
comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, 14 pages, first and second author had similar contributions
♻ ☆ Use the 4S (Signal-Safe Speckle Subtraction): Explainable Machine Learning reveals the Giant Exoplanet AF Lep b in High-Contrast Imaging Data from 2011
The main challenge of exoplanet high-contrast imaging (HCI) is to separate the signal of exoplanets from their host stars, which are many orders of magnitude brighter. HCI for ground-based observations is further exacerbated by speckle noise originating from perturbations in Earth's atmosphere and imperfections in the telescope optics. Various data post-processing techniques are used to remove this speckle noise and reveal the faint planet signal. Often, however, a significant part of the planet signal is accidentally subtracted together with the noise. In the present work, we use explainable machine learning to investigate the reason for the loss of the planet signal for one of the most used post-processing methods: principal component analysis (PCA). We find that PCA learns the shape of the telescope point spread function for high numbers of PCA components. This representation of the noise captures not only the speckle noise but also the characteristic shape of the planet signal. Building on these insights, we develop a new post-processing method (4S) that constrains the noise model to minimize this signal loss. We apply our model to 11 archival HCI datasets from the VLT-NACO instrument in the L'-band and find that our model consistently outperforms PCA. The improvement is largest at close separations to the star ($\leq 4 \lambda /D$) providing up to 1.5 magnitudes deeper contrast. This enhancement enables us to detect the exoplanet AF Lep b in data from 2011, 11 years before its subsequent discovery. We present updated orbital parameters for this object.
comment: Accepted for publication in AJ, 27 pages, 18 figures. We have added a new section explaining the mathematical differences between PCA, LOCI and 4S. The data and code are now fully available and documented, see https://fours.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ Raw data: https://zenodo.org/records/11456704 Intermediate results: https://zenodo.org/records/11457071
♻ ☆ The SAP-1 Payload: A Technology Demonstration for Space-Based Microbiology Experiments
The SSPACE Astrobiology Payload (SAP) series, starting with the SAP-1 project is designed to conduct in-situ microbiology experiments in low earth orbit. This payload series aims to understand the behaviour of microbial organisms in space, particularly those critical for human health, and the corresponding effects due to microgravity and solar/galactic radiation. SAP-1 focuses on studying Bacillus clausii and Bacillus coagulans, bacteria beneficial to humans. It aims to provide a space laboratory for astrobiology experiments under microgravity conditions. The hardware developed for these experiments is indigenous and tailored to meet the unique requirements of autonomous microbiology experiments by controlling pressure, temperature, and nutrition flow to bacteria. A rotating platform, which forms the core design, is innovatively utilised to regulate the flow and mixing of nutrients with dormant bacteria. The technology demonstration models developed at SSPACE have yielded promising results, with ongoing efforts to refine, adapt for space conditions, and prepare for integration with nanosatellites or space modules. The anticipated payload will be compact, approximately 1U in size (10cm x 10cm x 10cm), consume less than 5W power, and offer flexibility for various microbiological studies.
comment: 20 Pages, Published in Advances in Space Research
♻ ☆ Short-Period Small Planets with High Mutual Inclinations are more Common around Metal-Rich Stars
We present a correlation between the stellar metallicities and the mutual inclinations of multi-planet systems hosting short-period small planets (a/Rs<12, Rp<4Re). We analyzed 89 multi-planet systems discovered by Kepler, K2, and TESS, where the innermost planets have periods shorter than 10 days. We found that the mutual inclinations of the innermost two planets are higher and more diverse around metal-rich stars. The mutual inclinations are calculated as the absolute differences between the best-fit inclinations of the innermost two planets from transit modeling, which represent the lower limits of the true mutual inclinations. The mean and variance of the mutual inclination distribution of the metal-rich systems are 3.1+-0.5 and 3.1+-0.4 degrees, while for the metal-poor systems they are 1.3+-0.2 and 1.0+-0.2 degrees. This finding suggests that inner planetary systems around metal-rich stars are dynamically hotter. We summarized the theories that could plausibly explain this correlation, including the influence of giant planets, higher solid densities in protoplanetary disks around metal-rich stars, or secular chaos coupled with an excess of angular momentum deficits. Planet formation and population synthesis models tracking the mutual inclination evolution would be essential to fully understand this correlation.
comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, 1 table. Accepted by ApJL
Astrophysics of Galaxies 37
☆ The Morphology of Dwarf Galaxies Hosting Variable Active Galactic Nuclei
We analyze Hubble Space Telescope (HST) optical imaging of eight low-mass galaxies hosting active galactic nuclei (AGN) identified via their photometric variability in \cite{baldassare_search_2020}. We use GALFIT to model the 2D galaxy light profiles, and find a diversity of morphologies. The galaxies with regular morphologies are best fit with pseudo-bulges and disks, rather than classical bulges. We estimate black hole masses using scaling relations and find black hole masses of 10$^{3.7-6.6}$ M$_\odot$. We compare this sample to dwarf galaxies with AGN selected via optical spectroscopy. On average, the variable host galaxies have lower mass black holes. We analyze the brightest point source in each galaxy and find their properties are not entirely consistent with star clusters, indicating that they are likely AGN. These point sources are found to have lower luminosities than spectroscopically selected dwarf AGN, but brighter than the point sources in dwarf galaxies not identified as AGN. Our detailed imaging analysis shows that variability selection has the potential to find lower mass black holes and lower luminosity AGN than optical spectroscopy. These active dwarfs may have been missed by spectroscopic searches due to star formation dilution or low gas content.
comment: 18 pages
☆ Tomographic halo model of the unWISE-Blue galaxies using cross-correlations with BOSS CMASS galaxies
The halo model offers a framework for investigating galaxy clustering, and for understanding the growth of galaxies and the distribution of galaxies of different types. Here, we use the halo model to study the small-scale clustering and halo occupation distribution (HOD) of the unWISE-Blue galaxy sample, an infrared-selected sample of $\sim$100 million galaxies across the entire extragalactic sky at $z\sim 0.5$ $-$ similar redshifts to the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) CMASS sample. Although the photometric unWISE galaxies cannot be easily split in redshift, we use their cross-correlation with the BOSS CMASS sample to tomographically probe the HOD of the unWISE galaxies at $0.45 < z < 0.75$. To do so, we develop a new method for applying the halo model to cross-correlations between a photometric sample and a spectroscopic sample in narrow redshift bins, incorporating halo exclusion, post-Limber corrections, and redshift-space distortions. We reveal strong evolution in the CMASS HOD, and modest evolution in the unWISE-Blue HOD. For unWISE-Blue, we find that the average bias and mean halo mass drop from $b = 1.6$ and $\log_{10}(M_{\mathrm{h}}/M_{\odot}) \sim 13.4$ at $z \sim 0.5$ to $b = 1.4$ and $\log_{10}(M_{\mathrm{h}}/M_{\odot}) \sim 13.1$ at $z \sim 0.7$, and that the satellite fraction drops modestly from $\sim$20% to $\sim$10% in the same range. These results are useful for creating mock samples of the unWISE-Blue galaxies. Furthermore, the techniques developed to obtain these results are applicable to other tomographic cross-correlations between photometric samples and narrowly-binned spectroscopic samples, such as clustering redshifts.
comment: 19 pages, 10 figures, to be submitted to OJAp
☆ Dynamic Imprints of Colliding-wind Dust Formation from WR140
Carbon-rich Wolf-Rayet binaries are a prominent source of carbonaceous dust that contribute to the dust budget of galaxies. The "textbook" example of an episodic dust producing WR binary, WR140 (HD193793), provides us with an ideal laboratory for investigating the dust physics and kinematics in an extreme environment. This study is among the first to utilize two separate JWST observations, from Cycle 1 ERS (July 2022) and Cycle 2 (Sept. 2023), to measure WR140's dust kinematics and confirm its morphology. To measure the proper motions and projected velocities of the dust shells, we performed a novel PSF subtraction to reduce the effects of the bright diffraction spikes and carefully aligned the Cycle 2 to the Cycle 1 images. At 7.7 $\mu$m, through the bright feature common to 16 dust shells (C1), we find an average dust shell proper motion of $390\pm29$ mas yr$^{-1}$, which equates to a projected velocity of $2714\pm188$ km s$^{-1}$ at a distance of 1.64 kpc. Our measured speeds are constant across all visible shells and consistent with previously reported dust expansion velocities. Our observations not only prove that these dusty shells are astrophysical (i.e., not associated with any PSF artifact) and originate from WR140, but also confirm the "clumpy" morphology of the dust shells, in which identifiable substructures within certain shells persist for at least 14 months from one cycle to the next. These results support the hypothesis that clumping in the wind collision region is required for dust production in WR binaries.
☆ New stellar bow shocks and bubbles found around runaway stars
Runaway stars with peculiar high velocities can generate stellar bow shocks. Only a few bow shocks show clear radio emission. Our goal is to identify and characterize new stellar bow shocks around O and Be runaway stars in the infrared (IR), and to study their possible radio emission and nature. Our input data is a catalog of O and Be runaways compiled using Gaia DR3. We used WISE IR images to search for bow shocks around these runaways, Gaia DR3 data to determine the actual motion of the runaway stars corrected for interstellar medium (ISM) motion caused by Galactic rotation, and archival radio data to search for emission signatures. We finally explored the radio detectability of these sources under thermal and nonthermal scenarios. We found 9 new stellar bow shock candidates, 3 new bubble candidates, and 1 intermediate structure candidate. One of them is an in situ bow shock candidate. We also found 17 already known bow shocks in our sample, though we discarded one, and 62 miscellaneous sources showing some IR emission around the runaways. We geometrically characterized the sources in IR using the WISE-4 band and estimated the ISM density at the bow shock positions, obtaining median values of ~6 and ~4 cm$^{-3}$ using 2D and 3D peculiar velocities. Most of the new discovered bow shocks come from new runaway discoveries. Within our samples we found that ~24% of the O-type runaway stars show bow shocks, while this decreases to ~3% for Be-type runaway stars. Two bow shocks present radio emission but not as clear counterparts, and two others show hints of radio emission. The physical scenarios indicate that two sources could still be compatible with nonthermal radio emission. The new sample of O and Be runaway stars allowed us to discover both new stellar bow shocks and bubbles. Their geometrical characterization can be used to assess the physical scenario of the radio emission. (Abridged)
comment: 19 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A
☆ The quenching of star formation in dwarf galaxies: new perspectives from deep-wide surveys
Dwarf galaxies dominate the galaxy number density, making them critical to our understanding of galaxy evolution. However, typical dwarfs are too faint to be visible outside the very local Universe in past surveys like the SDSS, which offer large footprints but are shallow. Dwarfs in such surveys have relatively high star formation rates, which boost their luminosity, making them detectable in shallow surveys, but also biased and potentially unrepresentative of dwarfs as a whole. Here, we use deep data to perform an unbiased statistical study of ~7,000 nearby (z<0.25) dwarfs (10^8 MSun < M < 10^9.5 MSun) in the COSMOS field which, at these redshifts, is a relatively low-density field. At z~0.05, ~40 per cent of dwarfs in low-density environments are red/quenched, falling to ~30 per cent by z~0.25. Red dwarfs reside closer to nodes, filaments and massive galaxies. Proximity to a massive galaxy appears to be more important in determining whether a dwarf is red, rather than simply its distance from nodes and filaments or the mean density of its local environment. Interestingly, around half of the red dwarfs reside outside the virial radii of massive galaxies and around a third of those also inhabit regions in the lower 50 per cent in density percentile (i.e. regions of very low ambient density). Around half of the red dwarf population is, therefore, quenched by mechanisms unrelated to environment, which are likely to be internal processes such as stellar and AGN feedback.
comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ Bar-spiral interaction produces radial migration and star formation bursts
Central bars and spirals are known to strongly impact the evolution of their host galaxies, both in terms of dynamics and star formation. Their typically different pattern speeds cause them to regularly overlap, which induces fluctuations in bar parameters. In this paper, we analyze both numerical simulations of disk galaxies and observational data to study the effect of bar-spiral physical overlap on stellar radial migration and star formation in the bar vicinity, as a function of time and galactic azimuth. We study three different numerical models, two of which are in a cosmological context, as well as APOGEE DR17 data and the WISE catalog of Galactic HII regions. We find that periodic boosts in stellar radial migration occur when the bar and spiral structure overlap. This mechanism causes net inward migration along the bar leading side, while stars along the bar trailling side and minor axis are shifted outward. The signature of bar-spiral induced migration is seen between the bar's inner Lindbald resonance and well outside its corotation, beyond which other drivers take over. We also find that, in agreement with simulations, APOGEE DR17 stars born at the bar vicinity (mostly metal-rich) can migrate out to the solar radius while remaining on cold orbits. For the Milky Way, 13% of stars in the solar vicinity were born inside the bar, compared to 5-20% in the simulations. Bar-spiral reconnections also result in periodic starbursts at the bar ends with an enhancement of up to a factor of 4, depending on the strength of the spiral structure. Similarly to the migration bursts, these do not always happen simultaneously at the two sides of the bar, hinting at the importance of odd spiral modes. Data from the WISE catalog suggest this phhenomenon is also relevant in our own Galaxy.
comment: 14+5 pages, 10+5 figures, submitted to A&A. Comments welcome!
☆ Introducing the Rhea simulations of Milky-Way-like galaxies I: Effect of gravitational potential on morphology and star formation
The Milky Way is a complex ecosystem, for which we can obtain detailed observations probing the physical mechanisms determining the interstellar medium. For a detailed comparison with observations, and to provide theories for missing observables, we need to model the Milky Way as closely as possible. However, details of the Galactic structure are not fully defined by observations, raising the need for more generalized models. With the Rhea simulations we present a set of Milky Way like simulations, containing detailed physics of the interstellar medium, as well as star formation and stellar feedback. We conduct two simulations that differ in the gravitational potential: one fitted to several structural details derived from observations, the other just reproducing the most basic quantities. We find little difference in the overall morphology except for the bar region, which funnels gas towards the Galactic inner region and therefore prevents quenching in the center. Despite differences with galacto-centric radius, the global star formation rate is almost identical in both setups. A spiral arm potential does not influence properties of groups of formed stars. A bar potential, however, lowers size and formation time of those groups. We therefore conclude for a spiral arm potential to have little influence on star formation in the Galaxy, except for producing long-lived spiral structures instead of transient ones. A Galactic bar potential has noticeable influence on star formation mainly within the innermost 2.5kpc.
comment: 26 pages, 19 figures, submitted to A&A. See additional Rhea companion paper Kjellgren et al. today on astro-ph
☆ Synergising semi-analytical models and hydrodynamical simulations to interpret JWST data from the first billion years
The field of high redshift galaxy formation has been revolutionised by JWST, which is yielding unprecedented insights on galaxy assembly at early times. Our key aim is to study the physical mechanisms that can explain the unexpected abundance of bright galaxies at $z \geq 11$, as well as their metal enrichment and spectral properties. We also use recent data to determine the key sources of reionisation. To do so, we implement cold gas fractions and star formation efficiencies derived from the SPHINX20 high-resolution radiation-hydrodynamics simulation into DELPHI, a semi-analytic model that tracks the assembly of dark matter halos and their baryonic components from $z \sim 4.5-40$. In addition, we explore two different methodologies to boost galaxy luminosities at $z \geq 11$: a stellar initial mass function (IMF) that becomes increasingly top-heavy with decreasing metallicity and increasing redshift (eIMF model), and star formation efficiencies that increase with increasing redshift (eSFE model). Our key findings are: (i) both the eIMF and eSFE models can explain the abundance of bright galaxies at $z \geq 11$; (ii) dust attenuation plays an important role for the bright-end of the UV LF at $z \leq 11$; (iii) the mass-metallicity relation is in place as early as $z \sim 17$ in all models although its slope is model-dependent; (iv) within the spread of both models and observations, all of our models are in good agreement with current estimates of $\beta$ slopes at $z \sim 5-17$ and Balmer break strengths at $z \sim 6-10$; (v) in the eIMF model, galaxies at $z\geq12$ or with $\rm{M_{UV}}\geq-18$ show values of $\xi_{\rm{ion}} \sim 10^{25.55}~{\rm [Hz~erg^{-1}]}$, twice larger than in other models; (vi) star formation in galaxies below $10^{9}\rm{M_{\odot}}$ is the key driver of reionisation, providing the bulk ($\sim 85\%$) of ionising photons down to its midpoint at $z \sim 7$.
☆ Ultra High-Redshift or Closer-by, Dust-Obscured Galaxies? Deciphering the Nature of Faint, Previously Missed F200W-Dropouts in CEERS
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is revolutionizing our understanding of the Universe by unveiling faint, near-infrared dropouts previously beyond our reach, ranging from exceptionally dusty sources to galaxies up to redshift $z \sim 14$. In this paper, we identify F200W-dropout objects in the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) survey which are absent from existing catalogs. Our selection method can effectively identify obscured low-mass ($\log \text{M}_* \leq 9$) objects at $z \leq 6$, massive dust-rich sources up to $z \sim 12$, and ultra-high-redshift ($z > 15$) candidates. Primarily relying on NIRCam photometry from the latest CEERS data release and supplementing with Mid-Infrared/(sub-)mm data when available, our analysis pipeline combines multiple SED-fitting codes, star formation histories, and CosMix - a novel tool for astronomical stacking. Our work highlights three $215$, with best-fit masses compatible with $\Lambda$CDM and a standard baryons-to-star conversion efficiency. Their bi-modal redshift probability distributions suggest they could also be $z<1.5$ dwarf galaxies with extreme dust extinction. We also identify a strong line emitter galaxy at $z \sim 5$ mimicking the near-infrared emission of a $z \sim 13$ galaxy. Our sample holds promising candidates for future follow-ups. Confirming ultra high-redshift galaxies or lower-z dusty dwarfs will offer valuable insights into early galaxy formation, evolution with their central black holes and the nature of dark matter, and/or cosmic dust production mechanisms in low-mass galaxies, and will help us to understand degeneracies and contamination in high-z object searches.
comment: Submitted to Astronomy & Astrophysics
☆ An Alcock-Paczynski Test on Reionization Bubbles for Cosmology
In this paper, we propose an Alcock-Paczy\'nski (AP) test to constrain cosmology using HII bubbles during the Epoch of Reionization. Similarly to cosmic voids, a stack of HII bubbles is spherically symmetric because ionizing fronts propagate isotropically on average (even if individual bubbles may not be spherical), making them standard spheres to be used in an AP test. Upcoming 21-cm observations, from the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) for instance, will contain tomographic information about HII regions during reionization. However, extracting the bubbles from this signal is made difficult because of instrumental noise and foreground systematics. Here, we use a neural network to reconstruct neutral-fraction boxes from the noisy 21-cm signal, from which we extract bubbles using a watershed algorithm. We then run the purely geometrical AP test on these stacks, showing that a SKA-like experiment will be able to constrain the product of the angular-diameter distance $D_{\text{A}}$ and Hubble parameter $H$ at reionization redshifts with $\sim 2\%$ precision, robustly to astrophysical and cosmological uncertainties within the models tested here. This AP test, whether performed on 21-cm observations or other large surveys of ionized bubbles, will allow us to fill the knowledge gap about the expansion rate of our Universe at reionization redshifts.
comment: 22 pages, 12 figures, 2 tables. Comments welcome
☆ Radial migration in the Galactic disc driven by a slowing bar
Radial migration is an important dynamical effect that has reshaped the Galactic disc, but its origin has yet to be elucidated. In this work, we present evidence that resonant dragging by the corotation of a decelerating bar could be the main driver of radial migration in the Milky Way disc. Using a test particle simulation, we demonstrate this scenario explains the two distinct age-metallicity sequences observed in the solar vicinity: the plateauing upper sequence is interpreted as stars dragged outwards by the expanding corotation of the decelerating bar and the steeper lower sequence as stars formed locally around the solar circle. The upper migrated sequence dominates at guiding radii around the current corotation radius of the bar, $R\sim7\,\mathrm{kpc}$, but rapidly dies away beyond this where the mechanism cannot operate. This behaviour naturally explains the radial dependence of the $\mathrm{[\alpha/Fe]}$-bimodality, in particular the truncation of the high-$\mathrm{[\alpha/Fe]}$ disc beyond the solar circle. Under our proposed radial migration scenario, we constrain the Milky Way bar's pattern speed evolution using the age-metallicity distribution of stars currently trapped at corotation. We find the bar likely formed with an initial pattern speed of $60-100$ km s$^{-1}$ kpc$^{-1}$ and began decelerating $6-8$ Gyr ago at a rate $-\dot{\Omega}/\Omega^2\sim0.0025-0.0040$ (where the quoted ranges include systematic uncertainties).
comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, 4 appendices, submitted to ApJL. Comments welcome
☆ 2D light distributions of dwarf galaxies -- key tests of the implementation of physical processes in simulations
Cosmological simulations provide much of the theoretical framework within which we interpret extragalactic observations. However, even if a given simulation reproduces the integrated properties of galaxies well, it may not reproduce the detailed structures of individual galaxies. Comparisons between the 2D light distributions of simulated and observed galaxies -- particularly in the dwarf regime, where key processes like tidal perturbations and baryonic feedback most strongly influence galaxy structure -- thus provide an additional valuable test of the simulation's efficacy. We compare scaling relations derived from mock observations of simulated galaxies, drawn from the two largest halos in the high-resolution NewHorizon cosmological simulation, with galaxies in the Fornax cluster. While Fornax is significantly more massive than either group, it is the lowest-mass cluster in the local Universe, and contains a well-studied population of spatially resolved dwarfs, hence serves as a useful benchmark. Per unit stellar mass, NewHorizon dwarfs are systematically larger in half-light radius, much fainter in surface brightness, and bluer in colour than their Fornax counterparts, albeit with similar light profile shapes. We discuss potential reasons for these discrepancies, including environmental effects, baryonic feedback, resolution, or couplings of these factors. As observations of dwarfs outside of the local Universe become more plentiful through on-going or up-coming surveys such as Euclid and LSST, 2D comparisons such as these, where properties are measured in the same way across both simulations and observations, can place strong constraints on processes that alter the spatial distribution of baryons in galaxies.
comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS
☆ The dynamical impact of cosmic rays in the Rhea magnetohydrodynamics simulations
This study explores the dynamical impact of cosmic rays (CRs) in Milky Way-like galaxies using the Rhea simulation suite. Cosmic rays, with their substantial energy density, influence the interstellar medium (ISM) by supporting galactic winds, modulating star formation, and shaping ISM energetics. The simulations incorporate a multi-phase ISM, self-consistent CR transport in the advection-diffusion approximation, and interactions with magnetic fields to study their effect on galaxy evolution. Key findings reveal that CRs reduce star formation rates, and drive weak but sustained outflows with mass loading factors of $\sim0.2$, transporting a substantial fraction (20%-60%) of the injected CR energy. These CR-driven outflows are launched not just from the galactic center but across the entire disk, illustrating their pervasive dynamical influence. Galactic disks supported by CRs exhibit broader vertical structures compared to magnetic-field-dominated setups, though the scale heights are similar. CR feedback enhances magnetic flux transport to the circumgalactic medium (CGM), leading to a magnetically enriched CGM with field strengths of $\sim0.5\mu\mathrm{G}$ while reducing gas temperatures to $\lesssim10^5\,\mathrm{K}$. The CR energy is relatively smoothly distributed in the disk, with gradient lengths exceeding the typical size of molecular clouds, indicating that the CR behavior is not adiabatic.
comment: 23 pages, 17 figures, submitted to A&A. See additional Rhea companion paper G\"oller et al. today on astro-ph
☆ New perspective on the multiple population phenomenon in Galactic globular clusters from a wide-field photometric survey
Wide-field photometry of Galactic globular clusters (GCs) has been investigated to overcome limitations from the small field of view of the Hubble Space Telescope in the study of multiple populations. In particular, 'chromosome maps' (ChMs) built with ground-based photometry were constructed to identify the first and second generation stars (1G and 2G) over the wide-field of view. The ChMs allow us to derive the fraction of distinct populations in an analyzed field of view. We present here the radial distribution of the 2G fraction in 29 GCs. The distributions show that all the GCs either have a flat distribution or more centrally concentrated 2G stars. Notably, we find that the fraction of 1G stars outside the half-light radius is clearly bifurcated across all mass range. It implies that a group of GCs with lower 1G fractions (hereafter Group II) have efficiently lost their 1G stars in the outermost cluster regions. In fact, in connection with the trends of the radial distribution, most GCs of Group II have spatially mixed populations, while only less massive GCs in Group I (a group with higher 1G fraction) show that feature. Lastly, we investigate links between these two groups and host cluster parameters. We find that most GCs of Group II are distributed along a broader range of galactocentric distances with smaller perigalactic distances < 3.5 kpc. Besides, by using the Gaia data, it is observed that Group II GCs have higher energy on the integrals of motion diagrams than Group I GCs.
comment: 17 pages, 11 figures
☆ DIISC -- VI (COS-DIISC): UV Metal Absorption Relative to the H I disk of Galaxies
As part of the Deciphering the Interplay between the Interstellar medium, Stars, and the Circumgalactic medium (DIISC) survey, we present the UV metal absorption features in the Circumgalactic Medium (CGM) near the H I gas disk ($<$4.5$R_\mathrm{HI}$) of 31 nearby galaxies through quasar absorption line spectroscopy. Of the ions under study, Si III $\lambda1206$ was most frequently detected (18 of 31 sight lines), while C II $\lambda1334$ and Si II $\lambda1260$ were detected in 17 and 15 of 31 sight lines, respectively. Many components were consistent with photoionization equilibrium models, most of the cold and cool gas phase clouds were found to have lengths smaller than 2 kpc. Sight lines with smaller impact parameters ($\rho$) normalized by the galaxy's virial radius ($R_\mathrm{vir}$) and H I radius ($R_\mathrm{HI}$) tend to have more components and larger rest-frame equivalent widths ($W_r$) than those that probe the CGM at larger radii. In particular, we find that the location of metals are better traced by $\rho$ / $R_\mathrm{HI}$ rather than the traditional $\rho$ / $R_\mathrm{vir}$. Larger covering fractions are found closer to galaxies, with a radial decline that depends on the $W_r$ limit used. Our results provide new insights into the spatial distribution of metals around the H I disks of low-redshift galaxies.
comment: 20 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
☆ 2D Surface Brightness Modelling of Large 2MASS Galaxies II: The Role of Classical Bulges and Pseudobulges on Galaxy Scaling Relations and its implication for Supermassive Black Hole Formation
We have generated 2D-multicomponent surface brightness (SB) modelling for 100 galaxies in the Large Galaxy Atlas (LGA) together with 19 nearby cD galaxies using the near-infrared (NIR) images from 2MASS (J, H and Ks ). Our final sample of 119 galaxies includes cD galaxies, Virgo cluster galaxies, group galaxies, and field galaxies, but 68 % are spiral galaxies. We revisit known scaling relations (SRs) involving structure parameters, as well as those involving supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and ultramassive black holes (UMBHs). Refining the SRs, we revisited the classification of bulges. In this study, we have considered the Fundamental Plane (FP) and its projections, as well as other SRs, such as the colour-magnitude relation (CMR), the Tully-Fisher relation (TFR) and the luminosity-concentration relation (LCR). Classical bulges follow the same relations as elliptical galaxies, while pseudobulges are usually outliers. The NIR colours of classical bulges and pseudobulges indicate that their ages are not radically different despite their spread in luminosity, but we noticed that classical bulges are more luminous than pseudobulges; therefore, this property provides a complementary bulge/pseudobulge classification criterion. We have included pseudobulges from other studies to strengthen our sample's tendencies seen for pseudobulges in our sample. We also revised the SRs for SMBHs and UMBHs, finding that pseudobulges do not follow SRs for early-type galaxies and classical bulges. In addition, the lack of correlation between BHs and discs may indicate these structures have not coevolved. From the revision of SRs, we present a sample of galaxies likely to host SMBHs or UMBHs, which are suitable for dynamical BH mass determination accessible from the ground.
comment: 25 pages, 16 figures, submitted to MNRAS
☆ Building on the archives: Connecting the CN/CO intensity ratio with global galaxy properties in nearby U/LIRGs
We use the CN/CO intensity ratio to obtain the dense gas fraction, $f_{\text{dense}}$, for a sample of 16 Ultra-luminous and Luminous Infrared Galaxies and compare $f_{\text{dense}}$ with a suite of global galaxy properties. We find a significant correlation between $f_{\text{dense}}$ and star formation rate calculated using both infrared luminosities and radio continuum, although there is significant scatter in each relation. We find no trend between global or peak $f_{\text{dense}}$ and merger stage. We find no correlation between global $f_{\text{dense}}$ and X-ray luminosity; however, the correlation becomes significant when we measure $f_{\text{dense}}$ at the location of peak X-ray emission. Our interpretation is that the dense gas is co-localized with strong X-ray emission from an active galactic nuclei or strong central star formation.
comment: Accepted to ApJ; 14 pages, 5 figures
☆ Reevaluation of ALMA detection of circumstellar PH3 in the AGB envelope IRC+10216: evidence for misidentification with HCN
The article "Confirmation of interstellar phosphine towards asymptotic giant branch star IRC+10216" by A. Manna and S. Pal uses ALMA data of the C-star envelope IRC+10216 to claim a confirmation of the detection of PH3 in this source. The article however incorrectly assign an emission feature observed in the ALMA spectrum of IRC+10216 to PH3, while we find that it arises from a highly vibrationally excited state of HCN. Concretely the feature can be confidently assigned to the J=3-2 l=0 transition of HCN in the v1+4v2 vibrational state based on the observation of the l=+2 and l=-2 components of the same rotational transition, J=3-2, with the observed relative intensities in agreement with the relative line strengths. The detection of PH3 in IRC+10216 remains confirmed based on the observation of the J=1-0 and J=2-1 lines with the single-dish telescopes IRAM-30m, ARO SMT-10m, and Herschel (Agundez et al. 2008, 2014; Tenenbaum et al. 2008).
comment: Response to the article published by A. Manna and S. Pal entitled "Confirmation of interstellar phosphine towards asymptotic giant branch star IRC+10216". Accepted for publication in Journal Of Astrophysics and Astronomy
☆ Spatial distribution and clustering properties of the young stellar populations in the Carina Nebula complex and Car OB1
We use Gaia DR3 astrometry and photometry to analyze the spatial distribution of the young stellar populations and stellar clusters and to search for new OB star candidates in the Carina Nebula complex and the full extent of the Car OB1 association. We first performed a new census of high-mass stars in Car OB1 and compiled a comprehensive catalog of 517 stars with known spectral types that have Gaia DR3 parallaxes consistent with membership in the association. We applied the clustering algorithm DBSCAN on the Gaia data of the region to find stellar clusters, determine their distances and kinematics, and estimate ages. We also used Gaia astrometry and the additional astrophysical_parameters table to perform a spatially unbiased search for further high-mass members of Car OB1 over the full area of the association. Our DBSCAN analysis finds 15 stellar clusters and groups in Car OB1, four of which were not known before. Most clusters (80%) show signs of expansion or contraction, four of them with a >2$\sigma$ significance. We find a global expansion of the Car OB1 association and a kinematic traceback of the high-mass stars shows that the spatial extent of the association was at a minimum 3-4 Myr ago. Using astrophysical parameters by Gaia DR3, we identified 15 new O-type and 589 new B-type star candidates in Car OB1. The majority (>54%) of the high-mass stars constitute a non-clustered distributed stellar population. Based on our sample of high-mass stars, we estimate a total stellar population of at least ~8*10^4 stars in Car OB1. Our study is the first systematic astrometric analysis that covers the full spatial extent of the Car OB1 association, and it therefore substantially increases the knowledge of the distributed stellar population and spatial evolution of the entire association. Our results suggest suggests Car OB1 to be the most massive known star-forming complex in our Galaxy.
comment: 21 pages, 20 figures, accepted for publication in A&A
☆ Insight into the physical processes that shape the metallicity profiles in galaxies
The distribution of chemical elements in the star-forming regions can store information on the chemical enrichment history of the galaxies. Negative metallicity gradients are expected in galaxies forming inside-out. However, observations show that the metallicity profiles can be broken. We aim to study the diversity of metallicity profiles that can arise in the current cosmological context and compare them with available observations. We also seek to identify the physical processes responsible for breaks in metallicity profiles by using two galaxies as case studies. We analyze central galaxies from the cosmological simulations of the CIELO project, within the stellar mass range [$10^{8.5}$, $10^{10.5}$] M$_\odot$ at $z=0$. A new algorithm, DB-A, was developed to fit multiple power laws to the metallicity profiles, enabling a flexible assessment of metallicity gradients in various galactic regions. The simulations include detailed modeling of gas, metal-dependent cooling, star formation, and supernova feedback. At $z=0$, we find diverse profile shapes, including inner and outer drops and rises, with some galaxies exhibiting double breaks. Gradient values align with observations. A temporal analysis of Local Group analogs shows inner and outer breaks occurring at all cosmic times, with outer breaks being more frequent. Metallicity gradients show high variability at high redshift, transitioning to mild evolution at lower redshift. Most inner breaks show central oxygen enhancement, linked to gas accretion and star formation. Inner drops result from disrupted gas due to feedback-driven outflows. Outer breaks with high metallicities arise from re-accreted material, extended star formation, and CGM-driven gas mixing. Outer drops are common at high redshift, linked to metal-poor gas accretion from cold flows. We highlight the complex interplay of these processes which often act together.
comment: 21 pages, 14 figures. Comments are welcome
☆ Resolved Stellar Mass Estimation of Nearby Late-type Galaxies for the SPHEREx Era: Dependence on Stellar Population Synthesis Models
The upcoming all-sky infrared spectrophotometric SPHEREx mission is set to provide spatially resolved stellar mass maps of nearby galaxies, offering more detailed insights than integrated light observations. In this study, we develop a strategy for estimating stellar mass using SPHEREx by examining the dependence on different stellar population synthesis (SPS) models and proposing new scaling relations based on simulated SPHEREx data. We estimate the resolved stellar masses of 19 nearby late-type galaxies from the PHANGS-MUSE survey, treating these as fiducial masses. By testing four SPS models covering infrared wavelengths, i.e., E-MILES, Bruzual \& Charlot 2003 (BC03), Charlot \& Bruzual 2019 (CB19), and FSPS, we find systematic differences in mass-to-light ratios at $3.6~{\rm \mu m}$ ($M_{\ast}/L_{\rm 3.6\mu m}$) among the SPS models. In particular, BC03 and CB19 yield mass-to-light ratios on average $\sim0.2-0.3~{\rm dex}$ lower than those from E-MILES and FSPS. These mass-to-light ratios strongly correlate with stellar age, indicating a significant impact of young stellar populations on stellar mass measurements. Our analysis, incorporating fiducial masses and simulated SPHEREx data, identifies the $1.6~{\rm \mu m}$ band as the optimal wavelength for stellar mass estimation, with the lowest scatter ($0.15-0.20~{\rm dex}$) of the stellar mass. This scatter can be further reduced to $0.10-0.12~{\rm dex}$ across all SPS models by incorporating optical and SPHEREx colors. These results can provide guidance for measuring the stellar masses of the numerous nearby galaxies that SPHEREx will survey.
comment: Accepted for publication in AJ, 29 pages, 14 figures, 2 tables, 1 appendix
☆ A Dual Active Black Hole Candidate with Mass Ratio ~7:1 in a Disk Galaxy
Dual active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with comparable masses are commonly witnessed among the major merged galaxies with interaction remnants. Considering almost every massive galaxy is associated with multiple dwarf satellites around it, minor mergers involving galaxies with disproportional stellar masses should be much more common than major mergers, which would naturally lead to black hole (BH) pairs with significantly different masses. However, dual AGNs generated by minor mergers involving one or two dwarf galaxies are exceptionally rare and understudied. Moreover, good estimates of the masses of both BHs are not yet available to test this idea. Here we report the evidence of a dual AGN candidate with mass ratio $\sim$7:1 located in an undisturbed disk galaxy. We identify the central BH with mass of $9.4 \times 10^6M_\odot$ from its radio emission as well as AGN-driven galactic-scale biconical outflows. The off-centered BH generates obvious broad and narrow emission-line regions, which gives us a robust estimation of a $1.3 \times 10^6M_\odot$ BH mass. We explore alternative scenarios for explaining the observational features of this system, including the complex gas kinematics triggered by central AGN activity and dust attenuation of the broad-line region of the central BH, finding that they failed to fully account for the kinematics of both the redshifted off-centered broad and narrow emission-line components.
comment: Published in ApJL on 30 January 2025; 14 pages, 7 figures, 1 table
☆ Turbulent gas-rich discs at high redshift: origin of thick stellar discs through 3D 'baryon sloshing'
In response to recent observations from JWST and ALMA, we explore a new class of dynamically self-consistent models using our AGAMA/Ramses hydrodynamic N-body framework (Nexus) that mimics a plausible progenitor of the Milky Way over a wide range of disc gas fractions ($f_{\rm gas} = 0-100\%$). The high gas surface densities encourage vigorous star formation, which in turn couples with the gas to drive turbulence. We show that this coupling through momentum recoil drives 'baryon sloshing,' i.e. a random walk of the baryonic potential minimum with respect to the centre of the total gravitational potential, $\Phi_{\rm tot}$. The amplitude of the bulk motion depends on the strength of the feedback, which in turn is directly associated with $f_{\rm gas}$. At its most extreme, when gas is the sole contributor to the disc potential ($f_{\rm gas}=100$%), the amplitude of the walk can reach up to $R\approx 5$ kpc and $\vert z\vert \approx 1$ kpc within $\Phi_{\rm tot}(R,\phi,z)$. Consistent with observations, the disc dominates over dark matter ($f_{\rm disc}\gtrsim 50$%) within $R_s=2.2 R_{\rm disc}$, where $R_{\rm disc}$ is the exponential disc scale length. For a lower $f_{\rm disc}$ and/or $f_{\rm gas}$, the 3D sloshing amplitude and velocity are reduced. The combination of strong feedback (which unbinds the disc) and sloshing leads to the newly formed stars being dynamically heated and settling to a more spatially extended disc population. The 3D heating process is isotropic but its effects are more noticeable in $\vert z\vert$ due to the initial dynamical coldness of the star-forming disc. Such a disc has enhanced [$\alpha$/Fe] stellar abundances and a vertical (but no radial) gradient in stellar age and metallicity, both consistent with the Milky Way's thick stellar disc. Contrary to earlier claims, star formation in a stationary turbulent disc does $not$ produce thick stellar discs.
comment: ApJ, 27 pages, 16 figures - simulations at http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/turbo_disks - comments welcome as always
♻ ☆ Nebular emission from composite star-forming galaxies -- I. A novel modelling approach
We introduce a novel approach to modelling the nebular emission from star-forming galaxies by combining the contributions from many HII regions incorporating loose trends in physical properties, random dust attenuation, a predefined Halpha luminosity function and a diffuse ionized-gas component. Using a machine-learning-based regression artificial neural network trained on a grid of models generated by the photoionization code Cloudy, we efficiently predict emission-line properties of individual HII regions over a wide range of physical conditions. We generate 250,000 synthetic star-forming galaxies composed of up to 3000 HII regions and explore how variations in parameters affect their integrated emission-line properties. Our results highlight systematic biases in oxygen-abundance estimates derived using traditional methods, emphasizing the importance of accounting for the composite nature of star-forming galaxies when interpreting integrated nebular emission. Future work will leverage this approach to explore in detail its impact on parameter estimates of star-forming galaxies.
comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS
♻ ☆ PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 I: X-ray exploration of a low-mass cluster with exceptionally-distant radio relics
Relics are diffuse, highly-polarized radio sources that trace merger-driven shocks at the periphery of merging galaxy clusters. The LOFAR survey recently discovered a rare example of double relics in the low-mass cluster PSZ2 G181.06+48.47. Through a detailed exploration of new Chandra and XMM-Newton observations, we reveal that PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 has a lower mass ($M_{500,X}=2.32^{+0.29}_{-0.25}\times10^{14}$ M$_{\odot}$) than previously thought. Despite its cool global temperature of $kT_{500}=3.62^{+0.15}_{-0.07}$ keV, PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 is one of the most disturbed clusters in the Planck sample, with a complex morphological and thermodynamic structure. We discover a set of three discontinuities within <500 kpc of the cluster center, and, from a surface brightness analysis, place $5\sigma$ upper limits of $M_{NE}<1.43$ and $M_{SW}<1.57$ for any shock associated with the relic locations. We also revise established scaling relations for double radio-relics by adding 12 new systems not included in previous work. The PSZ2 G181.06+48.47 relics have the widest separation (scaled for $r_{500}$) of all known double-relic systems. The exceptional distance from the cluster center ($>r_{200}$), indicates the relics may be associated with shocks in the ``run-away" phase. We propose that this late-stage, post-apocenter merger is captured as the two subclusters with a mass ratio of 1.2-1.4 fall back into each other. The outer relic shocks were likely produced at the first core passage, while the inner discontinuities are associated with the second infall.
comment: Resubmitted to ApJ on Feb 4, 2025, after addressing the referee comments. 28 pages, 10 figures. Companion paper discussing the radio properties can be found at arXiv:2501.08390. Companion weak-lensing reconstruction paper can be found at arXiv:2501.09067
♻ ☆ Feedback and dynamical masses in high-$z$ galaxies: the advent of high-resolution NIRSpec spectroscopy
Stellar feedback is an essential step in the baryon cycle of galaxies, but it remains unconstrained beyond Cosmic Noon. We study the ionized gas kinematics, dynamical mass and gas-flow properties of a sample of 16 sub-$L^{\star}$ star-forming galaxies at $4\leq z\leq7.6$, using high-resolution JWST/NIRSpec observations. The emission lines are resolved, with velocity dispersions ($\sigma_{\rm gas}{\rm~(km~s^{-1})}\simeq38-96$) comparable to more massive galaxies at Cosmic Noon. From $\sigma_{\rm gas}$ and the galaxy size ($r_e=400-960~$pc), we estimate the dynamical mass to be $\log M_{\rm dyn}/M_{\odot}=9.25-10.25$. Stellar-to-dynamical mass ratios are low ($\log M_{\star}/M_{\rm dyn}\in[-0.5,-2]$) and decrease with increasing SFR surface density ($\Sigma_{\rm SFR}$). We estimate the gas surface densities assuming a star-formation law, but the gas masses do not balance the baryon-to-dynamical mass ratios, which would require a decrease in the star-formation efficiency. We find evidence of ionized outflows in five out of the sixteen galaxies, based on the need of broad components to reproduce the emission-line wings. We only observe outflows from galaxies undergoing recent bursts of star formation ${\rm SFR_{10}/SFR_{100}\geq1}$, with elevated $\Sigma_{\rm SFR}$ and low $M_{\star}/M_{\rm dyn}$. This links high gas surface densities to increased outflow incidence and lower $M_{\star}/M_{\rm dyn}$. With moderate outflow velocities ($v_{\rm flow}{\rm~(km~s^{-1})}=150-250$) and mass outflow rates ($\dot{M}_{\rm flow}/{\rm M_{\odot} yr^{-1}}=0.2-5$), these high-redshift galaxies appear more efficient at removing baryons than low-redshift galaxies with similar $M_{\star}$, showing mass loading-factors of $\dot{M}_{\rm flow}/{\rm SFR}=0.04-0.4$. For their given dynamical mass, the outflow velocities exceed the escape velocities, meaning that they may eventually enrich the Circumgalactic Medium.
comment: 15 pages, 11 figures, 3 tables; submitted to MNRAS
♻ ☆ The Molecular Cloud Lifecycle I: Constraining H2 formation and dissociation rates with observations
Molecular clouds (MCs) are the birthplaces of new stars in galaxies. A key component of MCs are photodissociation regions (PDRs), where far-ultraviolet radiation plays a crucial role in determining the gas's physical and chemical state. Traditional PDR models assume chemical steady state (CSS), where the rates of H$_2$ formation and photodissociation are balanced. However, real MCs are dynamic and can be out of CSS. In this study, we demonstrate that combining H$_2$ emission lines observed in the far-ultraviolet or infrared with column density observations can be used to derive the rates of H$_2$ formation and photodissociation. We derive analytical formulae that relate these rates to observable quantities, which we validate using synthetic H$_2$ line emission maps derived from the SILCC-Zoom hydrodynamical simulation. Our method estimates integrated H$_2$ formation and dissociation rates with an accuracy $\approx 30$ % (on top of uncertainties in observed H$_2$ emission maps and column densities). Our simulations, valid for column densities $N \leq 2 \times 10^{22}$ cm$^{-2}$, cover a wide dynamic range in H$_2$ formation and photodissociation rates, showing significant deviations from CSS, with 74 % of the MC's mass deviating from CSS by a factor greater than 2. Our analytical formulae can effectively distinguish between regions in and out of CSS. When applied to actual H$_2$ line observations, our method can assess the chemical state of MCs, providing insights into their evolutionary stages and lifetimes. A NASA Small Explorer mission concept, Eos, will be proposed in 2025 and is specifically designed to conduct the types of observations outlined in this study.
comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. **Comments Welcome!** This paper is the first ("Paper-I") in 2-paper series. Paper II, entitled "The Molecular Cloud Lifecycle II: Formation and Destruction of Molecular Clouds Diagnosed via H 2 Fluorescent Emission Emission" may be found here: https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2024ApJ...975..269B/abstract
♻ ☆ Quantum coherence and the invisible Universe: Subradiance as a dark matter mechanism
We investigate the role of quantum entanglement and coherence in suppressing radiation and explore its implications for dark matter. Using Dicke's framework, we demonstrate that entangled states in a gas at thermal equilibrium can lead to subradiance, trapping energy in dark quantum states and reducing radiation intensity. Applying this to the 21 cm line in dark matter halos, we find that quantum coherence renders the gas effectively dark. Moreover, entanglement results in a vanishing collision cross-section, consistent with the collisionless nature of dark matter observed in systems like the bullet cluster. We also show that absorption of incident radiation can exceed levels predicted by Beer's law, which holds only in the absence of coherence. These findings suggest that quantum entanglement and coherence may explain the non-luminous behavior of matter in dark matter halos, offering a novel perspective on dark matter and advancing the understanding of astrophysical radiative processes.
comment: Main text: 17 pages, Total: 33 pages, 7 figures
♻ ☆ Direct high-resolution observation of feedback and chemical enrichment in the circumgalactic medium at redshift z ~ 2.8
The circumgalactic medium (CGM) plays a vital role in galaxy evolution, however, studying the emission from CGM is challenging due to its low surface brightness and the complexities involved in interpreting resonant lines such as Ly$\alpha$. The near-infrared coverage, unprecedented sensitivity, and high spatial resolution of JWST enable us to study the optical strong lines associated with the extended Ly$\alpha$ "nebulae" at redshifts of 2--3. These lines serve as diagnostic tools to infer the physical conditions in the CGM gas reservoir of these systems. In deep medium-band images taken by the JWST, we serendipitously discovered the [O III] emission from the CGM around a massive interacting galaxy system at a redshift z~2.8, known to be embedded in a bright extended (100 kpc) Ly$\alpha$ "nebula." This is the first time that the [O III] lines have been detected from a Ly$\alpha$ "nebula." The JWST images reveal that the CGM gas actually resides in narrow (~ 2.5 kpc) filamentary structures with strong [O III] emission, tracing the same extent as the Ly$\alpha$ emission. An analysis of the [O III] suggests that the emitting CGM is fully ionized and is energetically dominated by mechanical heating. We also find that the density and pressure are higher than those commonly predicted by simulations of the CGM. We conclude that the observed CGM emission originates from the gas expelled by the episodic feedback processes, cooling down and enriching the CGM, while traveling a distance of at least 60 kpc. These observations demonstrate how intensive feedback processes shape gas distribution and properties in the CGM around massive halos. While access to such deep, high-resolution imaging opens up a new discovery space for investigating the CGM, it also challenges numerical simulations with respect to explaining and reproducing the exquisitely complex structures revealed by the observations.
comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, 1 table, accepted by A&A Letter
♻ ☆ BASS XLVII: 22 GHz Radio Atlas of Swift-BAT Selected AGN
We present the third phase of the largest high-frequency, high-resolution imaging survey of 231 nearby, hard X-ray selected AGN, with a very high $98 \pm 1\%$ detection fraction. This survey presents VLA 22 GHz radio observations with 1" spatial resolution covering over $6$ orders of magnitude in radio luminosity in nearby AGN that span $\sim4$ orders of magnitude in black hole mass and X-ray luminosity. We identify three different radio morphologies: $44 \pm 3\%$ (102/231) are compact or unresolved, $46 \pm 3\%$ (106/231) show an extended structure (star formation, possible one-sided jets, etc.), and $8 \pm 2\%$ (19/231) have a biconical or two-sided jet-like morphology. The remaining $2 \pm 1\%$ (4/231) sources are non-detections. The radio-to-X-ray luminosity ratios of the Swift-BAT AGN ($\text{L}_R/\text{L}_{14-195 \text{keV}} \sim 10^{-5.5}$ and $\text{L}_R/\text{L}_{2-10 \text{keV}} \sim 10^{-5}$) with a scatter of $\sim0.5$ dex are similar to that of coronally active stars ($\text{L}_R/\text{L}_X \sim 10^{-5}$). For most targets, extended emission in radio-quiet objects is broadly consistent with the expectation for star formation from previous FIR observations, once the contribution from the radio core has been subtracted. Our sample represents nearby analogs of distant AGN at the peak of black hole growth, and thus the high detection fraction in our work has important implications for future high frequency AGN radio surveys with the next generation VLA (ngVLA) or Square Kilometre Array (SKA), both of which should detect large fractions of more distant AGN.
comment: 26 pages, 8 figures, 4tables. Accepted for publication in ApJ
♻ ☆ MUSEQuBES: Connecting HI absorption with Ly$α$ emitters at $z \approx 3.3$
We present a comprehensive analysis of HI absorption around 96 lya emitters (LAEs) at $z\approx3.3$ (median lya luminosity $\approx10^{42}$ erg.s$^{-1}$). These LAEs were identified within 8 MUSE fields, each $1'\times1'$ on the sky and centered on a bright background quasar, as part of the MUSEQuBES survey. Using Voigt profile fitting for all HI absorbers detected within $\pm500$ km.$s^{-1}$ of these LAEs, we compiled a catalog of 800 HI absorption components. Our analysis shows that HI absorption is enhanced near the LAEs compared to the IGM. However, no trend is found between the column densities of HI absorbers and their impact parameters from the LAEs (spanning $\approx54$ to 260 pkpc). Additionally, all galaxies associated with Lyman-limit systems have impact parameters $>50$ pkpc from the quasar sightlines, suggesting that true absorber-hosts may be too faint to detect. The LAEs show an overall HI covering fraction (fc(HI)) of $\approx88\%$ for a threshold logN(HI)$=15$. Notably, at the same threshold, the pairs/group LAEs exhibit a $100\%$ HI covering fraction out to $\approx 250$ pkpc. In contrast, isolated LAEs consistently show a lower fc(HI) of $\approx80\%$. This environmental influence on fc(HI) is also evident up to $\approx 300$ km.$s^{-1}$ in differential bins of line-of-sight velocity. We find an anti-correlation between fc(HI) and the rest-frame lya-emission equivalent width (ew). Based on the lya-shell model, this could imply that gas-rich galaxies tend to reside in gas-rich environments or that the higher EW LAEs are more efficient at ionizing their surrounding medium.
comment: 15 pages, 10 figures, Submitted to ApJ after accounting for reviewer's comments
♻ ☆ Probing the rest-frame wavelength dependence of quasar variability : Insights from the Zwicky Transient Facility Survey
Context: Quasar variability can potentially unlock crucial insights into the accretion process. Understanding how this variability is influenced by wavelength is crucial for validating and refining quasar variability models. Aims: This paper aims to enhance the understanding of the dependence of variability on the rest-frame wavelength ($\lambda_{RF}$) by isolating the variance in different timescales in well-defined wavelength bins and examining the corona-heated accretion-disk (CHAR) model. Methods: We investigated the relation between variance and rest-frame wavelength ($\lambda_{RF}$) using optical g- and r-band light curves from the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) Data Release 15 for $\sim 5000$ quasars within narrow ranges of black hole mass ($M_{BH}$) and Eddington ratio ($R_{Edd}$). A spectral model taking into account disk continuum emission, Balmer transitions, Fe II pseudo-continuum emission, and other emission lines is necessary to best interpret the variance spectrum. Results: Our analysis indicates a strong anticorrelation between median variance and $\lambda_{RF}$ for quasars with $M_{BH} = 10^{8}$ and $R_{Edd} = 10^{-1}$ at different timescales. This anti-correlation is more pronounced at shorter timescales. The results align well with a bending power-law power spectrum density (PSD) model with both the damping timescale and the high-frequency slope of the PSD depending on the wavelength. The predictions provided by the CHAR model on the variance spectrum across most timescales studied showcase its potential in constraining temperature variations within the accretion disk. Key words. accretion, accretion discs; galaxies:active; quasars: supermassive black holes
comment: All figures updated and spectral corrections correctly introduced
♻ ☆ The Membership and Age of the Planet-hosting Young Star IRAS 04125+2902
A transiting planet was recently discovered around a star in the Taurus star-forming region, IRAS 04125+2902, making it one of the youngest known planets. The discovery paper cited two age estimates for IRAS 04125+2902, one based on a comparison to two sets of model isochrones in the Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram and a second age reported by an earlier study for a putative population in Taurus that includes IRAS 04125+2902 (D4-North). However, the model isochrones in question differ significantly for most temperatures and luminosities of young low-mass stars, and do not reproduce the observed sequences for the TW Hya and 32 Ori associations (10 and 21 Myr). Meanwhile, as found in my previous work, D4-North is a collection of field stars and fragments of several distinct Taurus groups and older associations, so its quoted age is not meaningful. The true parent population for IRAS 04125+2902 is a small group that is ~35 pc behind the L1495 and B209 clouds (B209N). I have analyzed the age of B209N through a comparison to TW Hya and 32 Ori. The M star sequences in the latter two associations have the same shapes, but the sequence for B209N is flatter, indicating that >M4 stars at ages of <10 Myr fade more quickly than stars at earlier types and older ages. For the one member of B209N that is earlier than M4 (IRAS 04125+2902), I estimate an age of 3.0+/-0.4 Myr based on its offsets from TW Hya and 32 Ori, which by happenstance is similar to the value derived through the comparison to model isochrones.
comment: Astronomical Journal, in press
♻ ☆ ZTF SN Ia DR2: Colour standardisation of Type Ia Supernovae and its dependence on environment
As type Ia supernova (SN Ia) cosmology transitions from a statistics-dominated to a systematics-dominated era, it is crucial to understand the remaining unexplained uncertainties that affect their luminosity, such as those stemming from astrophysical biases. SNe Ia are standardisable candles whose absolute magnitude reaches a scatter of 0.15 mag when empirical correlations with their light-curve stretch and colour and with their environment are accounted for. We investigate the dependence of the standardisation process of SNe Ia on the astrophysical environment, focusing on colour standardisation. We used the volume-limited ZTF SN Ia DR2 sample, which offers unprecedented statistics for the low-redshift ($z < 0.06$) range. We first studied the colour distribution, to then select a dustless subsample of objects. We then examined the colour-residual relation and its associated parameter $\beta$. Finally, we investigated the colour dependence of the environment-dependent magnitude offsets (steps) to separate their intrinsic and extrinsic components. Our sample of nearly 1,000 SNe probes the red tail of the colour distribution up to $c = 0.8$. The dustless sample exhibits a significantly shorter red tail ($4.3\sigma$) than the whole sample, but the distributions around $c\sim0$ are similar for both samples. This suggests that the reddening above $c\geq0.2$ is dominated by interstellar dust absorption of the host. The colour-residual relation is linear with SN colour. We found indications of a potential evolution of $\beta$ with the stellar host mass, with $\beta\sim3.6$ for low-mass galaxies, compared to $\beta=3.05\pm0.06$ for the full sample. Finally, in contrast to recent claims from the literature, we found no evolution of steps as a function of SN colour. This suggests that dust may not be the dominating mechanism for the dependence on the environment of the magnitude of SNe Ia.
comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics
♻ ☆ Simulating High-redshift Galaxies: Enhancing UV Luminosity with Star Formation Efficiency and a Top-heavy IMF
Recent findings from photometric and spectroscopic JWST surveys have identified examples of high-redshift galaxies at $z \gtrsim 10$. These high-$z$ galaxies appear to form much earlier and exhibit greater UV luminosity than predicted by theoretical work. In this study, our goal is to reproduce the brightness of these sources by simulating high-redshift galaxies with virial masses $M_{\rm vir} = 10^{9} - 10^{10} M_{\odot}$ at $z > 10$. To achieve this, we conduct cosmological hydrodynamic zoom-in simulations, modifying baryonic sub-grid physics, and post-process our simulation results to confirm the observability of our simulated galaxies. Specifically, we enhanced star formation activity in high-redshift galaxies by either increasing the star formation efficiency up to 100\% or adopting a top-heavy initial mass function (IMF). Our simulation results indicate that both increasing star formation efficiency and adopting a top-heavy IMF play crucial roles in boosting the UV luminosity of high-redshift galaxies, potentially exceeding the limiting magnitude of JWST surveys in earlier epochs. Especially, the episodic starburst resulting from enhanced star formation efficiency may explain the high-redshift galaxies observed by JWST, as it evacuates dust from star-forming regions, making the galaxies more observable. We demonstrate this correlation between star formation activity and dust mass evolution within the simulated galaxies. Also, adopting a top-heavy IMF could enhance observability due to an overabundance of massive stars, although it may also facilitate rapid metal enrichment. Using our simulation results, we derive several observables such as effective radius, UV slope, and emission line rates, which could serve as valuable theoretical estimates for comparison with existing spectroscopic results and forthcoming data from the JWST NIRSpec and MIRI instruments.
comment: 34 pages, 24 figures, Accepted for publication in ApJ
♻ ☆ Effects of Subhalos on Interpreting Highly Magnified Sources Near Lensing Caustics
Large magnification factors near gravitational lensing caustics of galaxy cluster lenses allow the study of individual stars or compact stellar associations at cosmological distances. We study how the presence of sub-galactic subhalos, an inevitable consequence of cold dark matter, can alter the property of caustics and hence change the interpretation of highly magnified sources that lie atop them. First, we consider a galaxy cluster halo populated with subhalos sampled from a realistic subhalo mass function calibrated to $N$-body simulations. Then, we compare a semi-analytical approximation and an adaptive ray-shooting method which we employ to quantify the property of the caustics. As a case study, we investigate Earendel, a $z = 6.2$ candidate of magnified single or multiple star system with a lone lensed image atop the critical curve in the Sunrise Arc. We find that the source size constraint ($\lesssim 0.3\, \mathrm{pc}$) previously derived from macro lens models should be relaxed by a factor of a few to ten when subhalos are accounted for, therefore allowing the possibility of a compact star cluster. The subhalos could introduce an astrometric perturbation that is $\lesssim 0.5''$, which does not contradict observation. These conclusions are largely robust to changes in the subhalo population. Subhalos therefore should be seriously accounted for when interpreting the astrophysical nature of similar highly magnified sources uncovered in recent high-$z$ observations.
comment: 21 pages, 7 figures; updated to match the manuscript accepted to ApJ
♻ ☆ A Comprehensive Study of the Dust Declines in R Coronae Borealis Stars
The R Coronae Borealis (RCB) variables are rare, hydrogen-deficient, carbon-rich supergiants known for large, erratic declines in brightness due to dust formation. Recently, the number of known RCB stars in the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds has increased from $\sim$30 to 162. We use all-sky and targeted photometric surveys to create the longest possible light curves for all known RCB stars and systematically study their declines. Our study, the largest of its kind, includes measurements of decline activity levels, morphologies, and periodicities for nearly all RCB stars. We confirm previous predictions that cool RCB stars exhibit more declines than warm RCBs, supporting a relationship between dust formation and condensation temperatures. We also find evidence for two distinct dust production mechanisms. R CrB and SU Tau show decline onsets consistent with a Poisson process, suggesting their dust production is driven by stochastic processes, such as convection. In contrast, RY Sgr's declines correlate with its pulsation period, suggesting that its dust production is driven by pulsationally-induced shocks. Finally, we show that the dust properties of the related class of DY~Per variables differ from those of the RCB stars, suggesting differences in their evolutionary status.
comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, accepted to MNRAS
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 18
☆ Intersecting frontiers for ground and space-based solar missions: symbiotic coordination between DKIST, PSP, and Solar Orbiter
Three uniquely powerful solar and heliospheric facilities are now operational at the same time. The US National Science Foundation's Daniel K Inouye Solar Telescope, NASA's Parker Solar Probe, and ESA's Solar Orbiter each represent frontiers in space science, and each pursue richly tailored science missions. At the intersection of these missions, though, lie unparalleled opportunities for multi-vantage point science. This symbiotic relationship is especially pronounced during PSP's perihelia and Solar Orbiter remote science windows. As the most advanced solar polarimeter ever built, DKIST strengthens many of the multi-facility use cases by opening new diagnostic windows into solar magnetism -- spanning the photosphere, chromosphere, and corona -- at unprecedented spatial, spectral, and temporal resolution. In this article, we report recent efforts to maximize the scientific potential of coordinated DKIST, PSP, and Solar Orbiter observations. Existing DKIST data from coordinated observations with Solar Orbiter and PSP are highlighted alongside some first investigations of these data.
comment: Submitted to proceedings of IAU Symposium 390: A Multi-Point view of the Sun
☆ Dynamic Imprints of Colliding-wind Dust Formation from WR140
Carbon-rich Wolf-Rayet binaries are a prominent source of carbonaceous dust that contribute to the dust budget of galaxies. The "textbook" example of an episodic dust producing WR binary, WR140 (HD193793), provides us with an ideal laboratory for investigating the dust physics and kinematics in an extreme environment. This study is among the first to utilize two separate JWST observations, from Cycle 1 ERS (July 2022) and Cycle 2 (Sept. 2023), to measure WR140's dust kinematics and confirm its morphology. To measure the proper motions and projected velocities of the dust shells, we performed a novel PSF subtraction to reduce the effects of the bright diffraction spikes and carefully aligned the Cycle 2 to the Cycle 1 images. At 7.7 $\mu$m, through the bright feature common to 16 dust shells (C1), we find an average dust shell proper motion of $390\pm29$ mas yr$^{-1}$, which equates to a projected velocity of $2714\pm188$ km s$^{-1}$ at a distance of 1.64 kpc. Our measured speeds are constant across all visible shells and consistent with previously reported dust expansion velocities. Our observations not only prove that these dusty shells are astrophysical (i.e., not associated with any PSF artifact) and originate from WR140, but also confirm the "clumpy" morphology of the dust shells, in which identifiable substructures within certain shells persist for at least 14 months from one cycle to the next. These results support the hypothesis that clumping in the wind collision region is required for dust production in WR binaries.
☆ New stellar bow shocks and bubbles found around runaway stars
Runaway stars with peculiar high velocities can generate stellar bow shocks. Only a few bow shocks show clear radio emission. Our goal is to identify and characterize new stellar bow shocks around O and Be runaway stars in the infrared (IR), and to study their possible radio emission and nature. Our input data is a catalog of O and Be runaways compiled using Gaia DR3. We used WISE IR images to search for bow shocks around these runaways, Gaia DR3 data to determine the actual motion of the runaway stars corrected for interstellar medium (ISM) motion caused by Galactic rotation, and archival radio data to search for emission signatures. We finally explored the radio detectability of these sources under thermal and nonthermal scenarios. We found 9 new stellar bow shock candidates, 3 new bubble candidates, and 1 intermediate structure candidate. One of them is an in situ bow shock candidate. We also found 17 already known bow shocks in our sample, though we discarded one, and 62 miscellaneous sources showing some IR emission around the runaways. We geometrically characterized the sources in IR using the WISE-4 band and estimated the ISM density at the bow shock positions, obtaining median values of ~6 and ~4 cm$^{-3}$ using 2D and 3D peculiar velocities. Most of the new discovered bow shocks come from new runaway discoveries. Within our samples we found that ~24% of the O-type runaway stars show bow shocks, while this decreases to ~3% for Be-type runaway stars. Two bow shocks present radio emission but not as clear counterparts, and two others show hints of radio emission. The physical scenarios indicate that two sources could still be compatible with nonthermal radio emission. The new sample of O and Be runaway stars allowed us to discover both new stellar bow shocks and bubbles. Their geometrical characterization can be used to assess the physical scenario of the radio emission. (Abridged)
comment: 19 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A
☆ Binarity at LOw Metallicity (BLOeM): The multiplicity properties and evolution of BAF-type supergiants
Given the uncertain evolutionary status of blue supergiant stars, their multiplicity properties hold vital clues to better understand their origin and evolution. As part of The Binarity at LOw Metallicity (BLOeM) campaign in the Small Magellanic Cloud we present a multi-epoch spectroscopic survey of 128 supergiant stars of spectral type B5--F5, which roughly correspond to initial masses in the range 6 to 30 solar masses. The observed binary fraction for the B5-9 supergiants is 25+/-6 % (10+/-4 %) and 5+/-2 % (0 %) for the A-F stars, using a radial velocity (RV) variability threshold of 5 kms (10 kms) as a criterion for binarity. Accounting for observational biases we find an intrinsic multiplicity fraction of less than 18% for the B5-9 stars and 8$^{+9}_{-7}$% for the AF stars, for the orbital periods up to 10$^{3.5}$day and mass-ratios (q) in the range 0.1 < q < 1. The large stellar radii of these supergiant stars prevent short orbital periods but we demonstrate that this effect alone cannot explain our results. We assess the spectra and RV time series of the detected binary systems and find that only a small fraction display convincing solutions. We conclude that the multiplicity fractions are compromised by intrinsic stellar variability such that the true multiplicity fraction may be significantly smaller. Our main conclusions from comparing the multiplicity properties of the B5-9 and AF supergiants to that of their less evolved counterparts is that such stars cannot be explained by a direct evolution from the main sequence. Furthermore, by comparing their multiplicity properties to red supergiant stars we conclude that the AF supergiant stars are neither progenitors nor descendants of red supergiants.
comment: Accepted in A&A
☆ Binarity at Low Metallicity (BLOeM) -- Multiplicity properties of Oe and Be stars
Rapidly rotating classical OBe stars have been proposed as the products of binary interactions, and the fraction of Be stars with compact companions implies that at least some are. However, to constrain the interaction physics spinning up the OBe stars, a large sample of homogeneously analysed OBe stars with well-determined binary characteristics and orbital parameters are required. We investigate the multiplicity properties of a sample of 18 Oe, 62 Be, and two Of?p stars observed within the BLOeM survey in the Small Magellanic Cloud. We analyse the first nine epochs of spectroscopic observations obtained over approximately three months in 2023. Radial velocities (RVs) of all stars are measured. Applying commonly-used binarity criteria we classify objects as binaries, binary candidates, and apparently single (RV stable) objects. We further inspect the spectra for double-lined spectroscopic binaries and cross-match with catalogues of X-ray sources and photometric binaries. We classify 14 OBe stars as binaries, and an additional 11 as binary candidates. The two Of?p stars are apparently single. Two more objects are most likely currently interacting binaries. Without those, the observed binary fraction for the OBe sample (78 stars) is f_OBe_obs=0.18+/-0.04 (f_obs_cand=0.32+/-0.05 including candidates). This fraction is less than half of that measured for OB stars in BLOeM. Combined with the lower fraction of SB2s, this suggests that OBe stars have indeed fundamentally different binary properties than OB stars. We find no evidence for OBe binaries with massive compact companions, in contrast to expectations from binary population synthesis. Our results support the binary scenario as an important formation channel for OBe stars, as post-interaction binaries may have been disrupted or the stripped companions of OBe stars are harder to detect.
comment: 12 pages (+appendix), 7 figures, accepted for publication in A&A
☆ Short-Term Balmer Line Emission Variability in M Dwarfs
M Dwarfs make up the majority of stars, offering an avenue for discovering exoplanets due to their smaller sizes. However, their magnetic activity poses challenges for exoplanet detection, characterization, and planetary habitability. Understanding its magnetic activity, including surface starspots and internal dynamos, is crucial for exoplanet research. In this study, we present short-term variability in four Balmer emission lines \ha, \hb, \hg, and \hd\ for a sample of 77 M dwarfs of varying spectral types, and binarity. Stars were observed using the MDM Observatory's Ohio State Multi-Object Spectrograph on the 2.4m Telescope and the Modular Spectrograph on the 1.3 m Telescope. These data are combined with TESS photometry to explore the connection between spectroscopic and photometric variability. We observe sporadic short-term variability in Balmer lines for some stars, on timescale $\gtrsim$ 15-min, but much shorter than the stellar rotation period. We calculate periods for stars lacking those measurements, re-evaluated the relationship between amplitude (\rvar)-activity relation for the \ha \ line from \citet{garcia_soto_contemporaneous_2023}, and extended our analysis to the \hb, \hg \ and \hd \ lines, which indicates that the relation becomes increasingly dispersed for higher-order Balmer lines. This is consistent with increased intrinsic variability from lower to higher order lines. Additionally, we compute the Balmer decrement, using \hb \ as the fiducial, for stars where we could measure \hg \ and/or \hd. The Balmer decrement can show distinct patterns during white-light flares, with significant differences even for the same star. We also find evidence for dark spots on \object{TIC 283866910}.
comment: 19 Pages (3 are references), 10 Figures
☆ Mixing neutron star material into the jets in the common envelope jets supernova r-process scenario
I find that the accretion disk around the neutron star (NS) that enters the core of a massive evolved star in the frame of the common-envelope jets supernova (CEJSN) r-process scenario can penetrate the crust of the NS, mix neutron-rich crust material into the disk, and enrich the jets that the disk launches with the neutron-rich material. As the NS accretes at high rates from the core inside which it revolves, it forms an accretion disk with high density. In the CEJSN r-process scenario, the very high density in the accretion disk results in low electron fraction gas, enabling the r-process. Jets carry the r-process elements out. The new claim in this study is that the high-density accretion disk destroys part of the NS crust and entrains this mass. The Kelvin-Helmholtz instability mixes material from the deeper crust. The total neutron-rich mass that the disk mixes and the jets carry can be up to ~0.01Mo. Enriching the accretion disk with neutron-rich material ensures a low electron fraction as required by the r-process nucleosynthesis and the ejection of massive r-process ejecta, ~0.01-0.03Mo. I strengthen the CEJSN r-process scenario but do not claim it is the main r-process site. I only claim that two or more r-process sites contribute to r-process nucleosynthesis.
comment: Will be submitted in two days to allow for comments (including missing references and r-process sites)
☆ Granulation and Convectional Driving on Stellar Surfaces
Surface convection is important for the presence of magnetic activity at stars. So far, this convection is thought to be a result of heating from below, where convection cells rise and break up. New models reveal that surface convection is instead strongly driven by cooling from above. We compare two simulations of surface convection, one with a significant heating from below and one without. We obtain surface convection in both cases, and they show similar granulation patterns. The deep convection driven by heating from below is still evolving and asymptotically approaches a steady-state solution. We find that convection from below is not needed at all to form typical photospheric granulation. This indicates the possibility of a surface dynamo acting on stars without a convecting envelope. Even stars without a convecting envelope could therefore exhibit stronger magnetic and coronal activity than expected so far.
comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, published
☆ Instabilities of the kinematic state of the atmospheres of some single C-rich post-AGB stars
To search for and study the instabilities in the atmospheres of selected post-AGB stars, we have performed a long-term high-resolution spectroscopy (R=60000) with the spectrograph NES of the 6-meter BTA telescope. Low-amplitude pulsations, splitting and/or asymmetry of the absorption profiles with a low excitation potential, as well as variability of a complex H$\alpha$ profile have been registered in the optical spectra of single stars associated with the IR sources IRASz02229+6208, IRAS 04296+3429, IRAS 07134+1005, IRAS 07430+1115, IRAS 19500-1709, IRAS 22223+4327, and IRAS 23304+6147 that had previously undergone the 3-d dredge-up. The maximum pulsation amplitude A$_{\rm Vr}$ was detected for the stars in the IRAS 07134+1005 and IRAS 19500-1709 systems, which have the maximum temperatures among the stars studied. Stratification of radial velocity in the atmosphere was found for two stars in the sample. The luminosity of the studied stars was estimated based on the intensity of the IR oxygen triplet OI(7774). Moreover, a luminosity of log${\rm (L/L_{\odot})}\approx$3.1 was obtained for the star in the IRAS 07430+1115 system within the typical values for post-AGB stars luminosity, which eliminates the paradox of the luminosity and the initial mass of this object.
comment: 19 pages, 12 figures
☆ MAISTEP -- a new grid-based machine learning tool for inferring stellar parameters I. Ages of giant-planet host stars
Our understanding of exoplanet demographics partly depends on their corresponding host star parameters. With the majority of exoplanet-host stars having only atmospheric constraints available, robust inference of their parameters is susceptible to the approach used. The goal of this work is to develop a grid-based machine learning tool capable of determining the stellar radius, mass, and age using only atmospheric constraints and to analyse the age distribution of stars hosting giant planets. Our machine learning approach involves combining four tree-based machine learning algorithms (Random Forest, Extra Trees, Extreme Gradient Boosting, and CatBoost) trained on a grid of stellar models to infer stellar radius, mass, and age using Teff, [Fe/H], and luminosities. We perform a detailed statistical analysis to compare the inferences of our tool with those based on seismic data from the APOKASC and LEGACY samples. Finally, we apply our tool to determine the ages of stars hosting giant planets. Comparing the stellar parameter inferences from our machine learning tool with those from the APOKASC and LEGACY, we find a bias (and a scatter) of -0.5\% (5\%) and -0.2\% (2\%) in radius, 6\% (5\%) per cent and -2\% (3\%) in mass, and -9\% (16\%) and 7\% (23\%) in age, respectively. Therefore, our machine learning predictions are commensurate with seismic inferences. When applying our model to a sample of stars hosting Jupiter-mass planets, we find the average age estimates for the hosts of Hot Jupiters, Warm Jupiters, and Cold Jupiters to be 1.98, 2.98, and 3.51 Gyr, respectively. These statistical ages of the host stars confirm previous predictions - based on stellar model ages for a relatively small number of hosts, as well as on the average age-velocity dispersion relation - that stars hosting Hot Jupiters are statistically younger than those hosting Warm and Cold Jupiters.
comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics Journal
☆ Spatial distribution and clustering properties of the young stellar populations in the Carina Nebula complex and Car OB1
We use Gaia DR3 astrometry and photometry to analyze the spatial distribution of the young stellar populations and stellar clusters and to search for new OB star candidates in the Carina Nebula complex and the full extent of the Car OB1 association. We first performed a new census of high-mass stars in Car OB1 and compiled a comprehensive catalog of 517 stars with known spectral types that have Gaia DR3 parallaxes consistent with membership in the association. We applied the clustering algorithm DBSCAN on the Gaia data of the region to find stellar clusters, determine their distances and kinematics, and estimate ages. We also used Gaia astrometry and the additional astrophysical_parameters table to perform a spatially unbiased search for further high-mass members of Car OB1 over the full area of the association. Our DBSCAN analysis finds 15 stellar clusters and groups in Car OB1, four of which were not known before. Most clusters (80%) show signs of expansion or contraction, four of them with a >2$\sigma$ significance. We find a global expansion of the Car OB1 association and a kinematic traceback of the high-mass stars shows that the spatial extent of the association was at a minimum 3-4 Myr ago. Using astrophysical parameters by Gaia DR3, we identified 15 new O-type and 589 new B-type star candidates in Car OB1. The majority (>54%) of the high-mass stars constitute a non-clustered distributed stellar population. Based on our sample of high-mass stars, we estimate a total stellar population of at least ~8*10^4 stars in Car OB1. Our study is the first systematic astrometric analysis that covers the full spatial extent of the Car OB1 association, and it therefore substantially increases the knowledge of the distributed stellar population and spatial evolution of the entire association. Our results suggest suggests Car OB1 to be the most massive known star-forming complex in our Galaxy.
comment: 21 pages, 20 figures, accepted for publication in A&A
☆ Half a Million M Dwarf Stars Characterized Using Domain-Adapted Spectral Analysis
We present fundamental atmospheric parameters (Teff and log g) and metallicities ([M/H]) for 507,513 M dwarf stars using low-resolution spectra (R~1800) from LAMOST DR10. By employing Cycle-StarNet, an innovative domain adaptation approach, we successfully bridge the gap between theoretical PHOENIX synthetic spectra and observed LAMOST spectra, enabling parameter measurements even for lower signal-to-noise data (S/N>5). The fitting residual analysis shows a reduction from 2.0 times to 1.68 times the flux uncertainty. Comparing with available literature values, we find systematic offsets and precisions of 12$\pm$70 K in Teff, -0.04$\pm$0.17 dex in log g, and -0.06$\pm$0.20 dex in [M/H]. The precision improves for higher quality spectra (S/N>50) to 47 K, 0.12 dex, and 0.14 dex respectively. The metallicity consistency between wide binaries shows a scatter of 0.24 dex, improving to 0.15 dex at S/N>50. We provide a comprehensive catalog including stellar parameters, spectral classifications, activity indicators, and binary/variability flags, establishing a resource for studies of the most numerous stellar population. The complete catalog is available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14030249.
comment: Accepted by ApJS. 21 pages, 18 figures
☆ Testing the wavelength dependence of oscillations and granulation in red giants using Kepler and TESS
Stellar oscillations and granulation in red giants are both powered by convection. Studying the wavelength dependence of their amplitudes can provide useful insights on the driving mechanism. It is also important for plans to carry out asteroseismology with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will operate in the near infrared, to check the dependence of oscillations and granulation on the observational wavelength. In this work, we aim to understand how the oscillation and granulation power in red giants depend on the wavelength and study how existing predictions compare with observations. We measure the mean oscillation and granulation power of 279 Kepler red giants, from the power density spectra derived using Kepler PDCSAP and TESS-SPOC light curves. We find that selection of light curves is important for the study of amplitudes, since different light curve products from TESS show different values of amplitudes. We show that the oscillation and granulation power ratios between TESS and Kepler match the theoretical prediction, confirming that both decrease as we move to redder wavelengths. We also see that the mean ratios of oscillations and granulation agree, suggesting that oscillation and granulation have the same wavelength dependence. We also find that the mean height-to-background ratio for Kepler agrees with previous results and shows good agreement with TESS. These results suggest that the granulation signals would not severely affect the detection of oscillations. We checked the dependence of these ratio between Kepler and TESS on stellar parameters, and see no trends.
comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS
♻ ☆ MauveSim: the instrument simulator software for the Mauve mission
We present MauveSim, the instrument simulator software for Mauve, the latest mission from Blue Skies Space dedicated to time-domain stellar astronomy. The tool is designed to generate simulated stellar spectra, enabling the assessment of various scientific objectives, as well as determining limiting magnitudes and conducting signal-to-noise (S/N) analyses. MauveSim functions as an end-to-end simulator that takes an input stellar spectrum-either observed or synthetic-and produces a simulated observation based on the instrument's performance and characteristics. The results of MauveSim have been validated against instrument performance data from extensive ground testing campaigns, ensuring that the software reflects the most up-to-date understanding of the payload performance. Accessible to all scientists involved in the mission, MauveSim serves as a crucial tool for target selection and observation planning.
comment: 9 pages, 2 tables, 13 figures, submitted to RASTI
♻ ☆ Deriving pulsar pair-production multiplicities from pulsar wind nebulae using H.E.S.S. and LHAASO observations
Pulsar Wind Nebulae (PWNe) dominate the galactic gamma-ray sky at very high energies, and are major contributors to the leptonic cosmic ray flux. However, whether or not pulsars also accelerate ions to comparable energies is not yet experimentally confirmed. We aim to constrain the birth period and pair-production multiplicity for a set of pulsars. In doing so, we aim to constrain the proportion of ions in the pulsar magnetosphere and hence the proportion of ions that could enter the pulsar wind. We estimate possible ranges of the value of the average pair production multiplicity for a sample of 26 pulsars in the Australia Telescope National Facility (ATNF) catalogue, which have also been observed by the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) telescopes. We then derive lower limits for the pulsar birth periods and average pair production multiplicities for a subset of these sources where the extent of the pulsar wind nebula and surrounding supernova shell have been measured in the radio. We also derive curves for the average pair production multiplicities as a function of birth period for sources recently observed by the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). We show that there is a potential for hadrons entering the pulsar wind for most of the H.E.S.S. and LHAASO sources we consider, dependent upon the efficiency of luminosity conversion into particles. We also present estimates of the pulsar birth period for six of these sources, which all fall into the range of $\simeq$10-50 ms.
comment: 8 pages, 5 figures. Accepted in Astronomy & Astrophysics. Reproduced with permission from Astronomy & Astrophysics, \copyright ESO
♻ ☆ The Membership and Age of the Planet-hosting Young Star IRAS 04125+2902
A transiting planet was recently discovered around a star in the Taurus star-forming region, IRAS 04125+2902, making it one of the youngest known planets. The discovery paper cited two age estimates for IRAS 04125+2902, one based on a comparison to two sets of model isochrones in the Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram and a second age reported by an earlier study for a putative population in Taurus that includes IRAS 04125+2902 (D4-North). However, the model isochrones in question differ significantly for most temperatures and luminosities of young low-mass stars, and do not reproduce the observed sequences for the TW Hya and 32 Ori associations (10 and 21 Myr). Meanwhile, as found in my previous work, D4-North is a collection of field stars and fragments of several distinct Taurus groups and older associations, so its quoted age is not meaningful. The true parent population for IRAS 04125+2902 is a small group that is ~35 pc behind the L1495 and B209 clouds (B209N). I have analyzed the age of B209N through a comparison to TW Hya and 32 Ori. The M star sequences in the latter two associations have the same shapes, but the sequence for B209N is flatter, indicating that >M4 stars at ages of <10 Myr fade more quickly than stars at earlier types and older ages. For the one member of B209N that is earlier than M4 (IRAS 04125+2902), I estimate an age of 3.0+/-0.4 Myr based on its offsets from TW Hya and 32 Ori, which by happenstance is similar to the value derived through the comparison to model isochrones.
comment: Astronomical Journal, in press
♻ ☆ Short-Period Small Planets with High Mutual Inclinations are more Common around Metal-Rich Stars
We present a correlation between the stellar metallicities and the mutual inclinations of multi-planet systems hosting short-period small planets (a/Rs<12, Rp<4Re). We analyzed 89 multi-planet systems discovered by Kepler, K2, and TESS, where the innermost planets have periods shorter than 10 days. We found that the mutual inclinations of the innermost two planets are higher and more diverse around metal-rich stars. The mutual inclinations are calculated as the absolute differences between the best-fit inclinations of the innermost two planets from transit modeling, which represent the lower limits of the true mutual inclinations. The mean and variance of the mutual inclination distribution of the metal-rich systems are 3.1+-0.5 and 3.1+-0.4 degrees, while for the metal-poor systems they are 1.3+-0.2 and 1.0+-0.2 degrees. This finding suggests that inner planetary systems around metal-rich stars are dynamically hotter. We summarized the theories that could plausibly explain this correlation, including the influence of giant planets, higher solid densities in protoplanetary disks around metal-rich stars, or secular chaos coupled with an excess of angular momentum deficits. Planet formation and population synthesis models tracking the mutual inclination evolution would be essential to fully understand this correlation.
comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, 1 table. Accepted by ApJL
♻ ☆ A Comprehensive Study of the Dust Declines in R Coronae Borealis Stars
The R Coronae Borealis (RCB) variables are rare, hydrogen-deficient, carbon-rich supergiants known for large, erratic declines in brightness due to dust formation. Recently, the number of known RCB stars in the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds has increased from $\sim$30 to 162. We use all-sky and targeted photometric surveys to create the longest possible light curves for all known RCB stars and systematically study their declines. Our study, the largest of its kind, includes measurements of decline activity levels, morphologies, and periodicities for nearly all RCB stars. We confirm previous predictions that cool RCB stars exhibit more declines than warm RCBs, supporting a relationship between dust formation and condensation temperatures. We also find evidence for two distinct dust production mechanisms. R CrB and SU Tau show decline onsets consistent with a Poisson process, suggesting their dust production is driven by stochastic processes, such as convection. In contrast, RY Sgr's declines correlate with its pulsation period, suggesting that its dust production is driven by pulsationally-induced shocks. Finally, we show that the dust properties of the related class of DY~Per variables differ from those of the RCB stars, suggesting differences in their evolutionary status.
comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, accepted to MNRAS